For the sixth year running, students from The ContinU Trust of Wyre Forest & Hagley partner schools have come together to spend time in Geneva, Switzerland, as guests of the United Nations, in a unique Global Citizenship Study Programme.

The group of twenty two students and staff, drawn this year from Stourport, King Charles 1, Haybridge and Hagley Catholic Sixth Forms, spent four days in the Swiss city, home to dozens of UN bodies, meeting representatives of agencies such as UNICEF, the World Food Programme, UN High Commission for Refugees and the UN Human Rights Committee.

The students, who are all about to start their Year 13 studies, were recruited in March by their schools on the basis of their interest in current affairs, humanitarian issues and a desire to learn more about how the UN works.

Each of the students was asked to do research on the Six UN agencies with whom they met and to prepare questions to put to the experts in their interactive meetings, which were held at the iconic Palais des Nations, close to the shores of Lake Geneva.

“Watching the students grow in confidence with each meeting was a real pleasure” said Michael Conroy Harris of The ContinU Trust, who arranges the annual visit. “They had clearly done their research and had a real thirst for knowledge. The UN speakers who delivered the sessions all commented on that, which is lovely.”

Kirsty Hatton, Year 13 student from Stourport Sixth Form, said “I have loved the UN visits. I would recommend this trip to anyone. The memories I have will stay with me and inspire my future career paths.” Fellow ‘Global Citizen’ Sanjeet Dhaliwal, year 13 from Haybridge Sixth Form added “It was enlightening to hear about the UN’s role in the global community and the problems tackled by the different agencies. It was an unforgettable few days, being able to look at the world from such an international perspective.”

In addition to the United Nations agency meetings the group also spent a half day touring the enormous CERN centre for Nuclear Research, home to the Large Hadron Collider and a control centre for the International Space Station, where they were guided by professors from the Universities of Seattle and Clermont Ferrand.

The Geneva ‘veterans’ have all agreed to share their experiences in their schools throughout the Autumn Term, through assemblies, presentations and reports, to stimulate a sense of Global Citizenship amongst their fellow students.