Newark School of Global Studies Students Join UN Roundtable on Peace

NEW YORK, N.Y. – A group of students from the Newark School of Global Studies served as Ambassadors of Peace as they took part in a roundtable discussion at the United Nations headquarters earlier this month. The students are members of the school’s Model UN Club and they joined peers from across the region in reflecting on how young people can build peace within their own communities.

The discussion, held ahead of the International Day of Peace on September 21, brought together about 50 high school and college students representing Model UN clubs and peace-building programs from the greater New York area.

During the roundtable, they shared insights alongside students from Red Bank Catholic High School and others, engaging in conversations on collaboration, leadership, and community responsibility.

“We are so proud of our students for representing Newark Public Schools on an international stage,” said Superintendent León. “Their voices matter in the global conversation on peace, and experiences like these prepare them to be the leaders our world needs.”

“This opportunity is proof of what happens when education goes beyond the classroom walls,” said Board of Education President Hasani K. Council. “When our students sit at the table with their peers to discuss peace, justice, and community, they are shaping the future as well as learning.”

The event was organized and led by George Anthony, an educator, peacebuilder, and the primary representative of the UN non-governmental organization, Pathways to Peace, based in Middletown. Through the facilitation of U.S. History Teacher and Model UN Coach Tawheed Rahman, students work with Anthony twice a month, developing their communication, leadership, and critical thinking skills while preparing to engage with UN protocols, partners, and global conferences.

Joining the Newark students at the roundtable was International Day of Peace moderator Providence Thusabantu, a Zimbabwean International Studies student at McAllister University who is currently serving as an intern with Pathways to Peace.

“This experience gave students the chance to strengthen their skills while pairing up with peers from another part of New Jersey, showing them the power of collaboration in building peace,” said Anthony.

The roundtable offered Global Studies students a meaningful opportunity to contribute to international dialogue while connecting their classroom learning to real-world issues of global significance.