THINKING BIG AND TEACHING FOR THE FUTURE
BUILDING A SYSTEMS
TRANSFORMATION
PATHWAY
ASK YOURSELF:
In the most critical decade for people and the planet, what do our future leaders require from their education, right now?
What more can we do to empower and equip them to solve the most urgent and complex challenges of our times?
Young people know that the education they are getting is not what they need in order to survive, live, and thrive in a climatechanged world.
UWC ATLANTIC HAS A SOLUTION...
As co-founders of the International Baccalaureate and the UWC movement for more than 60 years, UWC Atlantic has attracted, inspired and cultivated some of the world’s most proactive, compassionate young leaders.
The challenges confronting the world grow in complexity daily. The political spaces where they could be solved are increasingly polarised, and our timeline for turning things around is tightening.
As multiple global crises unfold and collide, students are calling out for an education that affirms the possibility of a more just, equitable and regenerative world. There’s a growing disconnect between the education they are getting and the education they need.
EDUCATION MUST CHANGE.
WE MUST: equip students with the hope and initiative to tackle the polycrisis head on.
catalyse change and drive the transformations the world desperately needs. help students realise their power, and WE MUST DO IT NOW!
SYSTEMS TRANSFORMATION PATHWAY
A bespoke curriculum that shines a spotlight on TRANSFORMATIVE CHANGE, SYSTEMS LEADERSHIP and JUST FUTURES.
This is experiential, hands-on and self-directed learning –a world away from classrooms and case studies.
“Graduates of this new IB Diploma pathway will leave UWC Atlantic uniquely empowered. They’ll learn how to organise at scale and address systemic challenges, balancing the ‘why’ of systems thinking with the ‘now what?’ of transformative change, inspired to secure a just future for our people and planet.”
– Olli-Pekka Heinonen, IB Director General
STUDENTS WILL:
Focus on addressing the fundamentally linked roots of socio ecological crises.
Deconstruct and influence the powerful narratives that shape attitudes and behaviours.
Collaborate intersectionally and intergenerationally to understand global forces and local complexity.
Unsettle the status quo and feel empowered to effect change.
The course has been pioneered by a diverse and global cohort of students who began studying in August 2023. In just one year we have doubled the intake of students, and...
We want to scale this transformation quickly and aim for all UWC Atlantic students to be part of this pathway by 2027.
UWC Atlantic is pioneering a
The curriculum is tailored to UWC Atlantic’s core strengths: our history and reputation, our extensive network and our young and pioneering leaders and speaks directly to our STRATEGIC PLAN'S AMBITION STATEMENT:
“To develop bridge builders and compassionate leaders, empowering them to go beyond treating symptoms to understand root
causes
and initiate
transformative solutions to human and environmental crises.
We are passionate that learning becomes most powerful when used for the greater good.”
Deliveredover400hoursofinstruction over2years.
Worth14IBpoints,graduateswillbe awardedthefullIBDiploma,withall thebenefitsofagloballyrecognised credential.
Studentsexploretransformative change,systemsleadershipandjust futuresacrossthecorecurriculum, beforeapplyingthatknowledgeand immersingthemselvesinfourkey impactareasthatthreatenourfutures andmeanthemosttothempersonally -eitherBiodiversity,Energy,Foodor Migration.
Studentslearntobuildbridgesand coalitionstodrivechangeinthemost complex,polarisedandcontested spaces.InsteadofatraditionalIB assessmenttheywillbetaskedwitha real-lifeprojectandassessedonthe process.
THE PROGRAMME
Theprogrammeisdesignedtopreparegraduatesforlifelongimpact inserviceoftheUWCmission. Weaskourstudents...
Studentslearntoorganiseatthescaleoftheproblem andbuildbridgesacrossdifference,butalsotoshowup theworkofsystemstransformationwithvaluableskills andinsightsfromtheirexperiencesinterveningin systems.
S S E S S M E N T
HOWDOWEFEED10BILLIONPEOPLEONA CLIMATE-CHANGEDPLANET?
HOWDOWEEFFECTIVELYPROMOTE ECOSYSTEMSHEALTHANDREVERSE BIODIVERSITYLOSS?
HOWDOWEPOWERTHEWORLDTHROUGHA JUSTTRANSITIONAWAYFROMPOLLUTING ENERGYSOURCES?
HOWDOWERESPONDTOMASS DISPLACEMENTSANDMIGRATIONSDUETO CLIMATECHANGE,DISASTERSANDCONFLICTS?
TYPICAL PROJECTS
STP IN NUMBERS:
Launched in 2023
24 pioneer cohort and 4 teachers
2024 - 56 second generation cohort and 10 teachers
SCALED FOR
GLOBAL IMPACT...
This pathway has the potential to revolutionise the way we approach learning and skills development. Focusing on personalised, experiential learning, this new educational programme can empower individuals to reach their full potential and meet the demands of a rapidly changing world a world away from the traditional classroom.
Scaling this approach for global impact requires a concerted effort to build partnerships with like-minded organisations, leverage technology, and create sustainable funding models to ensure all learners have access to this programme.
Through our long-term and trusted partnership with the International Baccalaureate we are able to advance this new and transformative educational pathway quickly and as it develops, we will want all teaching and learning materials to be open source and shared with others for extensive global impact.
THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS
WE CAN: reach over 5,300 schools worldwide deliver across 158 countries engage over 1.4 million students
WE'RE THINKING BIG
WILL YOU?
This pathway will transform our campus in so many different ways across the valley, woodlands and seafront, and address our own sustainable energy transition. It brings many opportunities not just to our students, but also to the college and our global community.
We’ve made it happen! The course started in August 2023, and for our ambitious plans to reach their potential, to grow and scale, we must reinforce our foundations.
We need funding for a new educational hub that will host this Centre for Systems Transformation alongside state-of-the-art science and research labs.
We must grow and develop our teaching team, enhance learning spaces, build resources and maintain our ancient but costly castle.
We call on our closest friends for financial support, expertise, and strategic guidance to bring this ambitious vision to life.
Those who know us best, truly understand how our spirit and futuristic thinking have the power to transform the future of education. Those who feel a deep and lasting sense of belonging to UWC Atlantic and who share our dream to see its future flourish.
Together, we can be changemakers and transform the future of education.
CAN YOU SHARE OUR DREAM?
Join us in UWC Atlantic’s new chapter, as we reimagine the way we prepare our students to lead and thrive in these unique and demanding times. Let us share our plans with you and help us think big and transform the future of education.
Transforming education needs investment. We are thinking big and hope you also share our dream.
“Our reputation as educational pioneers who inspire changemakers precedes us. So it’s only natural that UWC should be proactively seeking to solve the issues that face us right now and in the future.”
Faith Abiodun, UWC International Executive Director
Weareseekingvisionaryphilanthropiststo joinusonthisjourney.Ifyouareinterested inthisinitiativecontactthePhilanthropy, EngagementandPartnershipsteam.
Email:philanthropy@uwcatlantic.org
UWCAtlanticCollege, StDonatsCastle
LlantwitMajor Wales UK
