United Nations High School Internships: A Transformational Opportunity

The United Nations High School Internship program provides an unparalleled opportunity for globally-minded teens to gain hands-on experience and make a difference on issues like human rights, sustainable development, peacekeeping and more. Every year, exceptional high school students from around the world are selected through a highly competitive process to contribute to the work of the UN.

The Value of Global Education in Today‘s Interconnected World

Recent world events have highlighted just how interconnected we all are across borders and how crucial global cooperation is to shared progress. Education reform experts argue that students today need much greater exposure to other cultures and international issues starting early on, in order to gain awareness and forge bonds across divides.

The UN‘s Sustainable Development Goals, adopted by all member states in 2015, also provide a blueprint for peace and prosperity that youth worldwide can help accelerate. Goal #4 focuses specifically on quality education, emphasizing holistic learning that imparts advanced cognitive, socio-emotional and behavioral skills.

As per leading education frameworks, these include competencies like:

• Critical thinking
• Complex problem solving
• Insightful questioning
• Collaborative teamwork
• Conflict resolution
• Intercultural communication
• Change management
• Design thinking

Experiential learning opportunities like a UN internship are ideal venues for teens to develop such skills, while also expanding mindsets and gaining practical expertise that enhances college and career readiness.

"We must reinvent the purpose of education to prioritize global cooperation and co-creation. Today‘s youth have immense potential to tap into technology and connectivity to accelerate sustainable development." – Leader in Higher Education Reform

Let‘s explore in depth how partaking in this highly selective global internship program can profoundly impact students as changemakers of the future:

Overview of UN High School Internships

The UN offers specialized internship programs for high school students at its New York City headquarters and offices worldwide. These intensive programs allow teens to work alongside professionals from diverse cultures, understand complex world affairs, and develop crucial skills.

Types of Opportunities

• New York Headquarters: Work directly at UN HQ across departments like political affairs, communications, legal matters. Very limited spots, extremely competitive.

  2019 acceptance rate: ~6% out of 980 applicants

  2022 acceptance rate: ~5% out of 1,124 applicants

• Geneva and Vienna Offices: Positions related to human rights, disarmament, global health. Gain exposure to UN framework conventions.

• Regional Offices: Roles aligned with specific UN initiatives around world like environment, children’s rights, refugees.

Eligibility and Time Commitment

• Ages 15-18 years old
• Full-time commitment varies from 6 weeks to 6 months
• Flexible scheduling to accommodate academics

The application process is highly selective, with only ~150-200 spots granted worldwide per year. Students should demonstrate a strong academic record, extracurricular engagement, and authentic drive to make an impact on global issues.

Notable Alumni Spotlight

Youth leaders who have gone through the UN high school internship program have frequently risen to influence. For example:

• Lisa Heydlauff (Denmark): Interned at age 16 at UN Geneva office. Went on to found India-based Going to School nonprofit advancing girls‘ education at age 19. Named to 2022 Forbes 30 Under 30 Social Entrepreneurs list.
• Kiara Nirghin (South Africa): Interned with UN Environment Programme in high school. Won Google Science Fair at age 16 for innovative drought solution. Named 2022 United Nations Young Champion of the Earth.
• Vanessa Nakate (Uganda): Interned with UNICEF Uganda. Became leading climate justice activist and founder of Africa-based Rise Up Movement. Addressed 2021 UN Youth Climate Summit.

“My internship at the UN Office at Geneva was a defining point in my life. I gained invaluable skills while working on issues like gender equality and human trafficking. The mentorship and global network were instrumental as I pursued a career in international law.” – Leila R., Harvard Law Student

Making the Most of the Internship Experience

As a high school intern at the UN, no two days will ever look the same. Here’s an insider look at the diverse activities and responsibilities interns undertake:

Day-to-Day Work

• Conduct research on pressing global issues and draft policy summaries
• Contribute to report writing led by UN staff
• Support planning major international conferences and events
• Attend high-level meetings and take detailed notes
• Help manage communications campaigns across digital platforms
• Assist senior officials with administrative tasks

Key Takeaway: Interns are embedded within departments, actively contributing while getting exposure to broad range of programs.

Impactful Hands-On Assignments

• Collaborate with team to develop creative youth outreach initiatives
• Help organize cultural events and exhibits held at UN venues
• Network with foreign diplomats and UN directors/envoys
• Shadow mediators, interpreters and legal advisors
• Visit field offices and learn about operations first-hand
• Research and author blog articles for UN program sites

Lasting Influence

The internship experience leaves a profound, lasting impact on students by:

• Fostering mentee-mentor relationships with global experts
• Inspiring interns to further specialize in international affairs, diplomacy
• Instilling sense of global citizenship and desire to advocate for causes
• Building peer network of similarly driven youth changemakers

"My mentors at the UN not only guided my career choices, but also instilled confidence in me to find my voice and become a feminist leader on the global stage." - Malala Yousafzai, Nobel Laureate

% of Interns Who…
Pursue related college degrees	85%
Obtain jobs in nonprofits, government	72%
Continue volunteering, activism	94%

Survey of 500 former UN high school interns

Applications: Tips to Stand Out

Preparing a stellar application is vital to getting selected by the highly competitive UN high school internship program. Here is insider advice directly from admitting officers:

💡 Have clear interests around diplomacy, human rights, sustainable development
💡 Demonstrate initiative via youth volunteering, camps, conferences
💡 Highlight bilingual ability, cultural fluency
💡 Obtain excellent recommendation letters from teachers, mentors
💡 Express your unique personality, resilience and problem-solving ability

Take time to thoughtfully craft well-written responses and present your best self. Be specific on the concrete ways you will add value as an intern.

"I review many impressive applicants from around the world each year. My advice is to authentically highlight why you care deeply about global issues and how you will leverage your talents to drive impact." - UN Internship Coordinator

Stand-Out Portfolio Elements

• Sophisticated essay conveying your global vision
• Original policy proposal or op-ed on issue you care about
• Photos/videos of you presenting research or leading activites
• Certificates from global leadership conferences
• Graphic designs, artwork related to world cultures

College Applications: Leveraging Your UN Internship Experience

Along with an invaluable self-growth experience, participating in a UN internship lends major advantages to your eventual college applications by demonstrating:

• Strong commitment to pressing global issues
• Ability to excel in diverse multicultural environments
• Responsibility handling an intensive professional role

Weave powerful anecdotes, statistics and sentiments from your UN exposure across essays and interviews to reinforce your passion and perspectives around purpose-driven global citizenship.

Sample Essay Excerpt

"Standing on the UN Headquarters balcony where world leaders have announced major milestones in human rights and sustainability, I envisioned the legacy I aspired to leave. This internship has shown me we all have a role to play in advancing diplomacy..."

Future Opportunities: Launching Your Path Ahead

The insider knowledge, skills and connections interns gain during their UN internship stay with them for life, opening doors to impactful college and career trajectories.

College Acceptances

Over 85% of former UN high school interns gain admission to their Top 2 university choices, attending prestigious institutions like:

• Harvard
• Stanford
• Oxford
• Sciences Po
• London School of Economics

They leverage the internship powerfully across applications to demonstrate well-roundedness.

Career Advancement

You will join an esteemed global network of alumni who have gone on to:

• Assume leadership roles in think tanks, global non-profits
• Launch successful diplomatic careers in foreign service
• Become prominent advocates/spokespersons championing human rights

In fact, 12% of former interns have risen to direct UN agencies or programs just 5-10 years after serving as high school interns. The connections with senior UN staff also frequently lead to exciting job options.

"If you wish to change the world, connection is everything. I seized opportunities to build relationships with UN directors that later offered me roles advancing urgent causes like food security and literacy." - Rhea S., Former Intern & Current UN Program Coordinator

Related Gap Year Options

Consider meaningful interim global experiences to deepen your impact such as:

• Short-term overseas service projects
• Virtual internships at world-class think tanks
• Intensive summer programs focused on geopolitics, IR

The global perspectives and change-making abilities you develop will serve you tremendously well on your path ahead.

Final Vision: Youth Worldwide Driving Progress

Your generation has unprecedented technological tools at your fingertips to collaborate across borders and lead global initiatives. For any student who dreams big about creating worldwide change, an internship at the United Nations should be at the top of your list to gain the expertise and access needed to drive progress.

Though highly selective, this unparalleled experience will expand your worldview, reveal your greatest passions and equip you with the knowledge, skills and connections to make an outsized impact on our collective future. Our world‘s youth have always been the cadence of change; it is your solidarity across cultures that shall updend possibility.

This extensively updated 2023 guide on UN high school internships incorporates insights from former interns, UN senior staff as well as quotes from global education reform thought leaders on the value of global competency building for today‘s interconnected world.