UN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL TO HOLD GRADUATION CEREMONY IN TRUSTEESHIP COUNCIL CHAMBER, 13 JUNE

Note to Correspondents

UN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL TO HOLD GRADUATION CEREMONY

IN TRUSTEESHIP COUNCIL CHAMBER, 13 JUNE

The graduation of the United Nations International School (UNIS) Class of 2002 will take place at 3 p.m. on Thursday, 13 June, in the Trusteeship Council Chamber.  Kate Burton, renowned actor, most recently seen on Broadway in productions of Hedda Gabler and The Elephant Man and a 1976 graduate of the School, will offer the commencement address.

This year’s graduates represent 41 nationalitiesand speak 29 languages.   They will leave UNIS for 65 of the world’s finestuniversities in 11 countries and 16 American states, equipped with the best secondary level preparation the world has to offer, the prestigious International Baccalaureate programme.   At UNIS, students have had the privilege of daily exposure to all of the world’s cultures through social interaction with peers, and instruction from a faculty representing over 47 nationalities.  As a result, they have developed values and understanding that will prepare them to become truly citizens of the world.

The UNIS was founded in 1947 by a group of United Nations parents to provide an education that fostered global awareness for their children.  From a modest start as a nursery school for 20 children, the School has grown to a K-12 college preparatory school on two campuses enrolling approximately 1,500 studentsfrom

123 countries.  The School offers nine languages and a rigorous educational curriculum that enables students to meet the entry requirements of universities worldwide.  Continued emphasis is also placed on community service and the value of the arts in daily living.  The UNIS serves a wide range of families in the New York metropolitan area, including many affiliated with the United Nations and the city’s international community, as well as local residents.

In this graduating class, 68 per cent of the students come from an international background and 32 per cent of them have attended the school since kindergarten.  For further information, please contact Marjorie Nieuwenhuis, Director of College Counselling, UNIS, at (212) 584-3116, or mnieuwenhuis@unis.org.

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