Founded in 2001, HMCSF is one of the best civic engagement conferences.
Our Mission
Founded in 2001, HMCSF is one of the best civic engagement conferences under the umbrella organization of Harvard Model Congress, the nation’s oldest government simulation conference run exclusively by undergraduates at Harvard College.
First and foremost a teaching institution, HMC is also the most dynamic model congress simulation available to high school students. Over its 24-year history, HMC San Francisco has grown and expanded, becoming rapidly more ambitious in its aims. At the same time, it has also maintained its small learning environment in which students can engage with each other and Harvard undergraduates to address some of the most pressing political and civic issues of our time.
The San Francisco conference is exciting and dynamic. Our congressional committees - simulating the United States Senate and House of Representatives - allow delegates to debate, author, and pass legislation on relevant topics in a realistic simulation. In past years, delegates have passed laws on police brutality, nuclear energy and waste, and prices of prescription drugs.
Our staffers have also created programs that, although outside the House and Senate, are central to our government’s functioning: In our National Security Council, delegates have debated the merits of drone strikes in the Middle East. In the Federal Bureau of Investigation, delegates have tracked down art thieves and grappled with insurance fraud. In the Supreme Court, delegates have voted on decisions integral to the social fabric of our society, on topics ranging from free speech to marriage equality. 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. HMCSF requires students to assume the role of real life congressmen, senators, and members of government, forcing them to expand their perspectives and to understand the issues at hand in a new, more nuanced way.
As HMCSF enters its 24th year, we are confident that it continues to be the nation’s premier conference.
