HSC Model United Nations

HSCMUN is an academically rigorous, supportive conference that prioritizes skill-building and inclusivity. In every aspect of our conference, we strive to uphold the United Nations’ core values of peace, dignity and equality on a healthy planet. 

HSCMUN is an excellent opportunity for delegates to gain experience, knowledge, and insight into global social and economic issues, while developing essential skills such as diplomacy, critical thinking, public speaking, research, and negotiation. 

HSCMUN is open to students in Grades 5-12 who register as part of either a school delegation or as an independent delegate (high school students only). 

HSCMUN is proud to offer a diverse range of committees, designed for delegates of all skill levels. From beginner double delegations to advanced-level crisis simulations, each committee will be chaired by highly experienced HSC alumni and supported by current HSC students, ensuring engaging and well-facilitated debates. Our academically rigorous background guides are co-created by the alumni committee directors and the student assistant directors. 

HSC is dedicated to building a more sustainable campus by caring for the land, water, and resources we rely on every day. Through thoughtful planning and ongoing improvements, we aim to support our campus ecosystem and model responsible environmental practices for our students and beyond.

Biodiversity
Our campus has been thoughtfully designed over the last two decades to create space where biodiversity can thrive, with ecosystems and corridors that support a wide range of habitats for engagement, wellness, and learning. The Hamilton area’s unique post‑glacial geography around the western end of Lake Ontario, along with diverse water systems, aquatic habitats, and transitional bioregions, forms a national biodiversity hotspot with over 1,100 plant species that sustain local food webs. Key on‑campus examples include the Willow Landing Outdoor Classroom, the Oak Savannah, and the Junior School Garden, which showcase naturalized spaces for teaching and ecological stewardship.​

Energy
The college is transitioning to renewable energy with a strong focus on solar power as part of its climate pledge, beginning with 36 panels installed on the transportation building roof in 2016 and expanding to about 900 panels on the Senior School rooftop in 2024. Plans include integrating additional renewable systems such as geothermal energy and applying energy‑efficient design principles across campus master plans to further accelerate climate goals. The school also tracks its carbon footprint against a 2019 baseline, monitoring electricity, gas, water, and paper use, and aims eventually to electrify its vehicle fleet and account for off‑campus emissions from activities such as school trips.​

Water
The school emphasizes that safe water is a finite and valuable resource, even in communities like its own that have reliable access, and therefore focuses on how water is used, managed, and returned to the environment. Stormwater is managed through low‑impact development features such as green roofs, permeable surfaces, and other infrastructure because the campus is part of the Chedoke Creek watershed, where runoff ultimately affects sensitive areas like Cootes Paradise and downstream communities. Partnerships with local organizations, including conservation authorities, support efforts to improve stormwater quality, while campus features such as the Miyawaki Forest, garden rain barrels, and the HSC green roof demonstrate practical water stewardship solutions.​

Every year, HSCMUN gives back!  Our 2027 charitable partner will be announced soon!

HSCMUN II Awards & Recognitions 

• • Award for Diplomacy
  • Award For Innovation
  • Honourable Mention
    • The honourable mention from each committee will be named a Special Envoy and will serve as the plenary speaker at the closing ceremonies. 
• The Y. Reitmeier Award for Citizenship

All delegates are required to submit a position paper to be eligible for awards, including those serving on crisis committees. However, Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, such as ChatGPT, cannot be used to write position papers. The inclusion of any written content prepared by an AI tool is considered unethical and will disqualify the delegate from consideration for awards. 

Our directors are looking to see delegates actively collaborating with other delegations and building consensus to:

• • Accurately represent their country/character assignment
  • Communicate their ideas professionally and respectfully in both moderated and unmoderated caucuses, ensuring their tone reflects the nature of the issues being discussed  
  • Advance the policies and goals of their character/country assignment
  • Propose feasible, economically viable solutions to the challenges outlined in the background guide
  • Demonstrate that they have carefully read the entire background guide and conducted meaningful additional research, prioritizing the use of UN sources, particularly those related to their committee
  • Address the guiding questions provided in the background guide

• In double delegations only: work together as an effective team during moderated and unmoderated caucuses 

Delegates participating in an HMUN qualifying committee are encouraged to examine the additional criteria outlined on Page Nine of their background guide.

Please note: Directors are expecting delegates to move beyond the gimmicks sometimes used as speech hooks at other conferences. Instead, we encourage delegates to use statistics and facts to engage the audience and showcase their strong grasp of the issues at hand. Additionally, to avoid any concerns related to conflicts of interest, Assistant Directors will have no influence on award selection.