Twenty delegates and four chairs attended Nevsky MUN in St. Petersburg, Russia this week. Part MUN and part cultural exploration, our 4 chairs acted as the leaders and mentors of the younger students in all aspects. The opening was in St. Petersburg's Assembly Hall; for a brief video of shots of before and during, click here. Kudos to all, including Aybike Oğuz who created the Animoto video.

A snapshot of learning: many students are not in school this week, but they are learning more than we can imagine. European Youth Parliament members (scattered among those pictured) are debating matters of substance in Ankara. Model United Nations students are representing countries not their own in Vladimir Putin's homeland, St. Petersburg. Junior Achievement members are at a Trade Fair, pushing a product in Vienna. Our Badminton Squad is fighting hard in a Ministry of Education tournament in Istanbul. Our Model UNESCO members will be in Ankara, and our teachers will be developing professionally on the weekend.
This is but a snapshot. Learning during which students (and teachers) socialize, collaborate, write, speak and internalize ideas. They sleep little and learn much. Perhaps much more than in any class. Many teachers complain that students are missing class, but I would postulate that students can catch up, usually by collaborating with students who have attended class.
And is that not a true 21st Century skill?