More than 50 District of Columbia public high school
students were scheduled to participate on Saturday in an
international crisis simulation — focused this year
on the North Korea nuclear issue — to be held at
SAIS.
Representing five of the six nations in the Six Party
Talks were Banneker Academic Senior High School (United
States and Japan), Eastern Senior High School (China),
Anacostia Senior High School (South Korea) and Duke
Ellington School of the Arts (North Korea).
Working closely in recent weeks with high school
faculty sponsors, SAIS graduate students guided the
students in understanding the North Korean nuclear
situation and the perspective of the country their
respective schools would represent. The SAIS coaches also
taught basic negotiation and conflict resolution skills
that the students would need in their attempt to negotiate
a solution to fictional, yet realistic, developments in the
North Korean situation.
The crisis simulation exercise, held annually,
introduces the high school participants to international
relations while building public speaking skills and
providing insight into conflict resolution. For SAIS
graduate students, many of whom are from outside the
Washington metropolitan area or from abroad, the program
provides a unique opportunity to experience D.C. on a new
level while contributing to the local community.
The event is organized by SAIS' D.C. Student Outreach
group, a student-run community service group formed to
introduce Washington's public high school students to the
field of international relations.