:: Origins :: Mission Statement :: Overview of Website :: Contact Us

About CTAUN

Introduction

Anne-Marie Carlson, CTAUN Co-Chair and Mrs. Nane Annan, wife of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan The world is becoming increasingly interconnected and interdependent as globalization draws people together in many different ways. It is becoming increasingly clear that the United States is part of a world in which the majority of people live without food, clean water, health services, educational opportunities and much more that Americans routinely take for granted. The struggle between the “haves” and “have-nots” over limited resources can lead to wars, terrorism, environmental degradation and endless suffering. Now more than ever, children need to understand the wider world around them, appreciate the richness of its diversity, and find a common purpose in working for peace and justice to preserve it. The United Nations and its agencies have worked for many years to arouse local interest in the root causes of global problems, whether they are environmental, political, or economic. Though many problems have not been solved, much has been achieved to improve people’s lives. The reports the U.N. has published, the conferences it has held to identify problems and recommend courses of action to ameliorate them, its resources of experienced specialists, all present a wealth of materials for teaching our children about the world. Educators face the challenge of instilling in our children a concern for global problems and arming them with the knowledge necessary to promote social change. No one country or generation can solve global problems alone. It is time that educators join with the United Nations and incorporate the U.N.’s resources and expertise into school curricula.

Origins

The Committee on Teaching About the United Nations was founded in 1996 by Sally Swing Shelley and Barbara Walker to promote teaching about the United Nations. The initial goals were to establish a resource center for teachers to bring together teaching materials developed throughout the U.N. system, and to make available to educators exemplary materials used by governments and NGOs, teachers, and curriculum specialists.

CTAUN Mission Statement

CTAUN provides educators worldwide with opportunities to learn about the work of the United Nations and to incorporate this global awareness into curricula and school activities at all levels.

Officers and Contact Email Addresses

Chair: Anne-Marie Carlson chair@teachun.org First Vice-Chair: Narin Stassis firstvicechair@teachun.org Second Vice-Chair: Carolyn Donovan secondvicechair@teachun.org Secretary: Elizabeth Shuman secretary@teachun.org Treasurer: Margaret Nielsen treasurer@teachun.org Advisory Council Chair: Dr. Rita King advisorycouncil@teachun.org Chair Emeritus: Barbara Walker chairemeritus@teachun.org Director-at-Large: Sylvia Gordon dir-at-large1@teachun.org Director-at-Large: Dorothy Farley dir-at-large2@teachun.org Director-at-Large: Wilfrid Grey dir-at-large3@teachun.org Director-at-Large: Phyllis Hickey dir-at-large4@teachun.org

Overview of the CTAUN website

CTAUN is composed of representatives from non-governmental organizations (NGO’s) and interested educators. The United Nations with 192 member states is the only comprehensive universal organization working for peace and human security. The challenge of teaching about the United Nations lies in incorporating the available high-quality materials from www.teachun.org into existing schedules and curricula. For this reason, CTAUN has developed a forum titled “Share Your Teaching Strategies with Others” enabling educators to participate and learn together how to introduce the U.N. into their classrooms. Under “Teacher Resources” and “U.N. Resources” you will find a wealth of references. Selected references for lesson planning are detailed on this website under “Teacher Resources” and “U.N. Resources”. U.N. news updates are also available at www.unwire.org Monday through Friday. Each of these websites also provides links to other websites. The purposes of your lesson should include a connection between the world in which your children live and the global conditions in which other children live. Pictures of starving children on other continents raise compassion, but they rarely arouse interest in the possible environmental, political, or economic causes of that starvation. Consider dramatizations of events that might relate to these situations in the child’s current family or town. If a child can imagine the daily struggles of others, he/she might be better prepared to participate in volunteer organizations that improve human bonds with citizens of the world. We welcome any plans that you have found successful in your classroom. We encourage you to share your lesson plans with your teaching colleagues by submitting them via the website side bar, “Share Your Teaching Strategies with Others” (now being developed).

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