Our Organization

Our Story

Model UN Academy was envisioned by Momin Ahmed, who first recognized the urgency of global awareness during conversations with his peers. Despite the rapidly evolving international issues that were shaping the world, Momin realized that many of his friends knew little about them. This disconnect between global events and student understanding revealed an urgent educational gap.

At the time, Momin was serving as an Executive Board Member of his high school’s 114-person Model UN program. He had already qualified for 2 international conferences and earned both a national and an international award—experiences that gave him a deep understanding of the power of Model UN to educate and inspire.

Determined to use that power to bridge the gap he had discovered, Momin began writing original Model UN guides and distributing them for free to local schools. When educators and students responded with overwhelming enthusiasm, Momin saw firsthand the potential of Model UN to bridge educational divides and spark civic engagement.

Motivated by this early momentum, Momin expanded his efforts—authoring more guides, creating example materials, and hosting online webinars to reach students across the country. These grassroots initiatives soon evolved into Model UN Academy.

What began as a local push to bring global issues into classrooms has since grown into a global mission for education, diversity, and collaboration. Today, Model UN Academy offers free resources in over 100 languages, connecting students of all backgrounds to international networks and equipping the next generation with the tools to understand, discuss, and lead on the world’s most pressing challenges.

The Problem

Today, countless students around the world are eager to engage with global issues, but often lack the tools, guidance, or access to do so effectively. While understanding diplomacy, international relations, and critical thinking is crucial for addressing today’s challenges, quality educational resources on these topics are frequently expensive, outdated, or limited to students in well-funded schools and privileged communities.

This leaves thousands of passionate, capable young people—especially in underserved areas—without the opportunities they need to become informed advocates and future leaders on the global stage. Many schools lack trained mentors, up-to-date materials, or multilingual content. Even when students are motivated to learn and take action, they’re often left to navigate complex global issues alone, without support or guidance.

We believe that access to knowledge and the ability to advocate for change shouldn’t depend on a student’s zip code, income level, or native language. That’s why we created a platform to make education about global issues accessible to every student, everywhere.

At our core, we’re not just educating students about global issues. We’re empowering them to become advocates who can shape a better future for all.

Mission Statement

As the world’s largest youth-led educational Model UN nonprofit, Model UN Academy is dedicated to cultivating the next generation of informed global citizens and leaders. Through accessible, high-quality resources, a powerful organizational model, and comprehensive programs, we empower students from all backgrounds to engage critically with international issues—ensuring that opportunity is never a barrier to participation.

Impact

Model UN Academy is the world's largest youth-led educational Model UN nonprofit. We've provided free, original Model UN resources to 17,000 students across 78 countries. Our content is available in 104 languages—a total translation of 1,310,712 words.

Model UN Academy has been profiled on the front page of the Chicago Tribune (Life + Travel) and featured in Harlan Cohen’s Hinsdale Community Speaker Series. We’ve also been aggregated by Apple News, Google News, Yahoo News, Newsbreak, PressReader, Global News Insights, Illinois School Network, Good News, D86 Strong, Hinsdale Township High School District 86, and Hinsdale Central High School.

Model UN Academy is a partner of MedGlobal, Humanity Rising, and the United Nations Association of Chicago. We’ve also been endorsed by the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill International Relations Association.

Model UN Academy has been recognized with a State of Illinois Proclamation from Governor JB Pritzker.

Why Model UN Academy?

  • Every written guide and resource provided by Model UN Academy is available free of payment, ensuring economic diversity and access for all.

  • All of our resources are available in 104 languages—a total translation of 1,310,712 words, ensuring linguistic diversity and access for all.

  • Model UN Academy’s unique approach to education and empowerment through our Model UN resources, Chapters, Fellows, and Ambassadors makes us unlike any other organization in the world. We empower and educate to build the next generation of leaders who will change the world.

  • “This is one of the best resources I’ve come across for learning Model UN. It breaks down everything clearly from how to prepare and write a position paper to what actually happens during a conference. The explanations of moderated and unmoderated caucuses are great and the General Assembly section is a perfect place to start if you’re new. What really stood out to me is how organized and easy to follow the site is. It’s clear that a lot of thought went into making the content accessible while still providing depth. If you’re serious about Model UN or even just interested this site is 100% worth checking out.”

    Angel F.

  • “The Model UN Academy website is an excellent resource that clearly explains MUN concepts and procedures in a simple, accessible way. It’s a go-to platform for anyone looking to understand the basics of MUN or improve their concepts of MUN. The website is really minimalistic & easy to navigate.”

    Punam C.

  • “The website is really cool and simple. It is easy to find what you need with the drop-down menu, and I like how the first page provides an explanation of what Model UN is. It gives the viewer a basic idea of it without going into too much detail. Overall, the website flows really well and is easy to navigate.”

    Antonio D.

  • “I always hear about Model UN, but it wasn't until I found this website till I actually understood what it was. I particularly enjoyed the organized [resources] section that Momin and his team has put together. I can confidently say that I now have a strong grasp of what I need to do to succeed in MUN.”

    Yaseen H.

  • “Model UN Academy offers clear and practical information and resources for someone without prior experience looking to begin. The [resources] section breaks down complex procedures into an easy-to-follow guide, making it very user-friendly.”

    Rohan D.

  • “Model UN is one of the most valuable extracurricular activities. Not just because it teaches students how to be concise, articulate and creative individuals, but because it teaches a lifelong skill of connecting. Personally, Model UN has given me some of the best friends who I still lean on today. Additionally learning from and working with someone as driven and dedicated as Momin a gift in itself.”

    Naina K.

  • “I started Model UN during my freshman year of high school and was initially overwhelmed with all of the information and the differences between GA and Crisis. I never really found a good resource, and it took hours of helpless YouTube videos and unclear online resources to get a grasp on how Model UN works. Model UN Academy changes this. It clearly and concisely shows how MUN functions while also giving examples that students can look at. It was started by Momin, a former delegate who knew the struggle and wanted to make things easier for delegates like you.”

    Neil K.

  • “Upon further investigation, I loved the initial look of the Model UN Academy website. Right away, it was very apparent that the scope of Model UN Academy far exceeded my expectations, and it’s clear that their team is dedicated to delivering quality Model UN resources to as many students as possible... I left feeling inspired and driven by Momin’s vision for global student empowerment and collaboration. If the website is any indication, you are in good hands at the Model UN Academy with Momin’s strong attention to detail and wide variety of resources. I would be shocked if there wasn’t something you learned after visiting the Model UN Academy, regardless of your level of expertise.”

    Charles H.

  • “I joined Model UN as a junior in high school, eager to learn more about how it works. I found an amazing community and learned a lot about what it means to be a delegate and representative of a larger state. It helped me improve not only my technical skills but also develop soft skills that are crucial to working in team environments. Even now, as I progress through college, I carry with me the skills I developed through Model UN. I think the Model UN Academy is perfect for high schoolers looking to get more involved and want to pursue any professional career, as it teaches many important skills that help turn students into leaders.”

    Sarah M.