UWC Atlantic Annual Review 2021-22

ANNUAL REVIEW 2021 / 22

UWC Atlantic annual review document

Director of Philanthropy, Engagement and Partnerships

Welcome to this year’s annual review, providing you with a snapshot of what we achieved in 2021-22, and to outline some of our plans for the year ahead.

The past academic year finally saw Covid restrictions eased in Wales, allowing us to open our doors again and enable students to engage in live activities, in and around the campus. We were also able to host the first in-person graduation ceremony since 2019 and three reunions, alongside other special events.

Project Week was also live again, with each activity either expedition or service based. And speaking of service, our on-campus entrepreneurial hub Lighthouse continued to give students and alumni the opportunity to work together to tackle local and global challenges.

Underpinning so many of these activities is the generosity of our alumni and friends, who committed their time, treasure and talent in 2021-22. Your support will be as important as ever as we embark on an exciting new 10-year strategy, as we mark 60 years since the college was founded, and as we look to the future as a global education movement.

REFLECTIONS ON THE YEAR AND LOOKING AHEAD

Naheed Bardai, Principal, UWC Atlantic

If you asked me how I remember my first year as UWC Atlantic Principal, would tell you I left for the summer full of optimism and a belief in the magic of this place. I couldn’t help but be moved by the impact the college was visibly having on our students and communities near and far. This also became very clear to me in the three sets of reunions we hosted on campus in June and July, and it was encouraging to see the continuing cultural connection through the generations of alumni. The kind of connection focused on building bridges across divides and working out big societal challenges together.

Witnessing the potential of this college to make a lasting impact on the world has to be up there as one of my highlights in my first year. As one of the founding members of the International Baccalaureate and the UWC movement, and with the immeasurable impact of our alumni, this is already a reality of course, but what’s exciting for me is that we can still achieve so much more. We have the opportunity over the coming years to help transform how education is delivered globally, and I would go even further to say that we have a moral obligation to do so, helping our students prepare for the unique challenges of our time.

I have also been moved by the passion and dedication of our staff, the ambition and commitment shown by our students to themselves and the world, and by the generosity of our alumni and friends, which provides opportunities for those fortunate enough to be educated at UWC Atlanticor indeed at any of UWC’s 18 schools and colleges globally. I would also like to give special thanks to our volunteers and our class reps for their countless hours to help keep this community together, and to our board of governors who have given both their time and expertise to help steer this amazing college.

For me, 2021-22 was also a year of building, and re-building, trust with our community. I had only just arrived at the college and it was important for me to spend time listening to others about how things were going and the path they wanted to see us take. All of this helped culminate in an ambitious and exciting 10-year strategy for the college, which we completed over the summer break. The reunions provided one of the first times for us to share this vision with alumni and friends, and I’m really looking forward to sharing it further with you over the coming months.

This year will see us give extra attention to support the resilience of our students and staff, in what can be a demanding and challenging time for all. We recently created a new role with safeguarding in its remit, which will sit on the leadership team for the first time, and we are also in the process of appointing a clinical psychologist. We’ll be going into more detail about this later in the annual review. Another new development that we’ve featured later is our education prototype, which we’ll be piloting in 2023. This is a particularly important development as education innovation goes to the heart of the UWC movement, and this one, I believe, has the potential to shift the education landscape around the world.

Last but not least, we are a proudly Welsh college, and the next year will be an important time for us to reconnect with our local context. We’ve already seen this commitment felt at the college over the past year, following the launch of an ambitious new scholarship programme for young people in Wales. Once again, I believe we have an obligation to honour this commitment to the country, and we would welcome your continued support here.

As we mark 60 years since UWC Atlantic was founded, we face many challenges ahead, and I don’t just mean at the college. However, we are well equipped as a flourishing global movement to tackle these head on. Just like when our students work together, we are an even greater force for change as a movement, in collaboration with our 17 sister schools and colleges across four continents. And,

despite these challenges, despite what is happening in the world right now with conflict, injustice and climate & ecological breakdown, we have a lot to be hopeful and optimistic about. With the kind of movement that UWC is, thanks to its students, staff, alumni and friends, we are perfectly placed to serve, and it is perhaps needed more now than it was 60 years ago.

STUDENT PROFILE: DEVI YULIARTI

am Devi Yuliarti, a Pestalozzi International Foundation sponsored scholar at UWC Atlantic and a member of the graduating class of 2022. I was born and raised in Madiun, a small city in East Java, Indonesia. This fall, I am starting my bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering at Duke University in the US.

When I first discovered UWC, was immediately drawn by the mission statement and the core values that the mission upholds. Coming from a small city where resources are very limited, I was humbled by the breadth of opportunities UWC Atlantic had to offer. The International Baccalaureate curriculum allowed me to explore my different interests through the six subjects I acquired. was able to explore my growing interest in fluid dynamics in my physics classes while also actively engaging in intense discussions about inequality and inequity in my economics classes. Outside the classroom, from the broad range of extracurriculars, countless cultural festivals, council talks and conferences, I gained a new, richer understanding of the world.

During my time at UWC Atlantic, I was heavily involved in the student media team where I, despite not having my own equipment, had the opportunity to pursue cinematography and photography as a creative outlet throughout the two years. Video editing fostered my creativity by experimenting with diverse techniquesmatching the colour grading to represent various moods, determining which font to use, synchronising background music, and perfecting video effects down to the exact frame. Cinematography and editing have taught me to embrace criticism

constructively as they are not only about aesthetics but also collaborating with people of differing opinions to produce artwork that best conveys a particular message.

The project that I am most proud of is definitely the UWC Atlantic 2021 Lip Dub Video. It was a whole school lip-sync music video and a cherished, fun tradition of many UWC schools. Along with the other media team leaders, I worked very hard to gather and encourage the whole school to participate in this project, which is no easy feat given everyone’s differing schedules! I learnt how to collaborate with people of different personalities, and we persevered to try and make it the best one UWC Atlantic has ever seen.

Through the media team, I was also heavily involved in numerous promotional, philanthropic, and comedic projects. For example, volunteering on the marketing and running team for the 24 Hour Race, a campaign to abolish modern slavery around the world.The 24 Hour Race is an international youth-led initiative, partnering with the Child Advocacy Center Pattaya, which assists local authorities to tackle cases of child trafficking and establishes a safe space for victims to recover from the trauma they underwent.

I collaborated with a diverse group of motivated students to formulate marketing strategies in the months leading up to the race. During the race, I was immensely humbled and inspired by everyone's enthusiasm to make a difference in the world.

The experience was extremely valuable for me, allowing me to contribute to such an important cause. It also helped me to improve my communications skills and channel my passion for cinematography and editing to help abolish modern-day slavery, a centuries-old problem still prevalent in our world today.

Another key highlight of my time at the college was being granted the opportunity to develop my own project through the Lighthouse initiative. My friend Ariadna and I started The Tutoring Initiative, which provides access to quality English online lessons to less-privileged high school students, which so many do not have access to around the world. After reaching out to schools in deserving areas, we, along with 30 other UWC Atlantic students, tutored more than 50 students from small towns in Indonesia and Egypt.

Our project has recently been granted the Lighthouse prize, which enables us to expand to reach more people in those countries. I am very grateful that this experience has taught me how to be more resilient and responsible, while always trying to make as much of an impact as I can on the community that raised me.

When I graduated from UWC Atlantic in May, Iwas transformed. Being surrounded by people of different cultures, religions, and races has had my heart wide open to ideas and perspectives - many of which I may not have listened to prior to arriving at AWC Atlantic. Despite growing up in a conservative society, I am now empowered to express my opinions, discuss difficult yet important issues, and to stand up for those who lack a voice. I am eternally grateful to the Pestalozzi International Foundation and the UWC Indonesia National Committee, both of whom have supported me throughout my two years at UWC Atlantic. I will forever cherish all the memories, the lessons, and the adventures, and will carry the values I have learned here wherever I go.

HOST ACCOMMODATION

Eight alumni and friends of the college offered host support to students who urgently required an accommodation solution in the UK. This support amounted to a total of 734 nights, and an estimated equivalent value of £14,680.

In addition, during 2021-22, 60 UWC Atlantic alumni supported the wider UWC movement as volunteers, dedicating at least 6,720 hours of their time by serving on UWC national committees globally.

UWC ATLANTIC CLASS YEAR REPS

Year reps play a pivotal role as bridge builders between their cohorts and the college - connecting their past with our shared future. At UWC Atlantic we rely on class year reps to keep friends and classmates connected, helping to build support for our endeavours and celebrate our successes. We are ever grateful to all the year reps for investing their Time and Talent to maximise the potential of this unique relationship.

The UWC Atlantic Board members are prominent individuals (business, industry and academic leaders & specialists) whose commitment to the future of UWC Atlantic is either expressed through their lived experience as an UWC Atlantic alumnus or another UWC college, or who are living mission-aligned UWC values through the nature of their careers in Wales, the UK or globally. Co-opted committee members have been brought in to add their expertise to a specific committee. Each UWC Atlantic governor or co-opted committee member dedicates a significant number of volunteer hours to the college.

VOLUNTEER INSIGHTS

At UWC Atlantic we are lucky to have an extremely supportive and dedicated community of alumni and friends who donate their time and talent in a number of ways. Here are just a handful of examples of the types of contributions the college benefitted from over the past year.

CHARLES FOLEY

(UWCA ‘86)

I gave a talk at an Atlantic CircleInConversation online event to discuss my work researching and conserving African elephants in Tanzania for the past 30 years, and to showcase the fact it was possible to convert what was a hobby and a passion during my UWC Atlantic days into a lifelong career.

GERALDINE NG Philosophy Lab CIC

I ran a project with UWC Atlantic teacher Graeme Smith on the philosophy of ecology, 'Ecotopia: Nature and Our Relationship to it.' The environmental crisis raises questions that are challenging, discomforting and provocative. It was wonderful, and not in the least surprising, that the pupils were eager to be challenged, discomforted, and provoked!

RUTH HOLTON-HODSON

(UWCA ‘77)

I have thoroughly enjoyed both listening to and participating in Atlantic Circle - InConversation events. It is so inspiring to hear about the contributions fellow alum are making to the world. It is also a great opportunity to spread the word about work that one is doing, in my case promoting solar cooking as a means to improve human health, address environ mental challenges, and improve economic well being in the world's poorest regions.

YUSUKE MOROTOMI

(UWCA ‘90);

From Japan; currently living in Cambodia

I was able to come and attend the UWC Atlantic reunion thanks to friends who chipped in to cover the cost of travel and accommodation. In my humble way of saying thanks, I brought to the gathering the Lego® Serious Play® Method of Facilitating Workshops. The two sessions I hosted as part of the reunion helped to encourage people to speak their minds and reenact the way we used to chat with one another at the college.

DAVIS BALABA

(UWCA ‘98)

To effectively achieve its mission in this age, UWC Atlantic must reach and resonate with a mobile-first generation. I offer my skills and expertise in the data-domain because I believe this strategic transition is critical to the college's long term sustainability. This way, more students from less-privileged backgrounds, like me, can experi ence this life-changing program.

HUNDJY PREUD´HOMME

(UWCA ‘90)

As a year rep I endeavour “to gather what is scattered" ("rassembler ce qui est épars” in French). I try to ensure we are there for each other and to strengthen our bindings. It is also important UWC Atlantic has a contact person per class for whatever alumni can help with. UWC Atlantic and co-years greatly help in my endeavours. Thanks so much to all of you!

MARY FINN

(UWCA ‘15)

Offering a Friday Night Lecture and film screening of 'Bigger Than Us' was an important way for me to show current students that young people are powerful and have the capacity to make significant positive change in our world. I left UWC Atlantic feeling a craving to be useful, to make a change and to be involved in activism because the people and experiences at the college inspired me. I hope the seven young activists in the film, including myself, inspired some of the current students to take action!

VIRTUAL TALKS

The Atlantic Circle - InConversation online series offers community members the chance to tune in to interesting topics and connect with fellow alumni and friends of UWC Atlantic across the globe. Through this initiative we aim to bring the UWC community closer together - enabling participants to learn from each other, share their Time and Talent, and continue living the UWC values.

THE ATLANTIC CIRCLE - INCONVERSATION EVENTS IN 2021-22

11TH NOVEMBER 2021

"CLIMATE CHANGE - WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT?"

2ND DECEMBER 2021

ELEPHANTS AND IVORY: WHY OLDER FEMALES ARE SO IMPORTANT IN ELEPHANT SOCIETY"

13TH JANUARY 2022

"SOLAR COOKERS: A SIMPLE TECHNOLOGY PROVIDING EXTRAORDINARY BENEFITS IN THE WORLD'S POOREST REGIONS"

featuring Guido Schmidt-Traub (UWCA '91), Ned Clarence-Smith (Parent UWCA '04 and '07), as well as members of the student Sustainability Council at UWC Atlantic. The session was moderated by Hugh Davies (UWCA '81; Parent UWCA '16 and '21).

Atlantic Circle - InConversation featuring Charles Foley (UWCA '86; Parent UWCA '23)

Atlantic Circle - InConversation featuring Ruth Holton-Hodson (UWCA '77)

3RD FEBRUARY 2022

"THE TIMES OF THE PANDEMIC"

3RD MARCH 2022

"HOW TO RESPONSIBLY SHAPE TECHNOLOGY'S IMPACT ON SOCIETY"

5TH MAY 2022

“SUSTAINABLE FINANCE - A GAME CHANGER FOR ACHIEVING POLICY GOALS?”

Atlantic Circle - InConversation featuring Ottar Bjornstad (UWCA '88)

Atlantic Circle - InConversation featuring Jenny Grinblo (UWCA '06), Daniel Jenkins (UWCA '06), Léa Steinacker (UWCA ‘07) and Eshrat Waris (UWCA ‘06)

Atlantic Circle - InConversation featuring Peter Munro (Parent UWCA '23), Sladjana Ćosić and Joel Kenrick (UWCA '03)

In November 2021, UWC Atlantic also hosted an online InTouch event. The event is a platform for alumni and supporters of UWC Atlantic to learn about what is going on at the college, share comments and ideas, and ask any questions they may have. The topic of the event was the changemaker curriculum and education innovation at the college.

CIRCLE

UWC Atlantic and its mission are shared passions that fuel our patrons' community The Atlantic Circle. The goal of The Atlantic Circle is to unite people who support our students, faculty, and programmes, with our patrons supporting learning opportunities outside of the classroom. What unites everyone is the belief in the ability of a transformative educational experience to make the world a better place.

This programme is crucial in supporting UWC Atlantic's vision. Patrons of the Atlantic Circle fuel innovation, expand opportunity and create the transformative experiences that are hallmarks of a UWC Atlantic education. The programme is crucial in supporting the college's vision.

Across the year, projects have ranged from our incredible scholarship programme, seafront activity programmes, wellbeing initiatives including counsellor and psychologist support to student projects, and conferences. The generosity of our Atlantic Circle patrons make a real impact at the college, they help shape the future and support the experience of our students. In total, we raised nearly £640,000.

As Kurt Hahn said “you are needed”. You are needed to support our scholarship provision that underpins our student diversity. You are needed to support the development of our innovative educational programs that give students the skills and tools they need. And you are needed to support the rejuvenation of our campus infrastructure.

Thank you to all our supporters who have helped make UWC Atlantic what it is, and who have encouraged our students to be the incredible young people they are.

Together, we can make education a force.

STUDENT PROFILE: JADEN JONES

My name is Jaden Jones. I was born in Merthyr Tydfil, in the South Wales Valleys and have lived there all my life - those who I find close have this ingrained in their mind as I don’t stop talking about it! Less than a year before I finished at Afon Taf High School, during a routine school assembly, I was made aware by our Deputy Headmaster of a scholarship to attend a school I had never heard of before, called “Atlantic College”. Little did I know that an ordinary morning assembly would result in what I consider to be the most transforming year-long journey!

After doing some research, undertaking interviews and writing an application, I began to become weary of leaving home, my family, my friends. I had never lived away before. Indeed, I was rather relieved when I was initially told that I hadn’t been selected. However, I received a phone call a short while later, to be told that I had been awarded a place along with two of my classmates. I had never been so excited in my life! The only stressful element facing me and the IB now was the dreaded packing.

Despite this, I still had my fears. Coming from Merthyr Tydfil, joining one of UWC's 18 colleges globally, and living in the same house as those I assumed would be considerably wealthier than me, I had my doubts. The list continued. Yet, to my (not so surprising) surprise, since joining UWC Atlantic I have never felt more included in my life. I felt like I was able to express myself better than ever before, be myself much more than before and also be surrounded by people both very similar but also very different to me.

At a later date I also found out that several years ago, a significant number of scholarships had been provided by the Variety Club of Great Britain (a children's charity) to young people from the South Wales Valleys to attend UWC Atlantic. This commitment was made following the Aberfan disaster of 1966, in which 144 persons - mostly children - lost their lives. I also discovered that some of our UWC Atlantic students at the time assisted in the rescue efforts, which is incredible when you think about the horrendous circumstances they must have experienced. With my selection to attend the college from a school that was just down the road from Aberfan and with the support of an anonymous donor, it felt as if we had come full circle.

Coming from the South Wales Valleys, there are many things that I value, appreciate and sometimes almost take for granted at UWC Atlantic. Things that I have never, and most likely will never, experience again. The student-led initiatives, events, councils, and much more is a completely brand new idea to the education system I was used to, albeit a welcomed one. Also, the diversity of life, cultures and people is an amazing educational experience and is something that I value the most at the college. It has been by far the most inspirational and heart-warming thing to talk to people and peers from across the globe about their experiences, their hardships, their story.

At UWC Atlantic, I also feel like have a platform to share my own story. Being Welsh national leader at the college and working together with my Welsh peers has allowed me to do so. I can teach people about the wonder’s and struggles of my own country, especially ones so close to home like the Aberfan disaster, whilst simultaneously listening to others and their own stories. This, along with representing the school as a college ambassador, and undergoing peer listening training, is something I take the utmost pride in. It is something that I can’t wait for others to experience and I dread the day when I’ll have to leave those positions.

It is very difficult to appreciate the breath of life that is UWC Atlantic in not-so-many words. In short, it has changed my life and feel like now, despite the fact it has only been a year, I am a much better and appreciative person than I was previously. I would like to thank everyone who has made this possible by providing me with a scholarship to attend UWC Atlantic - an opportunity that otherwise would be beyond my reach.

Whilst the International Baccalaureate may be demanding, college life itself more than makes up for it, and I will always look back with great memories, with great people!

LIGHTHOUSE INNOVATION HUB

The past academic year was an exciting one for Lighthouse, our on-campus entrepreneurial hub. The Lighthouse mission is to provide every UWC Atlantic student with enough opportunities and resources to make meaningful change, increasing their capacity to advance a more peaceful and sustainable future.

Throughout 2021-22, the coordination of Lighthouse activities was led by two

talented interns Alice Davidson (UWCA ‘17) and Beatrix Howe (UWC-USA ‘16), whose goal for the academic year was to establish Lighthouse as an integral part of the UWC Atlantic student experience. The initiative has continued to develop not only as a learning space for our students, but also as a source of funding and growth opportunities.

THE BASIC LIGHTHOUSE MODEL IS SHAPED AROUND THE FOLLOWING SIX STEPS:

Throughout the year, various exploratory meetings were held with different organisations’ representatives around Wales, the rest of the UK, and outside, to attempt to build working partnerships. However, as in the previous year, various contextual factors such as the continued impact of Covid-19 limited the level of in-person connections we could pursue. Nonetheless, good relationships are beginning to build with various individuals involved in these exploratory meetings continuing their support of Lighthouse going forward.

In March 2022, Lighthouse held its second annual Hackathon. The challenge for this year focused on the Sustainable Development Goal #11- Sustainable Cities and Communities - with a specific emphasis on urbanisation as one of the leading global trends of the 21st century. There were six student teams, each allocated to an alumni mentor with expertise in the field of the challenge. Several alumni and friends of UWC Atlantic were also invited to sit on the judging panel at the close of the event.

The 2022 Lighthouse Prize was also closely linked to meeting the UN’s sustainable development goals, with a range of applications from students. One of the projects aimed to create a lifebuoy made completely from recycled plastics; the focus of another one was to bring to light the decline in animals’ living conditions, and levels of animal suffering, due to human activities; while yet another proposal focused on utilising storytelling as a force for changemaking. A total of £29,750 in Lighthouse Prize funding was awarded to four projects. Congratulations to all the winning teams! We would like to take this opportunity to thank the members of this year’s Lighthouse Prize Advisory Panel for their inputs: Naheed Bardai (UWC Atlantic Principal), Mathew Cestar (UWCA Parent ‘22), Lydiah Kemunto Bosire (UWCA ‘98) and Pardon Makumbe (UWCA ‘03).

Throughout the year, the coordinators built strong relationships with the most relevant changemaker curriculum courses and attempted to ensure that Lighthouse is viewed as part of the greater educational vision.

THE LIGHTHOUSE MANIFESTO:

The registration form that students fill out in order to become an “official” Lighthouse Project.

CONNECTION WITH

AN ALUM FOR MENTORSHIP

Alumni mentorship, particularly from an early stage of the project, helps students streamline and strengthen their ideas.

PROJECT PLANNING SUPPORT AND SKILLS BUILDING

Students are invited to utilise the Open Lighthouse office hours, as well as the Lighthouse Space, at any appropriate time, to work on their projects.

The winning student team came up with the Sponge Cities Proposal, aimed at combating the issue of flooding caused by the increase of urbanisation. A big thank you to Wiet de Bruijn (UWCA ‘18), Jinsu Elhance (UWCA ‘17), Mary Finn (UWCA ‘15), Diana Huynh (UWCA ‘11), Marcelo Lejeune (UWCA ‘20), Rory O'Sullivan (UWCA ‘15) and Rosanna Wisden (UWCA ‘11) for their insight and support throughout the Hackathon.

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR THEIR SUPPORT AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT 2022-23 HAS IN STORE FOR LIGHTHOUSE!

PROMOTION OF THE PROJECT TO THE STUDENT BODY

Offering each student team the opportunity to use Lighthouse resources to promote their idea to the student body.

THE GRANT CYCLE

All projects, once registered via their Lighthouse manifestos, are eligible to apply for up to £400 in grant funding.

THE LIGHTHOUSE PRIZE

The Lighthouse Prize is the final stage of funding and support that a Lighthouse Project can reach during the student’s time at UWC Atlantic. Prize winnings of up to £10,000 are available to the most exceptional project applications.

For the past year, I had the opportunity as an alumna to engage with the UWCA students through the app project, AILEM. The app was one of the recipients of the 2019 Lighthouse Prize. I would like to take the time to thank every single student volunteer that has greatly contributed to the app. From the immense dedication from our curriculum and translation team that allows our curriculum to help refugees from MENA and Ukraine; to also the marketing team that helped us film videos; along with our programming team helping us to build up our AI model.

XINYAO (XINNY) LIU, UWCA '21

Looking back, my two years at Atlantic College felt like such a brief period. It was therefore a great pleasure to have had the opportunity to mentor students during the Lighthouse Hackathon in 2022 and learn more about what drives and interests them. I was reminded that the relationship with UWC indeed lasts for a lifetime, and happy to give back with my time and expertise when I can.

DIANA HUYNH, UWCA ‘11

PROJECT WEEK

This year’s Project Week coincided with Covid-19 restrictions finally easing in Wales. After organising online and on-campus activities in 2020 and 2021, we were able to engage with the local community once again.

Each project had to be either expedition or service based, and a range of projects were proposed by students and staff which ensured there was something for everyone. Activities included training to become a lifeguard, building special boxes to house and support local wildlife, an expedition to the Brecon Beacons National Park, beach cleaning and conservation work and constructing a new RIB boat.

To the right are some of the photos from the week and you can read more about them in our special Project Week newsletter.

STUDENT PROFILE: ADRIEN DUFFAR

My name is Adrien Duffar and I am a current UWC Atlantic student. I am 18 years old and was born and lived all my life in Montreal in Québec, Canada. In May 2021, I was selected by the Canadian UWC National Committee to go to UWC Atlantic College, and will be graduating with the class of 2023.

Three years ago, I learned about UWC through an older student at my school who was accepted to one of the other UWC schools in the movement. At the time, I thought it was incredibly interesting but after a short while I completely forgot about it! Fast forward a year later, I came across the UWC movement once again, and this is when I truly started looking into it. Two very important aspects caught my attention. Coming from a cosmopolitan city, I had always valued knowing about different cultures and traditions, and I was amazed by the diversity of students there. The other aspect that attracted me was that UWC seemed like a great opportunity to step out of my daily routine and also my comfort zone. The best example of this was adapting from my mother tongue of French to English. have to say that after a year already, I am grateful for the opportunity to explore every part of the world, without even leaving Wales.

In my role as Student Council Chair, I have had the opportunity to meet with multiple alumni and current students from across the movement. If there is one thing that stood out to me, it was the importance of student engagement at UWC Atlantic, ranging from being consulted in important decisions, to organising student events and bringing about reform to the core of the movement.

Staff members are also there to provide us with guidance through multiple aspects of life, beyond just academic life, and that has also contributed to shaping my experience here. Being Student Council Chair is constantly teaching me valuable lessons about time management and communication skills, but also problem solving within a multi-cultural contextwhere everyone comes from different cultures with contrasting values and ideals.

In my case, and in the case of more than half of all students at UWC Atlantic, none of this would be possible without the help of very generous donors from across the world who generously donate towards supporting scholarships for young people like me. Along with many other UWC students over the years, I was lucky enough to receive a scholarship from the Marquise de Amodio, who has supported numerous students to date at the college. Thanks to the kindness of such donors, look forward to greeting a new cohort of students next year, who will also undoubtedly appreciate and learn from this life-changing experience.

STUDENT PROFILE: ALMUQTADA AL-YASIRI

UWC ATLANTIC MADE ME AWARE OF WHAT IT IS TO BE HUMAN.

As I was attending Jubilee school in Jordan, I received an email announcement about the UWC movement. I did not think that I had any chance of being admitted or even passing the early stages of the application process. Thanks to the helpful staff of the Jordanian National Committee, I was able to attend UWC Atlantic with a partial scholarship.

Before leaving Jordan, UWC Atlantic seemed very alien to me; the whole idea of leaving home at the age of sixteen was not something I had ever considered. I was expecting a lot from the experience, I was expecting a place where I would be heard, a place where everyone cared about everyone, and a place that actually could make a better future for us all. Coming from a very unstable region, and growing in an Iraqi family that had been through a lot helped me understand how important it is to have a peaceful and a sustainable future. This helped me feel and appreciate the mission even more during my time there.

UWC Atlantic developed my character and interests in a way that I would have never thought possible; I started with an interest in Physics, which helped to start the Physics Club. The Physics Club helped me to understand how far I could go with teaching others new things, and the joy I could get from it. After a while in school I decided to choose Music as one of my core subjects. It was not an easy journey, but it taught me that if I want to do something can do it. Also, it demonstrated to me the importance of believing in yourself, and never giving up as “you miss 100% of the shots that you do not take”. With these two interests growing and becoming dreams of mine, I needed a ground that I could stand on to launch my rocket. UWC Atlantic provided me with that foundation. It gave me the ability to explore new interests simultaneously, which is a key to finding our human core, our flame of passion. The college helped me find that flame.

To showcase how UWC Atlantic helped to form my character, I need only look at what I achieved with my music. During my time at the college, I was able to gain my ABRSM theory grade five in less than six months. Moreover, I secured a full scholarship for my second year at UWC Atlantic from the Mousetrap Settlement Trust, thanks to my musical accomplishments. The college helped me to understand how far I could go with my passion, and I was soon offered a place to study music composition at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (RWCMD). After just two years of musical training, this was quite an achievement, and would never have been possible without the music department at UWC Atlantic.

Physics at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) in Ohio, which I hope will open doors to a future career in scientific research and higher education.

All of this would not have been possible without UWC Atlantic, including my donor and the amazing staff at the college, all of whom dedicate themselves to supporting

future. UWC Atlantic means a lot to me, more than I can put into words; it is the place where I became the kind of human being that understands values, differences, and cultures. As well as making me determined to realise a better future for my children, it has taught and continues to teach me so many things.

With our 60th Anniversary, and that of the UWC movement, we have been asking ourselves the questions: What is UWC Atlantic’s unique purpose now and for the next decade? Is our current educational model suited to deliver that purpose? What should a new and more purpose-driven approach to education look like?

With education systems built for the pre-information age, education globally is at a point of crisis, ill-equipped to prepare students to tackle the challenges of our time (let alone their time). It is incumbent upon schools like ours who have the ambition, culture, expertise and resources to be bold and courageous in helping to chart a different path forward.

Holding true to three of the core principles of UWC Atlantic and the wider UWC movement - peace, sustainability and experiential learning - the venn diagram below represents the intersection point of these three principles. What would a programme of education look like built around the convergence of the three?

At the convergence of our unequal human systems (peace) and our damaged

natural systems (sustainability) lies a complex set of interdependent opportunities that, when unlocked, can enable our human and natural worlds to flourish. Combining this with an action-orientation approach, where students will carry out practical work rather than only learn the theoretical side, will enable students to tackle the most pressing challenges of their time.

This is where our planned Centre for Systems Transformation comes into play, providing the structure to help meet those all-important UN Sustainable Development Goals. A structure that acts as an engine generating research, creating content and channeling impact.

In a new partnership with the IB, the college will pilot this new education prototype in September 2023 to a cohort of approximately 20. The students would then take four out of six IB Diploma courses, freeing up their time (approximately 400 hours) to pilot this new programme, focusing on transformative change, systems leadership and just futures. The investment needed to develop this new educational pathway will be £1.5-2.5m over a 3-4 year period.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

As we enter our 60th anniversary year, we have a lot to celebrate, remembering all that we’ve achieved as a community over the past six decades.

The founding vision of UWC Atlantic in 1962 was ahead of its time. Today that vision is shared and indeed practised by many others. However, we now need to turn our attention to the world today and its myriad of challenges. One thing is clearwe want to build on the foundation of the last 60 years and play our part in some of the most important conversations of our time. We want to empower students to act in creating a more peaceful and sustainable future for all.

This is an exciting time at UWC Atlantic with initiatives such as the new education prototype in 2023. It is this kind of innovation which we believe will help us reclaim our position as leaders in international education, while continuing to provide opportunities for young people who can benefit from a UWC education.

We have developed a portfolio of transformational projects to reinvigorate the way we teach, our buildings, landscape and infrastructure, and to ensure that the UWC Atlantic student experience is the best it can be. These projects will focus on increasing scholarship provision, addressing the backlog in renovations and other capital projects, and supporting the new education prototype.

We are seeking to partner with thoughtful philanthropists who share our commitment to our students and who are willing to make a transformational contribution to UWC Atlantic to support some of these bold ambitions.

POWYS HOUSE RESTORATION

We want to build a supportive, sustainable, respectful and striving community for our students to help them call UWC Atlantic home. Fundamental to that is providing students with good accommodation and excellent study spaces. Unfortunately, some of our existing accommodation blocks are in urgent need of upgrading. They also fall far short of our commitment to environmental sustainability, and are costly and inefficient to run and maintain. To address this, we are embarking on a capital project to enhance and refurbish Powys House for co-living and engagement.

Our plan to refurbish Powys House allows us to explore a new pathway to support the long-term future of the college. It puts us in a position where we are able to ensure we can look after and improve our unique location in St Donat’s Castle, and continue to welcome students from around the world and across all walks of life. The refurbishment of Powys House allows UWC Atlantic to increase our student numbers from our current level of 350 students to 380. With this small increase in student numbers, it puts the college in a stronger financial position, which in turn supports our scholarship programme.

EDUCATION PROTOTYPE

(Target £1.5m )

Since our inception, education, experimentation and innovation have always moved hand in hand at UWC Atlantic, where we were hailed by the Times newspaper as the “most exciting experiment in education since World War Two." Holding on to this spirit, we are now looking to ourselves to re-imagine what education will look like for the next 60 years. The current education systems were designed for a different time, and, in some ways, are ill-equipped to prepare students to address the current global challenges. It is essential that schools such as ours have the ambition, culture, expertise and resources to be bold, experimental and innovative to help plot a different course, not just for ourselves but for educators around the world

SCHOLARSHIPS

(Target £5.05m)

Having young people from deliberately diverse backgrounds be educated together is core to realising the UWC vision. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we are able to provide student support to more than half of all our students, including more than a third in receipt of a full scholarship. We are challenging ourselves to increase that even further and have set an ambitious goal, but we believe it is a realistic target, of having half of all students on a full scholarship by 2027.

Our scholarship programme is what creates the unique experience and environment that our students get to experience, the core

of which is the deliberate diversity of our student body. The huge differences in our student body - including nationality, socio-economic background, lived experience and languages - is what makes this truly a transformative experience for many.

Philanthropy has played a critical role in the history of UWC Atlantic. We are celebrating our 60th anniversary in a large part thanks to the generosity of those visionary donors who see the value in educating young people to build bridges and understanding among different cultures. We look forward to working with you all to build on those strong foundations over the coming years.

CASTLE RESTORATION

/ STAGE I PORTCULLIS & ACADEMIC ROOFS

(Target £1.7m)

At the heart of the UWC Atlantic campus is our magnificent and historic St Donat’s Castle. A jewel of the Glamorgan Heritage Coast overlooking the Bristol Channel, its history is as rich as its beauty. It is one of the oldest continually inhabited castles in Wales and is a site of incredible historical importance – Grade 1 listed, dating back to the 12th century.

As the castle’s custodians, the college is also responsible for protecting it for generations of students to come and for everybody within the local and national community to enjoy. Our aim is to ensure that this iconic building continues to be a hub for the local and global college communities, and is used most effectively in support of UWC Atlantic's mission. However, the castle is in poor condition - with some elements at risk of falling into complete disrepair. Our aim is to embark on an extensive renovation programme - repairing roofs, walls, doors and windows throughout.

The first phase will start with the renovation of the Gatehouse, Portcullis and adjacent structures - the castle’s iconic point of arrival. For students, it is their initial access to their learning and eating within the castle; for visitors, it is always a point of welcome; and for newlyweds, it is the most perfect spot for a memorable photo. However, the Gatehouse, Portcullis and adjacent structures are in very poor condition. The upper rooms are no longer usable and damaged by excessive water penetration. Our aim is to raise enough donations to start our wider castle renovations at this magnificent gateway to the castle.

St Donat’s forms a vital part of UWC Atlantic’s inspirational ‘classroom’, is at the heart of college life and central to the student experience. It is where the college community comes together for classes and at meal times, where staff and students meet for both formal and informal discussions and seminars. It also houses the colleges’ commercial and community programmes such as open days, summer residential schools, educational visits, filming and weddings. It is our duty to ensure that the castle remains safe and secure to everyone for years to come.

SAFEGUARDING AND WELLBEING

Safeguarding and wellbeing plays a critical role in the overall student experience, allowing them to flourish during their time here. Over the past year, and in preparation for 2022-23, we have introduced a number of measures to help place an even greater emphasis on this area. These measures are designed to further support the resilience of students, enabling them to handle and manage the expectations placed on them to become global changemakers.

Having a deliberately diverse student population, representing around 90 nationalities, goes to the heart of the UWC mission. With this diversity comes challenges though, and we are constantly looking to find ways to ensure every student feels they belong to this community, and that they feel safe to be here. There was also a wider context to deal with this past year. Young people around the world have struggled during the pandemic, with the knock-on effect still being felt today for many. UWC Atlantic was no exception, necessitating a sharper focus on wellbeing and safeguarding.

To counter this we have taken, and continue to take, extra steps to improve safeguarding provision at UWC Atlantic. Over the past year we have taken on a drama therapist (who also happens to be an alumna of the college) to broaden our offering to students, who have reacted well to having an alternative form of support on which to count. For the first time, we have also introduced two house mentors per house to enhance the safety net, and to help identify any issues early on. Students have again responded well to this, appreciating that advanced level of support on offer.

The roles of our excellent peer and queer listeners, as well as our student councils, continue to evolve, following workshops which explored the working relationships between listeners and house mentors and night staff. This helped both parties to be clearer about respective roles and responsibilities, resulting in an improved sense of safety and mutual respect, where all parties can be assured that they will be supported by the clear processes in place. Student councils also now have an allocated staff advisor who can oversee and guide students where needed, especially when addressing issues of a sensitive nature. All of these initiatives have, in turn, helped to improve the overall relationship between students and staff.

Over the past 12 months, the counseling service has continued to respond to the changing needs of students. Online counseling continued as students returned or joined UWC Atlantic at the beginning of the academic year. Once the Covid isolation period was over, face to face counseling resumed in the counseling office following socially distanced guidelines. Online counseling was also available for those in isolation. Appointments are available throughout the week and a drop-in service is also on offer, including a special session every Thursday evening. The student Wellbeing Council has produced a video if you are interested in finding out more.

A number of other initiatives were organised during 2021-22, including consent workshops, online safety, exam support, sexual health awareness, and continuing professional development. This all enhanced students’ awareness of safeguarding and wellbeing, contributing to a safer campus. Training was also delivered to volunteers responsible for the care of students who had to remain on campus during the Christmas break.

Many of you, and current students, have called for a clinical psychologist in the past, and this was also raised at the recent reunions. We are pleased to announce that we have done just that, welcoming a new member of staff to the college. In addition to boosting resources, we also felt it was important to ensure that safeguarding was more clearly represented on our leadership team. To this end, we are pleased to announce the appointment of UWC Atlantic alumna Lucretia Fields, who has joined as Vice Principal of Student Life, Safeguarding (DSP), Wellbeing and Belonging.

HAHN CIRCLE

Bunge Philanthropic Foundation - Jose

Eduardo Born & Jorge Born

Enrico Bonatti

Horizon Foundation (UK)

Jahan Abedi

Pestalozzi International Foundation

Remon & Carolien Vos

Shelby Davis

Takatuf Scholars Programme

The Marquis de Amodio CBE, MA

The Moondance Foundation

The Mousetrap Settlement Trust

Aase & Hans Torps Trust

Ari Lahti Partners in Equity

Hanson Family Foundation

Harold Boël

Imogen & Haakon Overli

Izabela & John Chaplin

Judith Voelker & Nils Hopmann

Marianne & Wilhelm Mohn

Martin Downey & Mary Downey

Mrs Sybil Longson

Nishat Nazarali & Sheliza Bardai

Paul & Anne Donovan

Pears Foundation

Philipp Schwalber

Phillip & Kathryn Kerle

The John Laing Charitable Trust

The Makumbe Foundation

The Rank Foundation

Vesa-Matti Vanha-Honko

Adriaan de Mol van Otterloo & Fleur Meijs

Arvind Sinha & Purva Purva

Garfield Weston Foundation

Greendale Charitable Foundation

Gunhild & Michael Bostelmann

Nadine & Jan Reinier Voute

Quadstar Foundation Stephanie Hui

The Terwick Trust

Trinity House

Whitaker Charitable Trust

We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to all of our Patron members at the Courtyard and Portcullis levels for their generous support, as well as to regular donors to the UWC Atlantic Fund and class appeals; to the Canadian Foundation for the United World College of the Atlantic; to our Canadian donors who give via KBF Canada; to our US donors who give via the British Schools and Universities Foundation (BSUF) and to the Willem Alexander Scholarship Fund, the Dorothy Burns Charity and the AC77 Endowment Funds for their continued support.

We would also like to thank all donors who give directly to their national committee to support our much needed scholarship provision at UWC Atlantic.