ARMUN Middle School Students receive Gubernatorial and House Citation at State House on 6/6/16

The Arlington Regional Model UN (ARMUN) Middle School Model UN & Civic Engagement Club students were honored with the receipt of a Gubernatorial Citation for their work in Civic Engagement at the Statehouse on 6/6/16. That same day they received a Citation from the House of Representatives for their Civic Engagement work, signed by the Representatives and Senators of all of the Club members and presented to them by Arlington/Medford State Representative Sean Garballey. The awards were particularly given for the students work around the issue of prevention of adolescent depression in middle and high schools in Massachusetts, which the students are currently working on legislation regarding a pilot project they have developed. The awards also mentioned their commitment to learning about government and critical issues and their other community service and advocacy efforts.

Attending the day at the Statehouse were a number of Ottoson Middle School students, including: Pranav Sriramulu (8th grade), Milo Kiely-Song (7th grade), Benafshay Merchant (7th grade), and Maya Krishnan (6th grade); also attending from Arlington was homeschooled student Enoch Bennett (6th grade). Other students participating in the events at the Statehouse were Thyra Roller (Winchester, McCall Middle School, 8th grade), Gabrielle Yamamoto (Medford, Andrews Middle School, 7th grade), Amiyr Ahmad (Watertown, homeschooled, 6th grade), and Liam Offer (Tyngsborough, Tyngsborough Elementary School, 5th grade).

Members of the Club not able to attend the day at the State House include Ottoson Middle School Students Varun Gopal (8th grade) and Ezra Liddy (7th grade); Westborough resident Amber Namery (9th grade, homeschooled); and Lexington resident (and former Ottoson student, Arlington resident) Nikita Seth (Diamond Middle School, 8th grade).

The Club members met with members of the Governor's Office, then had lunch with their legislators and staff from their legislators' offices, and then met with staff members from a number of key Joint Committee Members offices regarding their proposal and got great feedback and support for their project. Finally they took a tour of the Statehouse to rap up their day.

The ARMUN Program supports both a Middle School Club for 5th - 8th graders and a High School Club for 9th - 12th graders from any school or homeschool situation in the area. If you would like more information about either club please email us at armun2013@gmail.com.