Budding politicians descended on Wodonga's La Trobe University on Friday for the Model United Nations Conference which saw more than 80 high school students debate global issues.
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Students from Catholic College Wodonga, Cobram Secondary College, Corowa High School, Numurkah Secondary College, Wangaratta High School and Wodonga Senior Secondary School were split into countries and had to debate issues based on their country's policies.
The United Nations Association of Australia Victoria division hosted the conference with a focus on global thinking.
Year 8 Wangaratta High School student Orlando Bulmer said this year's conference was his first and has prompted him to start thinking about a career in politics.
"It has been a really great experience, it has been really formal and given us a great perspective on politics," he said.
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"You work quite hard but in the end it is really interesting when you get involved in everything.
"I haven't previously had an interest in politics but after experiencing this I think I am a bit more interested."
Cobram Secondary College year 12 student Ellie Jones said she keeps coming back to the conference "because it is always a challenge".
"It is a challenge to convey a point of view you don't necessarily agree with or a country you have never really had to consider as being a player on the global stage," she said.
"The conference has definitely shaped my passion for global politics which I hope to one day go in to."
Ellie was representing Australia and said the biggest challenge was separating your own views and those of the country you are standing for.
"I don't agree with the stance of Australia on a few topics so that has definitely been a challenge," she said.
"It is quite difficult to perhaps understand some of the issues that face Australia and what Australia really wants is hard to achieve."
Cobram Secondary College teacher Penny Jones said the conference was "so much more than just public speaking".
"It is understanding the complexity of the argument and being able to engage in the discussion and critical analysis," she said.
"You are constantly having to shelve your own perspective.
"These are the skills we need to see going into the 21st century."
Ms Jones said the program is helping students make decisions about their future.
"It is really lifting our students up and developing aspirations and we know one of the biggest blockers for regional students is having that world knowledge," she said.
Wangaratta High School teacher Meryl Herman said the program is showing what regional students can do.
"What you have here are more than 80 regionally based students who have performed outstandingly and are showing their understanding the world that they are living in," she said.
"We know they are our future leaders in there and it is so evident for some of the students that this is the direction they will take.
"It just highlights that regional students are just doing an amazing job and we are so thankful to La Trobe for hosting this which students wouldn't otherwise be able to access."