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A UNICEF club is a student-led grassroots club present at high school and college levels of education, formed for the purpose of promoting the values of the parent organization the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund. The stated goal of the club is to "to empower youth with the resources and skills to be effective global citizens" and "to support the world's most vulnerable children" through advocacy, education, community building, and fundraising.
Club creation and management
To create a UNICEF club, four leaders and one advisor are required as minimum leadership. Advisors must be adults aged 25 years or older, and not a staff member for UNICEF. Advisors must also perform a background check if not a teacher or high-school employee. Once gathered, the club's registration application must be approved by UNICEF to become official. Official clubs are expected to hold registered and approved events by UNICEF focused on advocacy, education, community building, and fundraising for children's rights. Clubs are required to re-register and submit yearly funds at the start of each consecutive school year. UNICEF clubs can also be made as a sub-group within a larger, like-minded club, as long as additional leaders are chosen specifically to work on UNICEF-related tasks.
Leadership
There are six board member or leadership positions within the club, listed in the table below. Leaders of the club are required to commit to at least five hours per week, host board meetings at least once a week, and host member meetings at most biweekly. Leadership terms are one school-year long before being reassigned.
| Position | By whom | Responsibility | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| President | Student | Organize and execute events, coordinate leadership transitions | |
| Vice President | Student | Assists President, assumes control over their roles when absent | |
| Secretary | Student | Records minutes and agenda | |
| Treasurer | Student | Manages club budget and oversees transactions, submits donations to UNICEF | |
| Communication Officer(s) | Student | Manages club social media accounts | |
| Advisor | Adult | Serves as a mentor offering advice, but does not run the club |
Activities
One consistent activity present in UNICEF clubs is the Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF donation collection. Serving as the largest fundraising event for some clubs, the event is often annual.
Hosting BINGO fundraisers, tie blanket making, weekly "Advocacy Day" events, open mic nights, and other means of advocacy and fundraising have been conducted by UNICEF clubs for causes such as for the refugees of the Syrian Civil War malnutrition awareness in other parts of the world, Zika virus, child trafficking, and the 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes.
Controversies
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many clubs would either have to work virtually or suspended their operations during the pandemic lockdowns.
In response to the 2023 Israel–Hamas War, some UNICEF clubs in the Scottsdale Unified School District in Arizona were accused by the state superintendent Tom Horne of being overly pro-Palestinian, to the point of promoting "one-sided propaganda in favor of Hamas terrorists," according the parents of some students.
Notable locations
UNICEF clubs are present at a number of US high schools and universities: including Case Western Reserve University, Duke University Georgia State University, North Carolina State University, and the University of California, San Diego.
Clubs are also present internationally, including in Canada and Hong Kong since 2007.
References
Primary
- ^ "UNICEF Clubs | Starter Guide" (PDF). UNICEF USA. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
- "Partner with UNICEF Clubs" (PDF). MUN Impact. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
- ^ "UNICEF Clubs: Leading Your Club" (PDF). UNICEF USA. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
- "UNICEF Canada Campus Clubs". UNICEF Canada. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
- "UNICEF Club". UNICEF HK. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
Secondary
- ^ Hallabeck, Eliza (6 December 2020). "NHS UNICEF Club Working To Help Others". The Newtown Bee. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
- ^ Tendall, Makayla (22 October 2018). "'Kids helping kids': Indianola students to trick or treat for donations to UNICEF". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
- ^ Razman, Amirah (15 February 2023). "UNICEF chapter returns to UMN after 3-year hiatus". Minnesota Daily. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
- ^ Amber, Cardona (3 March 2016). "Students win national awards at UNICEF summit". The Brown and White. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
- Zimmerman, Jason (24 May 2019). "Appleton North High School UNICEF club hosts open mic fundraiser". WBAY-TV. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
- Grossman, Hannah (16 November 2023). "Arizona students allegedly bombarded with Hamas 'propaganda' in lesson claiming 'terrorist' is offensive term". Fox News. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
- "UNICEF CWRU". Case Western Reserve University. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
- "The UNICEF Club at Duke University". Duke University. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
- "UNICEF at Georgia State University". Georgia State University. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
- "UNICEF at NC State". North Carolina State University. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
- "UNICEF Club @ UC San Diego". University of California, San Diego. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
