On March 26th, the University Program of International Studies and Business (UPISB) visited the United Nations headquarters in New York City. The United Nations is a global organization aimed at fostering international cooperation to address challenges like poverty, hunger, disease and illiteracy and to uphold human rights. The UPISB curriculum covers these topics extensively, making this field trip a valuable, hands-on learning opportunity for students to connect with their studies.
“I think that it’s important especially that, as a University Program, we interact with each other outside of school,” explained Mrs. Durfee, the current UP World History teacher and UP Critical Global Issues teacher. “It was especially nice this time because every grade was together. So each student that was part of our program got to spend the day together. In addition, the UN trip was the perfect trip because the United Nations is covered or is a big part of our curriculum here.” The trip was organized by Mrs. Johnson, the supervisor of the UPISB, and several other UPISB teachers, such as Mrs. Durfee, who supervised and helped organize the trip.
After a one-hour bus ride to the United Nations, students were divided by grade and given guided tours to learn about the history and functions of various UN bodies, such as the Security Council, Economic Council, General Assembly, and other exhibitions. Following the tours, students had lunch at the Garden State Plaza before returning to school. Sofia Hasan, a UPISB senior, noted, “The trip was a great learning experience, especially since many of us got to see a UN meeting in session. This benefited our understanding of how the UN works more than learning about it on paper.” “I really enjoyed the trip and I think my favorite part was getting to see the delegates in an actual meeting.” Gaby Becker, a UPISB junior, added, “My favorite part was going into the general assembly and seeing where UN meetings take place.” These experiences offered a unique perspective on international diplomacy and the role of the United Nations in global affairs.
When asked about the future of the UPISB United Nations field trip, Mrs. Durfee explained that, due to COVID-19, previous field trips had been canceled, and this year’s combined trip was designed to compensate for those missed opportunities: “We haven’t been able to do the field trips that we wanted to do, that’s why it was combined this year. But next year, it will be a freshman trip. We figured it’d be better that way since the sophomore and freshman classes were smaller, we would be able to combine everyone on the same bus.”
Students expressed enthusiasm about the possibility of more field trips in the future. Isabella Manias, a current junior in the UPISB, explains how going on another organized trip would “be a lot of fun and also going with the teachers and peers.” Becker agreed, noting how “it would be a great opportunity because going on field trips helps students learn aspects of the business world in real life.”
Given the success and enjoyment of the United Nations field trip, UPISB students can anticipate more excursions in the future. The program is actively working on coordinating new field trips and reconnecting with guest speakers, aiming to restore pre-pandemic educational experiences and add more personal value to the curriculum.
