United World

May 2010

FeatureShould parents be asked to contribute?

EducationLearning from the great outdoors

Simón Bolívar UWCAdding value to the land

News

Page 3 News Fundraising Feature Profiles Education Outreach Spotlight Page 3

Welcometo United WorldThis is first edition to carry the new brand following

the launch in February, see opposite for more

information.

We are now working on producing new versions of our

leaflet and Inspire brochure to reflect the new brand and

to include our newest school, UWC Maastricht. We are

also working on providing web templates for national

committees and are aiming to launch the multi-lingual

version of the website by September 2010, initially in

Spanish, French and Arabic.

Our work continues on the development of the new

extranet and we will keep you updated on this at

www.uwc.org/members/. Unfortunately the old

extranet is no longer available – in this interim period

please email change of addresses to uwcio@uwc.org.

Thank you for your patience.

In this issue

On the coverWaterford Kamhlaba student Sisekelo Dlamini. Read the

article on outdoor education on page 16.

6 From the Chair

7 Fundraising

10 Feature Jill Longson, International Board member and Vice Chair

of Atlantic College discusses family contributions to

scholarships.

13 Profiles

3 News

16 Education

Get in touchIf you have an idea for an article, email brief details to editor@unitedworld.uwc.org

Comments and feedback on the magazine are also very

welcome. Email us or write to:

The United World Colleges (International),

Second Floor,

17-21 Emerald Street,

London, WC1N 3QN, UK.

United World is distributed to all members of the UWC International

movement. Articles or comments attributed to individuals do not

necessarily reflect the views or policy of The United World Colleges

(International). While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of

information at the time of going to press, no responsibility can be

accepted for incorrect information included in good faith or subject to

subsequent change.

The United World Colleges (International)

is a company registered in England and

Wales and Limited by Guarantee No 908758.

Registered Charity No 313690.

The roll out of UWC’s new brand commenced on 05 February 2010 nearly two years after the initial decision was taken at the International Board Meeting in Mumbai, India and following movement-wide consultation.

Initially the biggest impact will be the use of

the new logos, stationery and the colour palette;

however these physical attributes are just

the icing on the brand project ‘cake’. The real

changes will come from how we think about the

movement, present UWC to the wider world and

the collective impact of this happening again and

again and again.

Throughout the brand project, UWC has chosen

to focus on what we all have in common –our

strengths. We recognise and celebrate that

there are many different models across UWC

but our education model, our values and our

personality provide a very strong foundation to

that diversity.

The UWC brand toolkit is a valuable resource

to guide and support us in bringing the brand

alive. We will not be printing the toolkit because

it is a live document that will be constantly

evolving. We will add new images, evidence

and testimonials to keep it fresh and we will

change things as UWC or our needs change.

All new materials produced across the UWC

movement from now on should carry the new

UWC brand. To give everyone the opportunity

to use up existing materials , we have set the

end of the school year 2011 as the deadline for

transitioning across to the new brand.

Logo aside, the key elements of the brand that

are detailed in the toolkit include:

Key messages – Section 1.4 We have developed six key messages that

encapsulate the essence of UWC.

• Diversity drives UWC education

• UWC is transformational

• UWC is working towards resolving the

tensions within and across society

• UWC is committed to a culture of

environmental responsibility and action

• UWC inspires leadership in and commitment

to social responsibility

• UWC educates and supports young people

to take initiative and embrace personal

challenge

The aim of the key messages is that they will

help us all communicate UWC accurately.

We are not expecting our schools, colleges

or national committees to quote these in

every press release or poster, but to take

the sentiment and through the use of local

examples and testimonials bring the essence

of the message as well as the rich flavour

and diversity of UWC alive. There are some

examples included in the toolkit, but we hope

that each constituent will have their own

relevant and current examples to use.

22 OutreachUWC Adriatic’s initiative to improve educational

opportunities for Roma children.

23 Spotlight

UWC’s new brand

Language – Section 1.5The new brand is the first step in our work to raise

the awareness and understanding of UWC and a key

part of that is the need to reduce or eliminate our

use of jargon when talking to external audiences. To

increase clarity, we have introduced some new words,

for example we now talk about UWC schools and

colleges, our programmes and the internationally

recognised word ‘alumni’. Whilst we know and

understand UWC words such as ‘ex-student’ or

‘comm-serve’, they are often meaningless to those

outside the movement.

The toolkit also introduces the UWC writing style

and for those constituents who are not writing

in English, we hope that you are able to take the

essence of that style and adapt it as appropriate into

your language.

Images – Section 3A picture says a thousand words and images are an

important element of the brand – bad images have

a negative impact and can halt further engagement.

Think about your own experience of flipping through

a newspaper or a magazine or passing posters in

hallways – what causes you to pause and read? We

need to be critical about the images we are using:

are they current, relevant to the audience, engaging,

high enough quality? We often spend a huge amount

of time carefully constructing words and then slot

in the closest image to hand. Words won’t be read

unless your image captures the reader’s attention.

There are some fantastic images from around the

movement but when a strong image isn’t available,

using another device such as graphics or illustrations

is more powerful than using a poor image.

We hope you enjoy using the toolkit and it makes it

easy to implement UWC’s new brand.

If you have any questions or comments on the brand

or to receive the link to the toolkit, please contact

the communications team at the International Office

on communications@uwcio.uwc.org

Page 4 Page 5 News Fundraising Feature Profiles Education Outreach Spotlight News Fundraising Feature Profiles Education Outreach Spotlight

In 2008, UWC alumni Dan Marshall (AC 68-70) established a $US15K fund to assist UWC students and recent alumni in projects promoting sustainable living. Three individuals were awarded grants (United World, January 08) and two of these original projects have made great progress and are now nearing completion. The third project did not materialise and so the original funds plus some surplus from one of the original projects were pooled to run a second round of the grant. 15 applications were received and thanks to the work of Cory Ross (AC 69-71) and Dominic Muntanga (AC 98-00) in assessing the applications, two more alumni have now received funding. We report on all four projects below.

Tarini Manchanda (MUWCI 03-05) received

a grant to develop and distribute a film

about water issues in Delhi. She says “We

converted an old room in my house into an

editing space, and divided our time into four

hour shifts. This worked well but we soon

realised that a collaborative process requires

significant amounts of time making edits

together. Apart from the film making process,

we have learnt that Delhi’s water crisis is ironic

in that Delhi had lots of water in the past and

still does, but inequity, over consumption,

and changing values have led to crisis. This

is important because in Delhi’s past lies the

hope for a water-full future. In the last weeks

of production we decided to bring back our

cameras and speak to people about the science

behind traditional water management as well as

the complexity of consumption issues in the city.

We are excited about the final film and hope to

distribute it vigorously when it is done.” The film

is now available at tinyurl.com/GroundwaterUp3

Lucy Richards (UWC AD 06-08) received a grant

to develop and distribute a film encouraging

cycling in the USA. She says, “As the film has

begun taking shape, the premise of the film

seems to be gravitating toward our own personal

discovery of bicycles as a tool and a cultural

obsession. The film is mostly about seeing the

country from the seat of a bicycle and how

that shaped our experience. We include many

interviews with people in sustainability related

non-profits, bicycle advocacy groups, and our

hosts we met along the way who all seemed

to have their own amazing and unique stories.

Our progress as we move across the United

United World Sustainability Fund – Project success

States unites the pieces of the story, leading

to the conclusion that bicycles are sociable,

sustainable, clean, safe, and fun. We hope to

inspire those who watch to dust off their own

bicycles and start riding.” artichoke.lucy@

gmail.com

Brijlal Chaudhari (RCN 04-06) received

a grant to purchase materials so that the

people in his village can make new cooking

stoves. He says, “100% of the people in my

village, Nichuta, (Parsa District) Nepal, use

firewood for cooking. Introducing a stove

that is fuelled by rice husks will drastically

reduce the dependence on firewood, which is

the main reason for the rampant exploitation

of forest resources. As long as these people

have no viable alternatives to fuelling their

stoves, they will depend on the forest. Hence,

as a resident of the area I see the need for a

change.” bchau06@stlawu.edu

Dick Muyambi (RCN 05-07) received a grant

to purchase 31 utility bicycles and repair

kits to be distributed in a village of Uganda.

Muyambi established an organization called

Bicycles Against Poverty (BAP) and they

distributed 100 bicycles in their July pilot

project (having raised funds through campus

fundraising efforts at Bucknell University

and grants from organisations including the

Clinton Global Initiative and 100 Projects

for Peace. The 31 additional bicycles funded

by this grant will be distributed in Gulu, a

region in northern Uganda, affected by a

22-year civil war. Muyambi says, “Introducing

bicycles to the economy results in a system

which improves the economic prosperity of

the people while maintaining environmental

sustainability, because petroleum is not

being consumed”. tinyurl.com/BAPoverty.

muyambidick2007@gmail.com.

If you have comments or suggestions write to

UWSustainability@comcast.net

Outreach workshop Within the impact section of the new UWC Strategic Plan, there is a series of action points relating to ‘outreach’ – the way in which UWC can make an impact beyond its colleges, schools, national committees and alumni communities and reach new people.

The first of these actions reads ‘Building on the experiences of the colleges,

short courses and similar programmes, define the scope of ‘outreach’ activities

that extend impact and can be brought within a UWC framework, connecting

this definition with plans for a system of recognition or certification and

supporting the development of existing and new outreach programmes.’

Action points then suggest ways in which this could be implemented.

As a first step in addressing these strategic objectives, an outreach workshop

took place at UWC Adriatic from the 4-7 March 2010 bringing together

outreach practictioners from across the UWC movement for the first time. The

33 participants represented seven colleges and schools (teaching staff, CAS or

Outreach Directors, Heads and Deputy Heads), the International Office, the

International Board and national committees in Latin America, Eastern and

Western Europe. The workshop was organised by Jennifer Dueck (LPC 93-95)

a consultant for UWC International with responsibility for developing UWC’s

outreach programme (as well as Director of the Middle East and North Africa

(MENA) Initiative). Professional trainers with a longstanding relationship to

Red Cross Nordic UWC provided useful facilitation that allowed the workshop

to produce a series of action plans and the beginnings of a strategic vision for

increasing UWC’s reach.

Notably, the workshop produced significant consensus on a definition of

‘outreach’, as well as a conviction that outreach should be financially self-

sustaining and subject to quality assurance. Dr Tony Richards, the International

Board member with particular responsibility for outreach, discussed the

workshop outcomes at the recent International Board meeting at UWC

Costa Rica.

Since the workshop, an online community has seen set up for all those

involved in outreach in all its forms and various working groups have been

established to take forward specific actions, including one responsible for

conducting a short course/youth leadership seminar co-branding pilot.

Geraldine Paredes Vasquez from the National Committee of Bolivia ran a

session at the recent Latin American and Caribbean regional meeting to

update participants and talk about

plans for future regional programmes. There remains much work to be done,

but prospects look good for systematically increasing UWC impact in the

years ahead.

The story of the Atlantic College rescue boats David Sutcliffe’s book tells the story of the college’s rescue boats and will raise funds towards scholarships.

In just three weeks two

Atlantic College Dutch

students built Psychedelic

Surfer, the rigid-hulled

inflatable that defied sceptics

to finish 19th in Britain’s first

ever Round Britain Powerboat

Race in 1969 and launched the

rigid-hulled inflatable into the

consciousness of the life-saving

community across the world.

With modern materials and technologies the original Atlantic boats

have been developed into sophisticated variations now used in their

hundreds of thousands worldwide by life-saving organisations, the

offshore energy industry, the military, the marine racing world and

the leisure market.

The opening speaker at the 2005 Conference of the Royal

Institution of Naval Architects commented that it was “probably

safe to say that the development of the RIB has been the most

significant design development in the small craft area over the past

50 years”; and David Stogdon, former RNLI Inspector of Lifeboats,

wrote in 1993: “Atlantic College started something which will affect

all lifeboat societies in time ... there was a wonderful spirit at the

college … It was largely this spirit which helped us develop the

inshore lifeboats round the British Isles.”

David Sutcliffe, a member of the college’s founding staff in 1962,

has now told their story in The RIB: the Rigid-Hulled Inflatable

Lifeboat and its Place of Birth - the Atlantic College. Profits will go

to the Atlantic College scholarship fund. The book can be ordered

at a pre-publication price of £25 (hardback) and £15 (paperback).

Copies ordered before the 31st May 2010 will be dispatched post-

free, worldwide. Postage and packing costs will apply after this date.

For more information and to order please contact

vicky.phillips@atlanticcollege.org

Tel: +44(0)1446 799147 or go to www.atlanticcollege.org

Obituaries It is with great sadness that we report the deaths of :

Asim Butt (LPCUWC 93-95)

Alan Glanville, Economics teacher at UWC of the Atlantic

1971-1987 and Lester B Pearson UWC of the Pacific,

author of the first IB economics textbook.

Tarek Ben Halim (AC 72-74)

Tarini filming for the Groundwater Up project in the Renuka Valley, India. Photo: Katie Gillett

Participants at the Short Course in Germany, one of the many outreach programme that took place last year.

Fundraisers were shown around new East Campus while at UWCSEA for the meeting.

The eight students before and after their cycling challenge.

Fundraising

Page 6 Page 7 News Fundraising Feature Profiles Education Outreach Spotlight

At a time when so much positive work is under way, there was considerable

discussion at the meeting about how to communicate this to the wider

UWC movement. My full report of the meeting is available online at

www.uwc.org/board/

As many of you will know there has been widespread endorsement of

UWC’s first strategic plan, which was published last year. The plan identified

the direction we wished to take in a wide range of activities over the next

five years. However a plan by itself is useless unless it leads to action. The

Costa Rica meeting was our first opportunity to review initial progress and

it was good to see that so much work towards the strategic objectives is

already under way. We will continue to focus on the strategic plan at each

Board meeting and a full report will be made to the UWC Council each

October.

Steve Donato, Director of Development for UWC International, presented

his work on developing a case for support. Fundraising at the international

level is much more than just finding more scholarships; it includes potential

funding for capital projects at our colleges, capacity building and new

initiatives. Potential donors need the information that will make UWC

attractive to them and Steve is now putting together an international case

for support which will be put to the test with some of the promising leads

already identified. This work couldn’t succeed without the support of the

development offices in all our schools and colleges and it is heartening to

see how well this cooperative effort is developing.

Much of the last six months has been concerned with trying to turn the

UWC-IB Initiative in Bosnia and Herzegovina into a more permanent

institution. Since UWC in Mostar’s inception, the International Board has

indicated its hope that this college, which was conceived by its founders as

a three-year project, would evolve into something longer-term. To do this

requires considerable short-term and long-term funds which the Initiative

at present does not have the infrastructure to find; in other ways as well

it requires a transition to a college with the sorts of foundations that can

provide longer-term stability. Resolving this problem has not proved easy

and when I attended a meeting in Sarajevo in March, it looked as though

a fifth intake of students would not be possible. I am glad to say that, as

I write, the UWC-IB Initiative’s executive committee has agreed a way

forward. This is good news and it will be vital that we all now take the steps

necessary to build for a more secure future.

The College Heads have a very important role to play in strengthening

the ties that hold the movement together and they met for three days

in Costa Rica before the International Board meeting. One significant

matter for discussion was a common code of conduct for students, and

this was followed up by consideration of how principles of good practice

can be developed for staff across the colleges. The Heads also progressed

their thinking on a future UWC diploma. I have been impressed by the

unanimity of the heads during this work and the real desire of them all to

work together to make our schools and colleges better for both students

and teachers.

The Board studied a proposal to create a new college in Spain. The Spanish

National Committee and its project team, which have been working on this

proposal for several years, had put together a compelling case, supported by

some convincing documentation. After lengthy discussion the Board gave

its Preliminary Approval to the proposal. This level of approval will enable

building work to start and for further development of plans and fundraising

before Final Approval is considered. It is hoped that the new college, in

Cantabria, northern Spain, will open in 2013. However the project team still

has several hurdles to clear and a Board task force will continue to work

closely with the team in Spain to ensure that the new college meets all our

expectations.

The 50th Anniversary of the creation of Atlantic College and, by implication,

of the UWC movement too is fast approaching. The Board has no wish to

diminish the importance of this date for UWC Atlantic but is seeking ways

to enable all UWC constituents to mark the occasion. One idea that gained

wide support was for individual conferences, events or debates to be linked

online. A working group is being formed to consider a format and theme

and to help coordinate our overall approach to 2012.

You will see that the movement has its challenges as well as its successes,

but I continue to be very optimistic about the opportunities that our

strategic plan provides. The larger we grow, so too does the workload

grow not only in our schools and colleges and national committees but

also in the International Office, the UWC Council and the International

Board. Please help us to communicate more effectively about the work of

our schools and colleges and in particular the uniqueness of our national

committee system.

Tim Toyne Sewell, Chair

From the ChairIn March we held an International Board meeting at UWC Costa Rica. It was my first visit to the college since its inauguration, a remarkable occasion attended by our President, HM Queen Noor. It was great to return and to see the college flourishing. Particularly noticeable was the way in which it has developed and grown in confidence over the past three years and the excellent relationship which has grown up between students and staff.

Adriatic UWC has

increased fundraising

efforts through the

online fundraising tool

justgiving.com and is encouraging alumni and other supporters

to give either via justgiving, paypal or in more traditional ways.

Justgiving can be used by all donors but in particular provides a

tax efficient way for UK supporters to donate.

www.justgiving.com/UWC-Adriatic

A group of students

at the college is

also using the

tool to raise funds

to purchase eco-

showers for the

college. They

organised a project

week during which

they cycled 400km

down the Adriatic

coast as a way to

combine a physical

challenge with

UWC’s commitment

to environmental sustainability. They have so far raised over

£500 and have a target of £2000.

Go to www.uwc.org/news/to read more.

UWC central fundraising gathers momentumThe new International Fund Development Function organised a meeting of UWC fundraisers at UWC of South East Asia in January. The meeting was attended by professional fundraisers from 11 existing and two proposed schools and colleges.

Since the initial Fund Development meeting at UWC Adriatic in June

2008 a great deal has been achieved. It was at that meeting that

plans to establish a central fundraising department came together

and following further work to develop the concept, the new team is

in place and has begun its work in earnest. The last edition of United

World introduced Steve Donato who will lead the central fundraising

efforts as Director of Development. Steve is supported by Jane

Caldwell, Fund Development Assistant, who joined UWC in October

2008.

The Singapore meeting was the first chance for the new International

Fund Development team and school and college fundraisers to meet

as a group. The mood at the meeting was positive and energetic;

the participants enjoyed the chance to share information and ideas

and welcomed the opportunity to develop their own professional

networks. It was widely recognised that success for UWC as a whole

will come from a collaborative effort. The participants shared their

thoughts on developing a movement-wide case for support which will

be an important early task for Steve Donato. They also shared ideas

on potential institutional and corporate supporters which could be

approached once the case for support is finalised.

A special thank you goes out to Dave Shepherd and his team at

UWCSEA who were welcoming hosts. The development team at the

International Office would also like to thank their colleagues around

the organisation for their support in launching this important initiative.

Online fundraising at Adriatic UWC

Fundraising

News Fundraising Feature Profiles Education Outreach SpotlightNews Fundraising Feature Profiles Education Outreach Spotlight Page 9 Page 8

In its first 25 years, UWC-USA was privileged to receive very generous financial support from visionary philanthropists Armand Hammer and Shelby Davis, but no institution can or should rely on the philanthropy of a few transformative supporters. Strong institutions have broad and deep bases of support.

Building this foundational support is especially important now for

UWC-USA because the school faces a new challenge; the Armand

Hammer Trust, which has provided $US2.25 million annually for

operating expenses (20% of the annual operating budget), will be

exhausted in 2013.

Led by alumnus Bertrand Kan’s (USA 82-84) extraordinary

leadership gift endowing a scholarship (United World, January

2010), UWC-USA alumni have begun to step up to this challenge

and are giving in greater numbers and amounts than ever before.

A newly created alumni Annual Fund Committee, chaired by

UWC-USA Trustee Michael Taylor (USA 89-91) and managed by

staff member Jeremiah Stevens (USA 92-94), has been charged

with working with the Development Office to ask other alumni

to support the college. In just a few weeks, the 51 committee

members made personal contact with over 300 fellow alumni.

In the school year to date, Bertrand Kan’s leadership gift and the

combined efforts of the alumni committee and the Development

Office have raised $US450,245 in gifts and pledges from alumni.

This represents a huge increase of almost 450% in total donations

received from alumni and over 160% in number of alumni

donating over one financial year, demonstrating the huge impact

alumni giving can have on a college’s future.

Dave Shepherd, Director of Advancement at UWC of South East Asia on the establishment of the UWCSEA Foundation.

The UWCSEA Foundation was officially launched

in June 2008, with the specific purpose of

identifying and securing additional support

for the school. It was a courageous decision to

establish an independent Foundation, rather than

establish an internal development committee,

but the benefits of such an approach are

becoming increasingly evident.

The word ‘Foundation’, at least to me, conjures

up a sense of distance, a characterless

organisation; but nothing could be further from

the truth, The Foundation is first and foremost

about people. It is the conduit that facilitates

our students, alumni, parents, teachers, staff

and volunteers to share in the development of

the school and the UWC mission. It does not,

however, stand alone as the sole channel for

school support. The success of the Foundation is

contingent upon an independent, well-resourced

and dynamic alumni programme and parental

involvement in activities that reflect the ethos

and values of our movement.

We are extremely grateful to our dedicated and

committed community who collectively bring

the Foundation to life. They are truly inspiring;

committing their time, treasure and talent to a

cause that we all believe can have a significant

impact on our future world.

Trust, transparency and integrity are central

tenets for any fundraising initiative and stellar

leadership is the key to establishing these

characteristics. We are indebted to our ten

exceptional volunteer trustees who lead the

activities of the Foundation as it works to

increase scholarship opportunities, enhance

infrastructure, develop student outreach

programmes, enhance opportunities for teacher

development and build an endowment capacity.

They lead by example and have all made a

financial commitment to the scholarship

programme.

Inspired by the efforts of the Class of ’78, who

succeeded in creating the first alumni funded

scholarship (United World, September 2009);

numerous other alumni are asking how they

can support the school. The Foundation has

established a comprehensive programme to

facilitate this and will launch an annual giving

opportunity in September. Soon to be our

youngest alumni, the current students from the

class of 2010 have launched their “Graduation

Gift” programme. Now in its third year, the

students have identified a capital project at

the Dover campus and their gift will fund the

purchase of some new outdoor seating for the

senior students. As an incentive, our Head Julian

Whiteley has agreed to match their contribution

$ for $.

Many UWCSEA parents are actively involved in

service programmes and outreach initiatives in

the region through the SEALinks programme.

They have also stepped forward to support

a variety of the Foundation’s programmes.

Gifts from three parents will allow five new

scholarships to be awarded during 2010 – 2012

and several more are anticipated. Support has

also been received for the outreach initiatives,

teacher development and the endowment fund.

Any fundraising initiative relies on the support

of those involved in delivering the programme.

The Foundation is delighted to have a 100%

commitment to make a gift from both the

trustees and the senior management team. The

trustee gifts have targeted the Scholarship Fund,

whilst the senior management team has selected

Scholarship Enrichment, a fund that facilitates

our scholars to attend conferences, Model United

Nations events and our own Initiative for Peace

conference in Timor-Leste. In addition to making

personal contributions to the many Global

Concerns groups, staff at the school continue

to fund a student from the Lamdon School in

Ladakh, India to attend the Mahindra UWC of

India and an African student to attend Waterford

Kamhlaba UWC of Southern Africa.

The Foundation is equally delighted to recognise

the support of alumni and parents who have

given gifts in kind. Developing opportunities

for supporters to donate skills and services

reinforces our common goal to strengthen the

opportunities available to our students.

We are still a very young foundation but have

been encouraged by the very positive reception

and the strength of feeling that surrounds

individuals touched by the UWC experience. A

dedicated website, http://foundation.uwcsea.

edu.sg keeps our community updated on the

benefits of the support we receive and the

opportunities for collaboration. Your suggestions,

views and comments are always appreciated.

Connecting philanthropy & education

Charles Ormiston, Kishore Mahbubani, Kirtida Mekani and David Chong being recognised for their outstanding commitment to the development of the UWCSEA Foundation. Trees will be planted at the new East Campus in recognition of their contribution.

Director of Development at Waterford Kamhlaba UWCWaterford Kamhlaba UWC’s first Director of Development Barb Taylor left Waterford in January

2010 to return to Australia. We wish her all the best for the future. Barb is replaced by Frances

Longley who has worked extensively in the arts and cultural sector in the UK with an emphasis on

marketing, PR, fundraising and audience engagement. In 1998 she led the successful £2.2 million

individual giving campaign for the Birmingham Hippodrome Theatre. In 2000 she took up the role

of Communications Director at the innovative MAC arts centre in Birmingham before establishing

a freelance consultancy practice.

UWC-USA - Turning to alumni for broad and deep support

UWC-USA alumni at the reunion last year.

Page 10 Page 11 News Fundraising Feature Profiles Education Outreach Spotlight News Fundraising Feature Profiles Education Outreach SpotlightPage 10 Page 11

By Jill Longson, (AC 79-81) Vice Chair of Atlantic College and International Board member.

of fundraising for scholarships is to ensure

that we can select students purely on their

merit and potential. Does our selection

process become compromised if students

who have been awarded a place at a UWC

cannot accept it because the place came

without funding attached? Would our

‘Case for Support’ be more or less attractive

to our donors if we allocated scholarships

differently? Are our current practices

transparent enough and would they stand up

under scrutiny?

The situation we find ourselves in today

has meant that the number of fully funded

places offered across UWC has fallen. For

some colleges this means offering more

partial scholarships while others admit more

fee-paying students than perhaps they might

wish. The UWC strategic plan recognises that

financial pressures and their consequences

represent the biggest obstacle to UWC’s

continued development. This all implies a

need to ensure that limited scholarship funds

are used to increase access and maximise the

diversity of the student body. This current

research by the task force is an opportunity

to review the way we allocate scholarship

funds and to look at the impact this can have

on the organisation as a whole.

It is widely recognised that donors are

asking more of their money, examining

organisations they wish to support more

closely and expecting greater transparency,

accountability and efficiency. Our research

tells us that donors expect organisations

to work hard to optimise their donations.

This is not a phenomenon that is impacting

only on UWC – there has been a significant

increase in the number of organisations that

help philanthropists measure the impact

of their donations as well as a number of

recent press articles on the subject. Within

UWC it is difficult to explain to donors how

funds are allocated as there are so many

different practices. Are these different

practices misleading donors to believe that

we are only selecting students who need full

“We must consider what barriers exist in our current funding/ selection processes that may prevent students attending a UWC because of financial pressures.”

Scholarship allocation and funding has long been a topic of great debate within UWC with the subject of parental contributions regularly being at the heart of these discussions. This issue – which at times has been a divisive one – is now being discussed at UWC Council and Board level as we seek a way to maximise access to a UWC experience whilst ensuring optimum use of income.

This is not a new issue, nor is it new to the International

Board’s agenda; however it is now an urgent

issue. Funding allocation and the acceptance

of parental contributions has been explored

several times over the last decade, but a

conclusion was never reached as opinions

seemed too divided. The debate has taken

on new meaning in light of the increased

financial pressure that has been building

across the organisation over a considerable

period, coupled with our growth, which has

taken place without any reassessment of

our scholarship funding model. All this is creating intense

additional pressures on our schools, colleges and national

committees.

At the meeting of the UWC International Board of Directors

in June 2009 it was agreed that this topic would benefit

from further research and a wider discussion at the UWC

Council in October 2009. I was nominated to lead a board

level task force, supported by the national committee team

at the International Office. Other members of the task force

include: Giuliano Giovannetti, (AD 84-86), Eddy Henry, Chair

of National Committee of Indonesia, UWC Council member

(PC 86-88), Peter Howe, Head of UWC Adriatic, Paul Motte,

Director of College Operations at Atlantic College and Anja

Weiss, member of the National Committee of Germany (AC

85-87).

Across UWC, opinions range from one end of the spectrum

to the other. One belief is that every student must have

a full scholarship regardless of his or her

family’s ability to contribute, as this is the

only way to absolutely ensure that places

are available to as wide a variety of people

as possible and that money will not impact

on selection or nomination. Another belief is

that the allocation of funds should be based

on need – with parents contributing what has

been assessed as a fair amount – provided

the financial assessment is kept completely

separate from the selection process and

that there is enough money to guarantee a full scholarship

if needed. The one thing that unites these opposing views

is that the ability to pay should not impact – positively or

negatively – on the individual’s application.

We are proud of the high quality education that UWC is

renowned for. However our goal should be that we make it

available to everyone, within the limits of our capacity, who

reaches a set standard during the selection process. The aim

scholarships rather than attempting to select

from across socioeconomic backgrounds?

There are undoubtedly cases where donors

may be surprised to learn that the family of

a student whom they funded

could have afforded to pay

some or all the scholarship

fee. At the same time we

must be aware that there

are some private and public

donors whose philanthropy

is based on the principle of

funding 100% scholarships for all students

regardless of their background.

The task force has highlighted that funds

are traditionally allocated to countries and

not individuals. The impact of this means

that our schools and colleges make offers

based on an assumption of a country’s

wealth rather than the situation of the

individual student who ultimately takes

up the place. This lack of sophistication in

allocation assumes that most students from

a particular country will need a certain level

of scholarship, but this is not always the

case. In fact, the current system may hinder

efforts to achieve diversity from within and

across countries due to lack of funds. If we

are to achieve our strategic aim of increasing

diversity amongst the student population

then we must be confident that our funding

allocation practice supports this.

The current acceptance of a diversity of

funding positions across our schools and

colleges appears to be creating an impact

on student selection and the distribution

of students. At the moment, we have two

colleges which offer only 100% scholarships

and many national committees may be

inclined to select for those colleges only

students who absolutely require 100%

support, while sending to other schools and

colleges the students whose families may

be able to make a contribution. This has the

potential to skew the intake of students at all

schools and colleges. This is exacerbated by

the practice across UWC of offering partial

scholarships.

Partial scholarships offered to a national

committee where there is no significant

record of fundraising success may encourage

the committee to move down their merit

list and to offer places to

students whose families will be

able to make up the difference

between the partial scholarship

and the full cost rather than have

to turn down the scholarship

and risk not receiving offers the

following year.

The diversity of the student body in

some schools and colleges is not truly

representative, as in some cases we are

not actually accepting candidates purely

on merit and potential, regardless of their

ability to pay - they are selected on merit

and potential but they are unable to take

up the places due to finances. An example

of this may be where the scholarship does

not include extras such as travel and pocket

money, which in some instances can cost

thousands of dollars.

Research shows that 55% of national

committees (who returned the 2009 Annual

Report) currently accept family contributions

(though many only to support extra costs

and the selection process), so the concept

and practice is familiar to many national

committees.

As we have started to look at our scholarship

allocation model and the issue has been

more openly discussed it has become clear

that there is a widespread and strong desire

for a fairer way of allocating scholarship

funds. However, it is also clear that to

truly be able to nominate students based

only on merit and potential, any financial

assessment must be separate from selection:

national committees must conduct the

selection process and then nominate their

top candidates - which the school or college

will then be asked to accept irrespective of

how much is contributed.

UWC’s unique selling proposition (USP)

surely has to be the richly diverse student

“Our growth has taken place without any reassessment of our scholarship funding model.”

Should more parents be asked to contribute?

Page 12 Page 13 News Fundraising Feature Profiles Education Outreach SpotlightPage 12 Page 13 News Fundraising Feature Profiles Education Outreach Spotlight

As one of the founding members of the Performing Arts Service

(PAS) at Atlantic College, Iara Guzmán Vallejos (Bolivia) is putting her

creative talents to the best possible use. “What we do is to use music

as a form of therapy,” explains Iara. “At the moment we work with

people in the early and late stages of Alzheimer’s Disease, and with

elderly people.”

Iara volunteered at a children’s hospital at home in Bolivia, but had

never worked with older people. “The experience has been completely

new for me, but being involved in PAS has given me a much better

understanding of what it is like to grow old and

how important family can be in the process. I

think young people could benefit so much from

having more contact with older people.”

Iara admits that interacting with people who

may be nearing the end of their lives can be

daunting. “In training sessions with our music

teacher, Chris, we have discussed the emotional

implications and have also done some role-

playing so that we know how to react in every

situation, no matter how difficult. It does make me nervous, but

I know that I have the full support of Chris and the other service

members, which gives me confidence.

“I love meeting the people we work with and getting to know

them – seeing their progress, knowing that what we do can make

a difference, even if sometimes it is very hard.”

Iara feels that the UWC experience has changed her outlook.

“Living away from home, service, making new friends… they have

all had a positive influence on me and have helped me grow.

“I heard about UWC from my uncle, who admired the education

model and had always wanted one of his daughters to apply. He

told me a little bit about the movement and got me interested

– when I read the mission statement, I just knew I had to apply,

because it reflected what I thought education needs to be if it is

going to be used to build a better future.”

Iara has thrown herself wholeheartedly into life at AC. As well as

her involvement in PAS, she has also been instrumental in setting

up a student-led peer-tutoring programme, takes part in a weekly

Spanish cultural exchange evening, is a member of the AC tour

choir, contributes to the UWC publications United Words and Ink,

is learning how to make pottery and volunteers in the library.

“Some other students and I thought it would be good to have a

peer-tutoring programme, so we set it up,” says Iara. “I know most

about history because it is one of my favourite subjects, but I can

help with any of my other subjects, too. I really enjoy it because I

also get to learn from others and meet new people.”

The Spanish evening gives Iara the chance to share ‘Ibero

American’ culture with fellow students. “It’s great because

normally I do not have the chance to speak in Spanish – plus, I like

the idea of showing our culture to all those who are interested.”

So how does she find the time to fit in all these activities as well

as studying? “There is never enough time to do everything you

want to do while you are at UWC – I definitely do not sleep as

much as I used to! But I have no complaints: I think I have found a

relatively good balance.”

Iara has not yet decided what she wants to study when she

graduates from AC, but she is fairly sure that her future career will

be in the NGO sector. “My parents’ work has influenced me very

much throughout my life, especially in the case of my mother, who

works for Save the Children Canada (in Bolivia). I would like to

follow in her footsteps and do something along those lines. I most

certainly want to go back to Bolivia to work.”

“I love meeting the people we work with and getting to know them – seeing their progress, knowing that what we do can make a difference.”

Student profile: Iara Guzmán VallejosHelping set up a new service at UWC of the Atlantic is just one of the activities that second year student Iara Guzmán Vallejos from Bolivia is involved in at the college.

body. From that everything else about the UWC movement

flows. We must consider what barriers exist in our current

funding/ selection processes that may prevent students

attending a UWC because of financial pressures. From an

ethical standpoint is it right or wrong that we should include

parental contributions? Are we truly operating with a system

that best delivers UWC ideals? As we raise the profile of the

organisation as a whole, our USPs and key messages will

come under closer scrutiny from donors, potential students,

the press, etc and we need to ensure that

they are robust, that our key messages are

being delivered and that our processes are

sound.

There is now a strong sense of goodwill

amongst the Board and UWC Council and

within the UWC movement as a whole

with everyone working towards making the

organisation better than it is today and this

is reflected in the work on the strategic plan.

Although there remains a diversity of views

on the question of need-based scholarships, the organisation

is now well placed to conduct a positive and healthy debate

on an issue that is a fundamental to UWC.

The task force believes that the allocation of scholarship

funding and our selection of students should do five things:

1. Maximise our limited funds and ensure that these funds

go to those who most need it

2. Encourage not discourage potential donors

3. Reflect our mission, values and key messages, in

particular by encouraging a diverse student body

4. Increase access to the UWC experience – the ability

to pay should no longer be a barrier

5. Be easy to explain and to deliver.

The task force is in agreement that the current system falls

short on some of these goals right now and that the time is

right to work together to improve the funding model.

If UWC was to move towards a system of allocating funds

based on the need of the student we should expect:

• A consistent and transparent way of allocating

scholarship funds

• Diversity meaning not only representation from many

different countries but also cultural and socioeconomic

diversity from within each country

• National committees widening their areas of promotion

in order to attract a truly varied pool of applicants,

diverse in terms of background, education, experiences,

finances and the opportunities available to them.

“If we are to achieve our strategic aim of increasing diversity amongst the student population then we must be confident that funding allocation practice supports this.”

Such a situation would require sufficient funding to allow

every scholarship to be supported up to its assessed level,

which in turn raises many more questions. However, we

could not afford (financially or in the interests of diversity)

for national committees to see this as an opportunity to

select all of their students from low income families – but

as an opportunity to be able to select the most appropriate

students from a varied pool of applicants and be able to

allocate places based purely on merit and potential.

We are now in the process of conducting

an initial pilot study with a small group

of national committees (NCs): Belarus,

France, Guatemala, Indonesia and Turkey.

For entry to UWC in 2010, these NCs have

been offered five 0-100% scholarships each

depending on need. We are deliberately

working with a diverse range of NCs,

in terms of legal status, region, level of

development in that country and the

capacity of the NC, to ensure a robust pilot.

The information we gather during this pilot study will inform

and shape future research and models. The work is in the

very early stages and we will be spending the coming weeks

and months working closely with national committees and

colleges in order to fully understand current practices and

support those taking part in the pilot. The task force’s initial

research was presented to national committees at meetings

in Europe in November 2009 and the Latin American &

Caribbean in March 2010, and to the International Board

in March 2010. If you are interested in contributing to the

discussion please email emma.dillon@uwcio.uwc.org, the

main contact for the project.

Anna Koblanck (WK 90-91) has been the Africa correspondent for Swedish daily newspaper Dagens Nyheter based in Johannesburg since 2004. She is also the author of A Few Days More - The Story of a Young Woman Living with HIV in Botswana.

“When people ask me how my years at Waterford affected me I say that

my life took on a different trajectory afterwards, and that it was a defining

experience for me. I was already curious of the world and keen to explore

and learn, and in some ways I might well have ended up living a similar

life without my UWC experience. I do believe though that my time at

Waterford certainly added depth to my character and broadened my

horizons in a way that has been fundamental to me as a person since. I

am pretty sure also that a major reason that I am now back on the African

continent again is because I had such a great time in Swaziland. When I

returned to South Africa in August 2003, it felt like coming home and I

believe the insights and knowledge of Africa that I gained as a student help

me daily in my current job.” Anna is leaving Dagens Nyheter in September

to work as a freelance journalist and writer, based in Johannesburg.

Page 14 Page 15 Page 15 News Fundraising Feature Profiles Education Outreach SpotlightNews Fundraising Feature Profiles Education Outreach SpotlightPage 14

Hugo Passarello Luna (PC 99-01) has made an impressive impact in his home city of Buenos Aires since returning in 2006. A freelance journalist and documentary/journalistic filmmaker, Hugo has set up a successful political website and is actively involved with local project Goals for Girls.

Hugo returned to Argentina after studying

International Relations and Film Production,

specialising in documentary filmmaking at

the University of British Columbia. In late

2006 he founded Argentina Elections (www.

argentinaelections.com) based on a similar

project in Peru. “Upon my return to Argentina,

in 2006, I decided to start a journalistic website

to help shape the political and electoral debate

back home, as the presidential elections were

about to take place. The idea started in Peru with

Peru Elections. “For me it was a way to concretely

apply what I learnt at UWC and give back to my

community,” explains Hugo. The website provides

reliable, complete and data free to academics

and citizens.

Hugo got a team of political specialists and

journalists together and founded the site with

the support of the University of British Columbia.

Since its creation the site has received over

350,000 visits and is considered the leading

electoral resource in Argentina, earning the

recognition of the National Electoral Chamber

and the national political parties. Since 2008

it has also been part of the ACE Electoral

Knowledge Network which was developed by

leading global electoral organisations including

UNDESA (United Nations Department of

Economic and Social Affairs).

Reflecting on what attracted him to apply to

UWC, Hugo says “Even though I come from a

big city, my neighbourhood seems like a small

town. I did kindergarten, primary and high school

in the same school, with the same friends who

lived within 500 metres from my house. So

within a city, there was a

felling of a small town. I

felt like I needed to find

new horizons, adventures

and challenges. Of course

I could have found them

in my own city but I came

across the ad for UWC in

the newspaper, saying ‘Do

you want to study with

people from all around

the world?’ and ended

in Canada. It was an eye

opening experience, it

definitely changed my life.”

One of Hugo’s biggest passions is a project he

volunteers with called Goals for Girls, run by

Democracia Representativa, an Argentinean NGO

and supported by USA NGO Soccer without

Borders. “Back in 2007, shortly after the project

started, I joined as a General Coordinator for

Goals for Girls and later that year I was joined by

Carolina Thompson (USA 95-97) who is now the

coordinator,” explains Hugo. “I remain involved

as a volunteer, working on a documentary and

communications.”

Goals for Girls focuses on

teaching around 30 girls

aged from 10 to 16 years

old self-confidence and

teamwork through sports,

focussed on soccer. It takes

place in one of the largest

shantytowns of Argentina,

the Villa 31 in the centre

of Buenos Aires, where

approximately 20,000

families live in difficult

conditions with problems

including drugs, alcohol,

“UWC represented what I was looking for while in Argentina: a multicultural environment, academic challenges, motivated and admirable people. What I thank the experience the most for is the chance to have met so many admirable people who had a big impact in the way I see the world.”

Alumni profile: Hugo Passarello Luna

Snapshot: Other alumni passionate about journalism.teenage pregnancy, violence, and prostitution.

“The objective is to provide the tools for them

to overcome these obstacles and has four

main learning components: leadership, gender

awareness, community involvement, and health

education,” explains Hugo. Soccer is taboo for

women in Argentina. In their efforts to forge a

real team, the girls have to deal with deep-rooted

sexism within their families; confront boys who

don’t respect their rights to use the field and

learn responsibility and the value of teamwork.

Last year, we were really proud that one of the

girls qualified to be part of a World Cup for youth

living in poverty and was the only girl selected to

be on Argentina’s youth team.”

Hugo is currently working

on a feature length

documentary about the

project. “The film will follow

the struggle of the girls

from the Villa 31 who want

to play soccer. The project

has already secured a prize

from the Argentine Film

Board, which covers 60

per cent of the total cost,

and we are now seeking

funding for the remainder.

We are aiming to have the

film finished in time for the

FIFA’s Women World Cup in 2011 in Germany.”

As well as his work volunteering with Goals for

Girls, Hugo is also involved with his National

Committee. “I help the National Committee but

it is thanks to thanks to other alumni who put

an immense effort to keep things going that

every year we can do a selection and fundraise to

ensure that our students can go to UWC.”

To get involved with Goals for Goals, contact

hpassarello@gmail.com or

carolinathompson@hotmail.com

Cornelia Vospernik (AD 86-88) is the China correspondent for Austrian news broadcaster ORF, based in Bejing. In 2008 Cornelia was awarded the prestigious Concordia-Publizistikpreis 2008 for her reporting from China and was recently awarded foreign political journalist of the year in Austria. She has published two books on China since moving there in 2007.

“It was certainly not clear to me then, but in hindsight it

was precisely the UWC-experience that paved my way into

journalism. UWC opened up the world to me. It also made me

understand how limited my view of the world was then. It may

still be. But this small Italian village made me curious for more.

I learned to appreciate, to differentiate, to debate. Until this

day I love and embrace differences. Every day, every person I

meet teaches me something new and I know that I am able

to continue to learn these lessons because I passed the best

possible preparation course: a UWC.”

Nina Brus (MUWCI 98-00) is a freelance journalism working in the news department of Radio Slovenia. She studied journalism at the University of Ljubljana. “I love what I do, especially because it keeps me informed about what is going on in my country and all over the world.

However, journalism can be a tough profession. Since our

department works 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, my

working schedule is messy. Sometimes I stay up all night or

I go to work in the middle of the night, sometimes I work

14 hours a day, sometimes I do not have a single day off

for weeks. As I report on events and do not get involved, I

sometimes I wish I could act to improve things and correct

injustices.

Being a UWC student changed me as a person. I care for

things that are going on in the world and as a journalist I

try to make other people aware to. Because together we

can make a difference. Journalism is a way of life – you have

to update information every day and follow many stories.

But if you like journalism, it can be the most beautiful

profession in the world.”

News Fundraising Feature Profiles Education Outreach Spotlight News Fundraising Feature Profiles Education Outreach SpotlightPage 16 Page 17

In ‘outdoor classrooms’ around the world, UWC students are developing a greater range of talents and skills than they knew they possessed. ‘Plus est en vous’ – there is more in you than you think, said Kurt Hahn, whose interest in outdoor education lives on in the colleges and in the other organisations founded on his ideals, such as Outward Bound and the International Award.

Whether operating the area’s lifeboat service

at UWC of the Atlantic or teaching activities

such as kayaking and archery to primary school

children as part of Red Cross Nordic UWC’s

Lierskule programme, students are acquiring

physical and sporting skills, an awareness of

their strengths and limitations and learning how

to give and accept help.

Some colleges have well-developed outdoor

education programmes (whether as part of

the IB CAS programme or as extra-curricular

activities), while others are keen to upgrade

and expand the range of activities they offer

students.

Below we profile Waterford Kamhlaba UWC

of Southern Africa’s reinvigorated outdoor

department as well as UWC-USA’s long-

established wilderness programme…

Waterford has recently benefited from the

enthusiasm and expertise of former British

Red Cross volunteer Andrew Hepworth, who

spent a term in Swaziland at the end of last year

following 18 months with Red Cross Nordic’s

outdoor department.

“My job was to implement a full outdoor

programme at Waterford through which students

could be encouraged to challenge themselves in

new ways,” explains Andrew. “Each weekend we

organised activities such as hikes to mountains

and reserves, overnight camping experiences,

kayaking excursions and archery sessions. This has

given local and international

students the opportunity

to explore Swaziland and

get a feel for the natural

environment. Committed

students have gained skills

in these areas and are

now leading beginners in

activities.”

Waterford is also involved

in ‘Climb Swaziland’ (www.

climbswaziland.org), a project

to encourage climbing at school level across

Swaziland. “Our aim is to update the climbing

facilities at Waterford, start competing with

schools in the nearby Mpumalanga region of

South Africa and set up local community service

projects in Swaziland,” says Andrew.

So far, new holds have been added to Waterford’s

indoor climbing wall to provide more variation

and the college has acquired equipment, a range

of donations and the support of Swazi climber

Sibusiso Vilane, the first black African to climb

Everest.

“We have introduced a modified climbing

certificate for students who attend a beginners’

‘belay’ [rope] workshop, practise for 10 hours in

the climbing hall and then pass an exam testing

their knowledge of safety and ethics,” explains

Andrew. “There are currently six Waterford

certified climbing leaders, who are all showing

good signs of leadership when

teaching inexperienced students.”

Waterford also has an outdoor

climbing area 10 minutes’ walk

from the campus gate, suitable

for beginners and for intermediate

climbers. During Andrew’s

placement, students were able to

explore the area extensively and

produce a climbing and safety

guide. It is intended to add more

routes as the exploring continues.

Student Phoebe Reid (USA) says that climbing

has “changed my life here at school”. She was

finding it difficult to settle at Waterford, but now

has the motivation to get up an hour earlier to

go to the gym and do some climbing training. “I

feel that the Outdoor Department is an essential

part of our school, and has the potential to

enrich many students,” she says.

Sisekelo Dlamini (Swaziland) feels that the new

outdoor programme is tremendously important.

“I believe that education is nothing without

active work – you may be clever, but you still

need to keep fit.”

Waterford has been invited to compete in the

Johannesburg interschool climbing competition

this October, and plans for the future include

organising climbing exchanges

with South African schools and

giving climbing lessons to Swazi

youth. Waterford is looking for

ways to continue developing the

outdoor programme.

“Pupils from the SOS school at

the bottom of the hill have seen

Waterford students climbing and

have reacted with curiosity and

eagerness to try,” says Andrew.

“One of the main goals behind

Climb Swaziland is for Waterford

students to instruct young Swazis, and we hope

to raise funds to make this happen.” Andrew is

now working on the Climb Swaziland project

from the UK. Waterford continues to be involved

in the project and is looking at ways to continue

the development of its outdoor programme.

The wilderness programme at UWC-USA

has been established for more than 20 years,

and is now led by Tom Lamberth, who has

been travelling into the ‘backcountry’ of New

Mexico for 30 years. As wilderness programme

coordinator, he teaches first aid, map and

compass skills, camp skills, ‘leave no trace’ skills,

natural history, snowshoeing, backcountry skiing,

winter camping, cooking and stove maintenance,

and leadership.

“For students, to experience the wild is to

experience the home of their ancestors, without

asphalt, vehicles, buildings, ski lifts or electronic

devices,” says Tom. “They experience stunning

scenery, beautiful sunsets, animal sightings,

wildflowers, rainbows, a universe of stars, the

phases of the moon. But they also experience

thunder and lightning, heavy rain, bitterly cold

winds, steep hikes with heavy packs (often into

high altitudes), blisters, muscle soreness, joint

pain, cuts and scrapes.

“Students learn a great deal about their strengths

and limitations on overnight expeditions – how

to comfort and be aware of

novice hikers from urban areas,

how to guide a team through

unknown terrain and to care

for their team’s physical and

emotional well-being.”

It’s tough and challenging,

but students feel that they

gain a huge amount from the

experience. Olivia Lau (Hong

Kong) believes that “the

wilderness is our other classroom,

where we can learn so much about nature,

discover the other sides of ourselves and explore

different types of leadership.

“There are tough times in journeys such as these,

times when you almost want to give up and turn

back. But they are truly fulfilling experiences –

experiences that allow you to appreciate the

grandeur of nature, to reflect and to realise the

insignificance of human beings in comparison.”

Fellow student Kwun Kui Clarence Ho (Hong

Kong) enjoys spending time in the wild away

from civilisation and schoolwork. “There is a

power in outdoor education that is lacking

in academic education – a power that allows

students to learn about themselves and life

through action, discovery and reflection,” he

says. “Getting to know the other people in my

group and dealing with hardships together has

definitely helped me grow as a person.”

UWC’s newest school, UWC Maastricht

already has an established outdoor education

programme, with an annual winter outdoor

“For students, to experience the wild is to experience the home of their ancestors, without asphalt, vehicles, buildings, ski lifts or electronic devices”Tom Lamberth

“The wilderness is our other classroom, where we can learn so much about nature, discover the other sides of ourselves, and explore different types of leadership.”Olivia Lau

mountain and leadership experience in the

Adelboden region of Switzerland where students

work in small groups to overcome challenges

such as compass and map reading, hiking,

abseiling and building an igloo. Patrick Severijns

and Richard Hine run the programme at the

school. Patrick says, “All these activities require

students to stretch themselves physically and

mentally and to rely on themselves and the

others in their groups. Students learn to recognise

each other’s strengths and weaknesses to be

successful during the trip”.

Other colleges keen to extend their outdoor

education programmes include Mahindra UWC of

India. Its new Head, Jonathan Long, has a strong

belief in the value of such activities.

“In my experience, a structured programme of

expeditions and adventure training provides

unique opportunities for young people to work

with others, to develop self-reliance, resilience,

discipline, teamwork and leadership,” he says.

“The outdoors is a powerful medium for

developing self-confidence and independence in

young people.”

From next year, MUWCI’s educational

programme will have two parallel elements:

an academic element; and an enrichment

element based on the IB’s CAS and an adventure

programme.

“The adventure programme will run throughout

the year,” says Jonathan. “Organised hikes,

expeditions, camping and adventurous activities

will be arranged under the supervision of Harenda

Shulka, a faculty member with experience in

outdoor education and a valuable knowledge of

both the local area and the Himalayas. Special

outdoor activities will be arranged during

extended weekends and during the March project

week.” MUWCI students will also be offered

the opportunity to work towards the globally

recognised International Award at Gold level.

Learning from the great outdoors Left to right: Wilderness expedition at UWC-USA, archery and canoeing in Swaziland. Opposite: Hiking in Swaziland.

News Fundraising Feature Profiles Education Outreach SpotlightNews Fundraising Feature Profiles Education Outreach Spotlight Page 19 Page 18 Page 19 Page 18

SBUWC alumni are using their knowledge and skills to help improve agricultural productivity in one of the most remote areas of Venezuela

Farming methods in the remote Gran Sabana region of south-

eastern Venezuela are being transformed with the help of

returning alumni from Simón Bolívar UWC of Agriculture.

Equipped with skills learnt on SBUWC’s 750-hectare farm,

alumni are applying new techniques to improve fertility and

increase the productivity of traditional crops such as maize,

pineapple, red peppers, bananas, rice and sugar cane. This will

help ensure the long-term conservation of their land, which is

facing many challenges.

The vocational programme at SBUWC is

very practical and students spend around

70% of the course ‘learning by doing’ on

the college’s working farm. In the third year

of the programme, they undertake a four-

week community project during which they

live with a family and then in the lead-up

to graduation, students spend four months

working on a commercial farm, where they

put into practice their knowledge and skills.

“This practical experience helps our students

to find employment and to start projects

in their own regions, equipped with a Farm

Administration degree that qualifies them to

manage a sustainable agriculture unit,” explains Izamar Alvarez,

Director of Fundacea, the foundation under which SBUWC

operates.

Kevin Lucasius Martínez (SB 99-02) is one of seven students

from the Gran Sabana’s indigenous Penóm ethnic group who

has returned to work in his community. He teaches agricultural

classes, vaccinates animals, advises agricultural production units

and is the president of the local agricultural co-operative.

“It was a great experience to study at SBUWC,” says Kevin. “In

the Gran Sabana we don’t have such large productive farms, so

the practical knowledge we learnt has helped a lot. Our people

have a lot of confidence in us and ask our opinion about working

with animals and agriculture.”

It is not only indigenous students who are making a difference

in the region. Alfredo Manuel Oronoz Senior (SB 02-05) comes

from Caracas, but moved to the Gran Sabana after being inspired

by the community internship he did there while at college.

“My specialty was apiculture, particularly honey production,”

says Alfredo. “I was also interested in agroforestry, and

studied palms, especially the Moriche palm

in its natural ecosystem of the Gran Sabana

wetlands.”

Alfredo has recently established the Foundation

Unión Morichal, which works with the local

population to conserve the Moriche palm and

to promote conservation and eco-tourism.

Humberto Fernández (SB 00-03), who is now

Coordinator of the Technical High School of

Agriculture Kumarakapay in the Gran Sabana,

is also involved in Unión Morichal, believing

passionately in the work it is doing.

There are currently 10 indigenous Penóm

students at SBUWC, something that is a source

of great pleasure and pride to Amaya González,

Director of the Technical High School of Wonkén, a remote

community in the Gran Sabana from which many of the Penóm

students come. “SBUWC alumni return with good degrees and

make important contributions to their communities,” says

Amaya. “Even without having visited the college, I recommend

that my students study there if they can.”

Izamar points out that it is difficult for young people from the

region to attend university because there is an expectation

“In the Gran Sabana we don’t have such large productive farms, so the practical knowledge we learnt has helped a lot. Our people have a lot of confidence in us, and ask our opinion about working with animals and agriculture.”

Kevin Lucasius Martínez

Adding value

to the land

that they will begin working on the land as

soon as possible. “Generally, they only study to

baccalaureate level or in a secondary technical

school where they learn basic agriculture, but

at an insufficient level to improve productivity

significantly,” explains Izamar. “These students’

families have very limited economic means, and

there is no possibility of them funding the cost

of their sons’ and daughters’ education. The

10 Penóm students currently at SBUWC have

received scholarships either from the college

or from a government organisation called

FUNDAYACUCHO.”

In common with all UWC students, the Penóm

students’ time at SBUWC gives them the

opportunity to meet young people from other

parts of the world. “My community is very

isolated” says Antonio Montilla (Venezuela).

“When I arrived at SBUWC I was very scared

but now I am happy to be here with fellow

students from Brazil, Ecuador, USA and Haiti as

well as from my own country.” Izamar points

out that the indigenous students at SBUWC

contribute significantly to the college’s cultural

life, bringing diversity from within Venezuela

“and put into practice the college’s principles

and values of promoting understanding and co-

operation between people as well as nations”.

Student Esther Marelys Mundo Peña (SB 07-

10), one of Amaya González’s former students

from the Technical High School of Wonkén,

has found her time at SBUWC invaluable.

“I learnt about farm processes and how to

detect illnesses in cattle, among many other

things,” she says. In her voluntary work in the

The Gran Sabana Venezuela’s Gran Sabana is

characterised by mountains,

savannahs and forests, home

to thousands of unique species.

However, it is a fragile landscape:

the topsoil throughout most of

the region is barely a metre deep,

making productive agriculture

difficult.

The Sabana is home to the Penóm,

Indians of Carib descent, who are

thought to have migrated to the

region around 600 years ago –

although archaeological sites to

the north have unearthed finds

dating back almost 9,000 years.

The traditional lifestyle of the

indigenous population is coming

under increasing threat from

the pressures of modern society.

Mining has caused deforestation,

disruption of watercourses and

mercury contamination; while

urban development and tourism

are causing cultural and

environmental damage.

Community-based eco-tourism,

sustainable forestry and agriculture,

and micro-industries such as

beekeeping and fish farming are

therefore needed if the region is to

have a sustainable future.

college community, Esther gave presentations

to small producers in the community on how to

improve animal and vegetable production. “We

taught them to make multinutritional blocks,

we taught them our dialect [Taurepan] and we

also taught them to weave hammocks, hair tail

holders and handbags,” she explains. Esther has

recently returned from her community internship

in Algarrobo, where she helped children from the

elementary school to create kitchen gardens.

The current Penóm students at the college

share a determination to return to their home

communities equipped with skills and knowledge

that will make a real difference. “My goal is to

return to my community and start a micro-

business for food production,” says José Gabriel

Silva Márquez (Venezuela), while fellow Penóm

student Cesarina Suárez says that she intends to

“improve cultivation and teach my community

everything that I have learnt.” Esther would

like to gain further experience on farms in

Venezuela before returning home to support her

community. “I want to go back and teach the

indigenous people about insemination of cattle

and how to feed them appropriately.”

Esther Mundo on the college farm, Unión Morichal planting in the Gran Sabana.

Left to right: Conserving the Moriche palm: The work of the Foundation Unión Morichal in the Gran Sabana. Eight of the ten Penóm students currently at SBUWC.

Antonio Montilla talking to high school students about environmental conservation on his community internship in Algarrobo.

Page 20 Page 21 Page 20 Page 21 News Fundraising Feature Profiles Education Outreach SpotlightNews Fundraising Feature Profiles Education Outreach Spotlight

The Peer Support service at Li Po Chun UWC was established three years ago to provide additional support to students by students. Fourteen students in each year receive intensive training provided by a certified psychological counsellor which allows them to help their peers by offering support at a more professional level. The 10 week course involves training on mental health issues, counselling techniques and working together to secure confidentiality within the group.

For many years UWC Heads have spoken

strongly of the desirability of faculty

exchanges. At a Heads meeting in March 2009,

I asked if anyone would be interested in a

‘Heads’ exchange’. Later that day, Lisa Darling,

President of UWC-USA, suggested that while

she was not in a position to ‘exchange’, she

would be delighted to host me and my family

at UWC-USA for a semester. Both Lisa and I

consulted within our schools, and very quickly

it was agreed that this would be for the period

September 2009 to January 2010.

The four months I spent at UWC-USA were

a wonderful opportunity for professional

reflection and for getting to see at much closer

hand than normal visits would allow the inner

workings of another, inspirational, UWC.

Lisa and her colleagues graciously and

courageously welcomed and included my wife

Debbie and me in many aspects of the day-to-

day life of UWC-USA. This included attending

weekly administration meetings, assemblies,

faculty meetings, a Board of Trustees meeting

and participating on the audit team of the

UWC Self-Evaluation process. On a daily basis,

we were included in conversations around the

college and welcomed into people’s homes.

Debbie is Community Service Coordinator at

Waterford and collaborated strongly with the

Dean of Co-curricular at UWC-USA, in addition

to attending several CAS activities. With a

background in art, she was granted a space in

the art room and was an assistant examiner

in the Art Department. Together we attended

many Global Affairs talks, cultural evenings

and concerts. All in all, we had the remarkable

privilege of remaining professionally engaged

in a UWC while being afforded a complete

break from the stress that comes with the

responsibility of taking hard decisions.

What insights have I gained?

UWC-USA has a strong and broad programme.

The fall in endowment income because of the

financial climate over the last two years and

the anticipated drop in another revenue line

has led the college to decide not simply to

‘save’ its way out of potential financial trouble

through cutting programmes, but rather to

invest further in raising the funds necessary

for the delivery of what it perceives as its

essential, broad programme. I now need to

re-assess what we believe is at the essence of

the UWC experience at Waterford and how

best to resource this. Because our contexts are

different, our solutions may well be different.

But I have learnt that cutting expenses and

working the human and physical resources

harder are not the only available responses.

Allied to this insight, I realise that Waterford,

and possibly all UWCs, need to answer again

the question: how best would we devise an

educational programme, with what people

(including with what students), with how many

people, with what physical resources, in order

to deliver the UWC mission in our individual

contexts. In many ways I have allowed past

solutions to this question at Waterford to

determine current practices. For instance, one

of the key messages that emerged through the

branding consultation is that ‘UWC is working

towards resolving the tensions within and

across societies’. Is this best delivered through

focusing on how many nationalities we can

gather at each college and school?

At Waterford and UWC-USA (the two colleges I

now know best), there remains a view in several

quarters (including vocal student quarters!)

that a libertarian or at least a western liberal

approach to internal college organisation and

student management is part of the UWC ideal.

During my time on sabbatical I have pondered

again on how this ethos might be an obstacle

to attracting to UWCs the very students and

faculty who represent the tensions within

and across societies. Michael Stern, the heroic

founder of Waterford Kamhlaba as the first

non-racial, anti-Apartheid school in Southern

Africa, imposed a school uniform at Waterford.

He did so not because he ‘believed’ in school

uniform, but because in a part of the world

where such uniform was the absolute norm,

he did not wish to detract from the non-racial

aspect of WK by creating other unnecessary

controversies. Are we in UWC creating

unnecessary controversies and hence barriers to

entry to some of the people who we need UWC

to include in order for us to realise our mission?

What are the barriers to attracting students and

faculty from conservative, even fundamentalist

societies – for is it not between liberal and

conservative and fundamentalist sectors of

society that many of the current global and

local tensions lie? Are there areas where

UWC can compromise whilst still retaining its

integrity, to overcome some of these barriers?

In my view this is an increasingly necessary

debate within UWC.

I have gained enormously from my sabbatical,

and I have returned to Waterford more aware

of and open to a range of approaches whereby

the UWC mission can find authentic expression

in my college. I thank the Waterford Governing

Council and senior staff for allowing me this

opportunity, and Lisa Darling, the Board of

Trustees and the UWC-USA community for

their warm and engaging welcome.

Mbabane to MontezumaLaurence Nodder, Principal of Waterford Kamhlaba UWC of Southern Africa reflects on his sabbatical at UWC-USA.

Student Anastasija Karklina (Latvia) explains “students often prefer their

peers supporting them rather than an adult. The primary role of peer

support is to be the listening ear when students have something troubling

them. This could be anything as simple as test stress to something as

serious as self-harm.” If one of the peer support group is told by a peer

about a serious problem such as self harm, then they immediately inform

Jackie Greenwood, the college’s professional counsellor who runs the

course.

As well as providing a one-on-one counselling service, the Peer Support

group run S-cubed sessions (informal sessions for first year students) on

topics such as alcohol awareness, the importance of sleep and combating

stress and has also introduced other initiatives to the campus to promote

the general well-being of the students.

One of these activities was Secret Smile. “People signed up to participate,

then were randomly assigned one other person who had signed up. The

participants then had the entire week to do little things to make the

person they were assigned to happy. This could be leaving sweets for

them on their desks or making elaborate signs. It was a great success

for an as-yet untried activity.” explains Sonia Wurzel (USA/Hong Kong),

another member of the group. “We’ve found Peer Support to be a crucially

important in the life of our college and would like to encourage other

UWC schools and colleges to introduce a similar service.” Member Lara

Shirley (Hong Kong/Italy) adds “Being part of the Peer Support group

has taught me the importance of taking care of people, both myself and

others and gave me a skill that I will be able to use for the rest of my life.”

If you are interested in talking to the Peer Support group about setting up

a similar programme contact lpcuwc.peersupport@gmail.com

Peer Support Pastoral Care Africa cultural day was one of the largest events held during the Nodders’ stay at UWC-USA.

A session run by the Peer Support group on stress management.

Page 23 News Fundraising Feature Profiles Education Outreach SpotlightNews Fundraising Feature Profiles Education Outreach SpotlightPage 22

A UWC Adriatic project that hopes to integrate Roma children in Montenegro into mainstream education has got off to a flying start, with the college extending its reputation for participating in outreach activities in the wider Adriatic region.

The project CHERI (Challenging Education for

Roma Inclusion) is being funded by the European

Union (EU) as part of its ‘Support to Civil Society

in Montenegro’ programme. The EU accepted

only seven of the proposals put forward,

including the one submitted by UWC Adriatic in

partnership with organisations in Montenegro.

UWC Adriatic began working on the 18 month

project last December by conducting initial

research into the educational challenges facing

Roma children and learning communication

and interaction skills. In February ten students

spent a project week in Montenegro’s capital

Podgorica taking part in workshops and activities

with Roma children and volunteers/students

from the local high school. The week culminated

in a vibrant multicultural show that included

everything from Roma dances to Polish Polkas

and old Montenegrian songs.

“It was a great success,” says Simone Sgarbossa,

Social Service Coordinator at UWC Adriatic, who

worked with the students to stage the show. “All

the students – Roma, UWC and local Gimnazija

– put on great performances in front of a very

supportive audience.”

As well as preparing for the show, the UWC

Adriatic students spent the project week

demonstrating to the high-school students from

the local Gimnazija that they could play an

important role in supporting and helping local

Roma children.

“In Montenegro, most of the Roma children have

Albanian or Roma as their native language, which

means that when they start

school they are not able to

follow most of the lessons,”

explains Aleksandra Dasic

(Montenegro), one of the

UWC students. “They often

give up school, and go back

to the streets. Therefore,

our idea was to show some

of the local volunteers

how big progress could be

made if they dedicated

some of their time to helping Roma kids do their

homework in the early stages of elementary

school. We hope they will go on doing this.”

The project week had a huge impact on

Aleksandra. “I have lived in Podgorica my whole

life, but I never knew about conditions in the

Roma quarter situated very close to my house,”

she says. “At first the Roma kids were sceptical

about people trying to help them and let them

inside the most elite school in the city, but we

soon built a friendly relationship with them.”

Aleksandra feels that she is living the UWC

mission to celebrate diversity and overcome

prejudice. “A year ago, if Roma kids had tried

to approach me, I would probably have ignored

them, thinking that their presence was not

“A year ago, if Roma kids had tried to approach me, I would probably have ignored them, thinking that their presence was not socially desirable. Now I am proud to greet them.”Aleksandra Dasic

Challenging education in Montenegro Spotlight on open space

Participants were asked to put forward topics for discussion that they were prepared to lead and then post these onto the ‘live’ meeting agenda on the wall.

socially desirable. Now I am proud to greet

them.”

During the project week, UWC Adriatic and its

partner the Pedagogical Centre of Montenegro

(PCMNE) also hosted a three-day professional

development workshop for 25 local primary

school teachers who have

Roma children in their

classes. The workshop was

led by Henry Thomas (UWC

Adriatic teacher of World

Arts and Cultures), project

leader Valentina Bach

(Director of Development

and Communications at

UWC Adriatic) and Biljana

Maslovaric (Programme

Coordinator at PCMNE).

“The sessions explored ways of teaching

that could engage students who are often

demotivated, have language difficulties and

face prejudice from other kids,” says Valentina.

“The key was to move from ‘transmission of

knowledge-based teaching’ to a ‘developing

active learners and critical thinkers’ approach.”

Biljana says that teachers enjoyed the

opportunity to come up with drafts of personal

teaching approaches and that they gained

professional satisfaction from the workshop. She

is confident that the programme will be valuable

in building relations with PCMNE.

The programme has continued to make progress,

with teachers and students from Podgorica,

as well as PCMNE and the National Bureau of

Education representatives undertaking a study

visit to UWCAD in April.

For the future, new teaching approaches to help

integrate Roma children will be developed and

piloted in schools, guidelines will be published,

seminars organised for teachers and school

directors, and the project results presented at

various international meetings.

UWC Adriatic students are also keen to

continue making a difference, with Ieva Dudaite

(Lithuania) saying that working with the Roma

children during project week made her think that

she might like to pursue a teaching career. “I am

considering getting involved in a project teaching

Roma people English when I go home for the

summer,” she says.Left to right: The Roma children were given a certificate of participation at the end of the project week. UWC Adriatic student Alessio Strano with Roma student Roberta on the project week.

The Latin American and Caribbean regional meeting took place in Uruguay in March bringing together 47 delegates from 22 countries plus representatives from four UWC colleges.

Following on from a successful session at the European regional

meeting, the entire meeting was conducted in a new way for

UWC, using the Open Space Technology (OST) method – a self-

organising approach to meeting agendas which allows participants

to nominate and choose topics for discussion. Here, members of the

organising group who planned the meeting and participants reflect

on the use of OST.

• Axel Kravatzky (USA 86-88) member of the organising group, Chair of the National Committee of Trinidad and Tobago, UWC Council member and National Committee Development Committee member.

The thought of using OST as the process framework for facilitating

this meeting occurred to me on a skype conference call of the

organising group. I was struggling to find a coherent way to organise

the flow of the meeting given the topics that were proposed. Tian

referred to the successful European meeting in Brussels and used the

words open space, and when I saw photos of the meeting I recognised

it as OST. Before that my own thinking was stuck in the more

conventional. It’s important that the process used at any meeting

is aligned with the objective, and using OST at this meeting worked

out very well. We achieved a lot and left the meeting with a concrete

action plan but I believe that even more could have been achieved

with a little more attention to creating a more powerful space for

co-creation by gaining commitment to meeting at specific ‘large circle’

times. So much happens in the small groups that it is very powerful

to come together and reflect on individual experiences in the larger

context. Something to build on for next time.

• Tian Bersey, Head of National Committee Development.

The strength and the challenge of NC system is its diversity. We were

keen to try the open space method to allow for a greater variety of

issues to be included in the programme and enable NC members to

discuss issues relevant and important to their particular situations. In

the past meeting programmes have been arranged in advance, trying

to cover the most important issues but inevitably struggling to meet

every national committee’s needs.

We have started using an organising group of NC members chaired by

a National Committee Development Committee (NCDC) member to

plan the meetings to ensure that the meeting reflects the needs and

‘personality’ of the region and that the resolutions and actions can be

taken to the UWC Council and Board through the NCDC

We are delighted with the action plans that have come out of the

meeting, look forward to working with and supporting all the NCs in

the region in achieving the actions and meeting again in three years

time to review the progress that has been made.

• Virginia Vazquez Vaccaro, (AC 95-97) member of the organising group and the National Committee of Argentina.

Having attended other regional and global meetings, when I

volunteered to be a member of the organising group at this meeting,

my personal aim was to contribute so that participants would

not leave with a feeling that a lot was discussed but in the end

nothing would be done. When Axel first suggested OST, some of us

thought this quite risky, as we were not sure how much participants

would really embrace such a free concept. Culturally, in our region,

conferences have set agendas, and attendants spend a lot of time

sitting and listening. OST was putting forward the opposite. Before

the meeting many participants had doubts about whether it would

prove a useful methodology for our purpose. In the end, I think we

were all surprised with how naturally it all worked: choosing the

topics that mattered the most, grouping them in sessions, drafting

the conclusions from each, and most importantly - putting together

the sessions/conclusions into action plans that related to the initial

objectives of the meeting with deadlines and responsibilities. I believe

this was vital in ensuring the success of the meeting and would not

have been achieved in such a short period of time without OST.

• Luis Gabriel Mesa Martinez, (RCN 01-03) Chair of the National Committee of Colombia.

Since this was the first UWC meeting I attended, I didn’t have any

specific expectations regarding its format, although I did wonder

why we never received a list of activities to prepare beforehand. Not

having an agenda was a very interesting and productive experience.

It turned out to be a surprise when we were all invited to come up

with ideas of interest that would be discussed freely by using OST

- a fun way to rotate among different discussion groups throughout

the weekend. It was my particular interest to talk about the current

situation in Simón Bolívar UWC of Agriculture and reflect upon

our lack of information in the topic. Having the space to lead this

discussion and listening to other participants was definitely a

highlight in my experience at the meeting.

UWC is a unique organisation. It is the only

global educational NGO that brings students

together from all over the world, selected

from within their own countries, on merit and

regardless of their ability to pay. These students

come together at one of thirteen UWC schools

and colleges that aim to foster international

understanding and peace.

UWC International Officewww.uwc.orgT: +44 20 7269 7800

UWC of the Atlanticwww.atlanticcollege.orgT: +44 1446 799 000

UWC of South East Asiawww.uwcsea.edu.sgDover – T: +65 6775 5344East – T: +65 6553 1808

Lester B Pearson UWC of the Pacificwww.pearsoncollege.caT: +1 250 391 2411

Waterford Kamhlaba UWC of Southern Africawww.waterford.szT: +268 422 0866

UWC-USAwww.uwc-usa.orgT: +1 505 454 4200

UWC Adriaticwww.uwcad.itT: +39 040 373 9221

Simón Bolívar UWC of Agriculturewww.sbuwc.uwc.orgT: +58 212 793 4612

Li Po Chun UWC of Hong Kongwww.lpcuwc.edu.hkT: +852 2640 0441

Red Cross Nordic UWCwww.rcnuwc.noT: +47 57 73 7000

Mahindra UWC of Indiawww.muwci.netT: +91 20 2294 3258

UWC Costa Ricawww.uwccr.comT: +506 2282 5609

UWC in Mostarwww.uwc-ibo.orgT: +387 36 320 601

UWC Maastrichtwww.uwcmaastricht.com

T: +31 43 3674666

ACTION • IDEASOPPORTUNITIES• Get involved with the Goals for Goals in Argentina. See page 14 for more info or

contact hpassarello@gmail.com or carolinathompson@hotmail.com

• The story of the Atlantic College Rescue Boats – Buy the book by David Sutcliffe,

profits will support the Atlantic College scholarship fund. See page 4 for more info.

• The Human Trafficking campaigning group at Li Po Chun UWC of Hong Kong invites

other UWCs to join their campaign to raise awareness about the issues of human

trafficking and slavery. See www.uwc.org/lpc/ for more info or contact

mcdavid@lpcuwc.edu.hk

• Join the worldwide celebration of positive action for the environment on World

Environment Day on June 5. www.unep.org/wed/

Involved in a project or campaign that the UWC movement should know

about or could help you with? Email details to editor@unitedworld.uwc.org

Fundraising for Haiti at Adriatic UWC. Find out about what individual UWC schools and colleges have been doing to support Haiti following the earthquake at www.uwc.org/haiti/