Model United Nations
National Championships

Middle & Elementary School Divisions Homepage

New for the 2025-2026 Academic Year!

Intro to Model UN
Intro to Model UN

Model UN Nationals Middle & Elementary School Divisions Overview

In May 2026, for the first time ever, Model United Nations will have a designated National Championship conference for middle & elementary school students in the USA! This will take place on Friday-Monday, May 22-25 at the International Academic Competitions Middle & Elementary School National Championships at the Hyatt Regency Orlando in Orlando, FL. Please explore this page to learn more about how we are structuring this event, and how you / your student(s) / your child(ren) can qualify and take part in it.

  • Eligibility:  Students who have qualified by winning any award at any regional Model UN conference (whether run by IAC or not), or as part of the Introduction to Model UN program either in the 2023-24, 2024-25, or 2025-26 academic years. After 2025-26, qualification must be done in the academic year in which the National Championships is held.

  • Competitors:  Students in Grades 4-8. Students must compete as solo students.

  • Inquiries: Please contact IAC’s Model UN Coordinator, Ms. Audra Dankwardt at ModelUN@iacompetitions.com

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Intro to Model UN

Competition Format

The Model United Nations National Championships consists of preliminary committees and playoff committees. Please note that the Introduction to Model UN committees are not considered part of the Model UN National Championships, but students who participate in those and win awards in them qualify for the Model UN preliminary committees offered on Sunday.

Stage
1

Preliminary Committees

All students who compete at the 2026 Model UN National Championships begin by participating in the preliminary committees. There will be 6 preliminary committees at the Model UN National Championships. Each is open to any student who has qualified to compete at the National Championships. Each committee costs $99 per student regardless of the duration of the committee. A full schedule of the 2026 IAC National Championships, including all Model UN committees can be found here.

Committee Type Topic or Announcement Date 8th Grade 7th Grade 6th Grade 5th & 4th
UN Environment Programme Standard Renewable Energy May 22, 8:15am-12:00pm May 22, 8:15am-12:00pm May 22, 8:15am-12:00pm May 22, 8:15am-12:00pm
Security Council Crisis Escalation on the Korean Peninsula May 22, 1:00-4:45pm May 22, 1:00-4:45pm May 22, 1:00-4:45pm May 22, 1:00-4:45pm
African Union Crisis Statehood for Somaliland May 23, 8:15am-12:00pm May 23, 8:15am-12:00pm May 23, 8:15am-12:00pm May 23, 8:15am-12:00pm
UNESCO Standard Cultural Artifacts – Preservation & Repatriation May 23, 1:00-4:45pm May 23, 1:00-4:45pm May 23, 1:00-4:45pm May 23, 1:00-4:45pm
Surprise Committee Standard 4:30pm, May 23 May 24, 11:00am-1:45pm May 24, 11:00am-1:45pm May 24, 11:00am-1:45pm May 24, 11:00am-1:45pm
Surprise Committee Crisis 4:30pm, May 23 May 24, 2:30pm-5:15pm May 24, 2:30pm-5:15pm May 24, 2:30pm-5:15pm May 24, 2:30pm-5:15pm

Background guides are now available. For the four committees on May 22 and 23, students will receive their country assignments the day after registration closes for the National Championships (i.e. on May 6, 2026) so that students who register earlier are not at an advantage. For the Surprise Committees, registration will run through 6:30pm on May 23, and country assignments will then be assigned at 7:00pm with background guides and the topics then also being available at that time.

None of the committees have any field cap for any age division, but if over 25-30 countries (at IAC’s discretion) are going to be represented within a committee within an age division, we will open a second (or potentially third or fourth) committee room for that committee within that division. On the other hand, if fewer than 10 students/teams sign up for a committee within an age division, certain age divisions may be combined for a topic to create a critical mass of delegations. However, awards would still be given out proportionally on a grade by grade basis within each committee, so this would not put any students at a disadvantage for qualifying for the playoff committees.

Stage
2

Playoff Committees

Approximately the top 1/2 of countries in each preliminary committee will receive awards. Any student who receives an award (including Honorable Mentions) is then eligible to compete in the playoffs and can then register for the playoffs. Participants must register for the playoffs at the National Championships (since they are held at the same time as certain other events, and we need to know if students plan on participating in Model UN or the other events), which they can do so at any point from noon on Friday, May 22 (i.e. the end of the first preliminary committee, at which point its award winners will be announced) until 6:30pm on Sunday, May 24. Country assignments for the playoffs will then be announced at 7:00pm that same evening. It does not cost anything extra to compete in the playoffs.

All students taking part in the playoffs of the Model UN National Championships will take part in both a standard committee (from 10am-12:30pm) and a crisis committee (from 3pm-5:30pm). The awards will then be given out from 5:30-5:45pm. Both committees will count equally in the award calculations.

Bonus
Stage

International Geography Championships

View to the Beach, JW Marriott Resort & Spa, Khao Lak, Thailand

Students who have qualified for the 2026 Model UN National Championships by winning an award at any Model UN conference in the 2023-24, 2024-25, or 2025-26 academic years above the Honorable Mention level also qualify for the 2026 International Geography Championships which will be held at the JW Marriott Resort & Spa on the beach in Khao Lak, Thailand from July 5-12, 2026! Students can also qualify by winning any award in any committee at the 2026 Model UN National Championships.

The International Geography Championships is a week-long event with numerous competitions (including Model UN committees), field trips, family activities, and more. In each event, medals are awarded to the top 3 competing students in each age division. US students compete for their state; students from other countries (or students in the USA who were born abroad or who have foreign citizenship) represent those countries. Two of the most prestigious events at IGC are the International Geography Bee World Championships and the International Geography Bowl World Championships. An overall IGC Championship title is also awarded in each age division; please view the website at www.geochampionships.com for further details on all events and to register. We hope that you will be able to join us at IGC 2026!

For all questions on the 2026 International Geography Championships, please email igc@iacompetitions.com.

Practice Resources & Background Guides

Background Guides for the 2026 National Championships

Background Guides for Topics Announced in Advance of Nationals
African Union – Statehood for Somaliland Background Guide
UN Environment Programme – Renewable Energy Background Guide
UN Security Council – Escalation on the Korean Peninsula – Model UN Background Guide
UNESCO – Cultural Artifacts – Preservation & Repatriation Background Guide

Background Guides for Topics Announced at Nationals (for Surprise Committees on May 24)
These will be available at 4:15pm on May 23.

Background Guides for Playoff Committees on May 25
These will be available at 4:15pm on May 24.

Rules & FAQs

For the preliminary rounds, dress is casual. For the playoff rounds on Monday, western business attire is required. For boys, a jacket or a tie is required (both are encouraged). For girls, dresses or business suits or comparable attire are required. Please plan accordingly.

No, they are not required for any committee.

Yes! It is possible to do this, though you would not be able to compete in every preliminary committee session. You must keep a minimum of two of the four preliminary round blocks for the National History Bee, National Geography Bee, and National Science Bee free of other conflicts in order to compete in them. The playoff rounds of the Model UN (entirely on Monday, May 25) do not conflict with these events which all conclude on Sunday, May 24. Please consult the schedule and plan accordingly.

You can register for both of these, but note that if you make the playoffs of the Model UN National Championships and intend on competing in it, you would not be able to compete in the National History Bowl. Because of this, solo student teams are not permitted to compete in both of these events. However, students with History Bowl teammates who are not competing in the Model UN National Championships can plan on competing in both, and then decide on Sunday evening (if they qualify for the Model UN National Championship playoffs. Please consult the schedule and plan accordingly.

If this impacts the size of the History Bowl team to the point of it potentially calling into question the size of the discount (since History Bowl teams with 1 or 2 players play for a lesser cost), then we can refund the differential minus a 10% processing fee. The team must register and initially pay for its highest potential size, however.

You can register for both, and then if you do not make the playoffs for the Model UN National Championships, you can compete in the US History Bee. We can refund US History Bee registrations in full minus a 10% processing fee if you qualify for and choose to compete in the Model UN National Championships instead. Please consult the schedule and plan accordingly.

If this impacts the size of the History Bowl team to the point of it potentially calling into question the size of the discount (since History Bowl teams with 1 or 2 players play for a lesser cost), then we can refund the differential minus a 10% processing fee. The team must register and initially pay for its highest potential size, however.

This is permitted, but note that if you qualify for the National Academic Bee playoffs, you are then obligated to compete in that, and would not be eligible to compete in the Model UN playoffs (as your withdrawal from the Academic Bee would impact the fairness of that event’s playoffs, but the Model UN National Championships playoff structure is not determined until Sunday evening, and not registering for it does not impact the fairness of that event).
Note that the National Academic Bee does not require prior qualifying, and is open to all students, including those who have never played in any buzzer competition before. Please consult the schedule and plan accordingly.

If this impacts the size of the History Bowl team to the point of it potentially calling into question the size of the discount (since History Bowl teams with 1 or 2 players play for a lesser cost), then we can refund the differential minus a 10% processing fee. The team must register and initially pay for its highest potential size, however.

Yes, you can take part in all of these events, which are open to all students at Nationals, including those who did not qualify for the National Science, History, or Geography Bees.
Note that the National Academic Bee does not require prior qualifying, and is open to all students, including those who have never played in any buzzer competition before. Please consult the schedule and plan accordingly.

If this impacts the size of the History Bowl team to the point of it potentially calling into question the size of the discount (since History Bowl teams with 1 or 2 players play for a lesser cost), then we can refund the differential minus a 10% processing fee. The team must register and initially pay for its highest potential size, however.

The hotels where we have room blocks, especially the host hotel, provide us with meeting space to hold the competitions and with sleeping accommodations for our staff, which we need to fly in from around the country. They do this in return for a commitment to fulfill a large number of sleeping room bookings over the course of Nationals weekend. For students who live near the Nationals host site for whom it would make sense to attend Nationals as a day trip and go back to their home each night, this rule does not apply.