HMC is a 501(c)(3) educational nonprofit and the nation’s oldest government simulation conference run exclusively by undergraduates at Harvard College.
HMC is the most dynamic model congress simulation available to high school students. Over the years, HMC Boston has grown significantly and has led to the development of three other conferences, including our San Francisco conference and two conferences run by our sister organizations: Harvard Model Congress Europe and Harvard Model Congress Asia.
Still, our Boston conference has remained exciting and dynamic, as our staffers have created new programs like HMC Media, the National Security Council, the District and Supreme Courts, and the Lobbyists to teach delegates about the important entities that, although outside the House of Representatives and the Senate, are nonetheless central to our government’s functioning. The depth of the debate that we facilitate at our conferences complements the breadth of our programs.
We continue to improve the simulation with all of the resources available to us as we strive to guarantee the most accurate and informative experience. Unlike other conferences, HMC requires students to assume the role of real life congressmen, senators, and members of government, forcing them to expand their own perspectives and to understand the issues at hand in a new, more nuanced way.
To assist the effort, HMC continues to offer its delegates a 2000-page briefing book, now provided online, containing extensively researched briefings written by our own staff on each issue debated at the conference. As HMC enters its 27th year, we are confident that it continues to be the nation’s premier conference.
Harvard Model Congress presents a unique opportunity for high school students to engage with American government through role-play and simulation in order to develop a better understanding of civic involvement and government function. Through a variety of congressional committees covering a broad spectrum of pressing federal issues and a diverse collection of Special Program committees highlighting other aspects of the US government, HMC strives to provide a stimulating learning environment that fosters individual growth and group education.
By engaging in open debates, caucuses, trials, press conferences, and testimonies, students are able to better appreciate the purpose and role of the political process. A committed staff of Harvard students strives to facilitate a supportive and educational learning environment that focuses on student participation. First and foremost a teaching institution, HMC dedicates itself to providing an enjoyable and instructive atmosphere in which to develop a commitment to and interest in American government and civic engagement.
