The New Canaan Board of Education unanimously approved a series of overnight field trips at its September 15 meeting, including the New Canaan High School Model United Nations team’s return to the prestigious The Hague International Model United Nations (THIMUN) conference in the Netherlands this January.
Board Chair Hugo Alves introduced the agenda item by noting that three trips were up for consideration — Model UN, Model Congress, and the NCHS Wind Ensemble — and asked the board to hear the student presentations before voting.
Model UN: “Only Public High School Invited”
Emma Hassan, captain of the Model UN team, addressed the board alongside fellow captains Ron Richot and Jeremy Schubert and advisors Allison Freeman and Mr. Fuchi. Hassan highlighted the growth of the program since last year.
“Since starting the 2025 school year, we’ve had two club meetings so far, and in that time, we’ve had a growth of more than 10 new freshmen coming from our Saxe club last year,” Hassan said. “We’re so proud of the freshmen that are continuing from last year. I worked with them for two years, so I’m very excited to see them again as my last year as part of the high school Model UN team.”
The team will host its annual scrimmage for local schools later this month and attend conferences at Brown University, Boston University, and a new event called NHSmun before traveling overseas.
“Hopefully in January, from the 26th to the 30th, we will be at THIMUN, which I’m going to talk a little bit more about later in the presentation,” Hassan said. “We are very fortunate to be the only public high school invited to this conference.”
The advisors offered a vivid picture of what students will experience in The Hague, including sightseeing and an immersion into the European style of Model UN debate.
“The European MUN model is quite different,” the advisor explained. “They lobby all day the first day. Their papers are already written, which is not what we do here. So for them to then come to agreement is really debating with international groups about how to come to a resolution when they’ve all come in with ideas. That’s a very big change for them and a very exciting one.”
The board approved the trip unanimously after a motion by Matt Wexler, seconded by Lara Kelly.
Model Congress: First Overnight Trips
The board also approved three overnight conferences for the Model Congress Club, now in its fourth year. The group will attend conferences at Columbia University in February, the University of Pennsylvania in March, and Yale later in the spring.
“These overnights will allow them to participate in a more immersive experience where they focus on civics, government, public speaking, and foreign relations,” the administrator presenting noted. “This will be the first time the trips are school-sponsored.”
Board member Penny Rashin confirmed that chaperone and financial aid policies would mirror those used for Model UN trips.
Wind Ensemble Heads to Boston
The final approval of the evening was for the NCHS Wind Ensemble to travel to Boston in March for clinics and master classes at the Boston Conservatory. Band director Barry praised the students’ progress, noting that the ensemble had grown from 38 members four years ago to nearly 70 today.
“We’re very proud of these kids,” he said. “As part of their success, we thought it would be a great experience for them to end their senior year with a trip to Boston.”
The board approved the trip unanimously.
