How do I declare a model class in my Angular 2 component using TypeScript?

I’d try this:

Split your Model into a separate file called model.ts:

export class Model {
    param1: string;
}

Import it into your component. This will give you the added benefit of being able to use it in other components:

Import { Model } from './model';

Initialize in the component:

export class testWidget {
   public model: Model;
   constructor(){
       this.model = new Model();
       this.model.param1 = "your string value here";
   }
}

Access it appropriately in the html:

@Component({
      selector: "testWidget",
      template: "<div>This is a test and {{model.param1}} is my param.</div>"
})

I want to add to the answer a comment made by @PatMigliaccio because it’s important to adapt to the latest tools and technologies:

If you are using angular-cli you can call ng g class model and it will generate it for you. model being replaced with whatever naming you desire.