Dunia December 2016

IMAGE OF

THE CHILD IN

INFANT SCHOOL

page 12

WE ARE A

UNITED WORLD

COLLEGE

page 4

UNIVERSITY

ADVISING

AT UWCSEA

page 16

December 2016

“I am a great admirer of UWC and the principles for which it is

famous and on which it is based. In particular UWC is collectively

committed to fostering forms of education that promote peace

and a sustainable future. Really there are no greater challenges

now that we currently face. Our world is more populated than

ever, we are more connected than ever and yet in some ways we

are as divided as we ever were.”

Sir Ken Robinson

opening video address to the 2016 UWC Congress

Dunia is published three times a year by UWC South East Asia. Reproduction in any manner

in English or any other language is prohibited without written consent. Please send feedback

to dunia@uwcsea.edu.sg.

Editors: Courtney Carlson, Sinéad Collins, Molly Fassbender and Kate Woodford

Design: Nandita Gupta

Photography: Sabrina Lone and members of the UWCSEA community

UWCSEA Dover is registered by the Committee for Private Education (CPE), part of SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG)

CPE Registration No. 197000825H | CPE Registration Period 18 July 2011–17 July 2017 | Charity Registration No. 00142

UWCSEA East is registered by the Committee for Private Education (CPE), part of SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG)

CPE Registration No. 200801795N | CPE Registration Period 10 March 2011–9 March 2017 | Charity Registration No. 002104

Printed on 100% recycled paper with environmentally friendly inks | MCI (P) 169/03/2016 | 053COM-1617

WE ARE A

UNITED WORLD

COLLEGE

Chris Edwards on the

mission and our place

in the movement

AN INTERVIEW

WITH ANNA

LORD

Chair-elect of the

UWCSEA Board of

Governors

MEASURING THE

IMPACT OF A

UWC EDUCATION

Key insights from the

exploratory report

THE HULT PRIZE

The value and power

of group work

‘IMAGE OF THE

CHILD’

Integrating Reggio

principles into the East

Infant School

IDEAS HUB

A new collaborative

space opens on Dover

Campus

GETTING TO

NEXT: UWCSEA’S

UNIVERSITY

ADVISING

Supporting our

students to find a

‘right fit’ university

STUDENTS

TACKLE

SUSTAINABILITY

Report from Global

Issues Network

Conference

FOOD WASTE

AND THE UWC

MISSION

Embedding waste

reduction into the

curriculum

PACE REPORT

A new school and

library for Myanmar

ARTISTS-IN-

RESIDENCE

ENRICH

LEARNING

Zimbabwean musician

and teacher Wedzerai

Zvirevo visits East

Campus

IS ‘BEST

PRACTICE’

REALLY BEST?

Frazer Cairns discusses

essential forms of

independence for a

good (thinking) school

SPOTLIGHT

Geography fieldwork

on Pulau Ubin

COVER

Front: UN Night 2016

Back: CultuRama 2016

December 2016

Coming soon. A new window into

UWCSEA: community news, celebration

of student achievement, photo albums

and videos, opinion and more.

4 | Dunia December 2016

We are a United World College

By Chris Edwards

Head of College

UWC South East Asia

I wonder if this sounds familiar?

Through international education,

shared experience and community

service, this organisation will

enable young people to become

responsible citizens, politically and

environmentally aware, committed

to the ideals of peace, justice,

understanding and co-operation

and to the implementation of

these ideals through action and

personal example.

We sometimes speak of the UWC

mission as is if it were an ancient,

infallible text, hewn in stone and

dictated by superior beings. I can

imagine Indiana Jones stumbling

upon the casket in which the original

has resided for centuries, deep in the

heart of a glowing mountain. Even at

UWCSEA, I have heard the ‘mission’

used as an inerrant justification for

sundry issues: from requests for bigger

departmental budgets (“How can you

expect us to fulfil the mission if …”) to

astonishment that we do not accept

children of all cognitive and physical

abilities (“You want to unite nations but

you can’t even unite all the children on

your doorstep?”). I have the mission

quoted at me a lot, sometimes by

people on either side of a debate to

support wholly contrary points of view.

That’s all fine, because the mission is

not supposed to be a syllogistic triumph

any more than the Upanishads.

Unlike the Upanishads, the current

UWC mission statement is actually

about ten years old (roughly the same

age, then, as the Airbus A380, flagship

of Singapore Airlines. Or, if it’s a more

useful reference point, Shrek 2.). To be

fair, it didn’t come out of nowhere. At

the top of this article, you can see an

earlier iteration of the mission (with

the letters ‘UWC’ replaced by me with

the words ‘this organisation’). It’s well

worth a careful read.

There was good reason, a decade

ago, to re-work and abbreviate the

mission statement, but as with most

abbreviations, there is loss. What we

have lost, to quote one of my fellow

UWC Heads, Laurence Nodder, “is the

notion of commitment to specific ideals

as necessary to achieve the broader

ideals of peace and sustainability. This is

especially so for the ideals of justice and

cooperation.” I agree. I think many of us

take the word ‘peace’ as a catchall into

which social justice, for example, falls,

but we all know you can have de facto

peace without social justice.

So it was always heartening and often

inspirational to have social justice and

specific ideals so much to the fore at

the UWC Congress in Trieste, Italy in

October. Towards the end of half term

I had my usual bi-annual meeting with

other UWC Heads, but this year, as

happens every six or seven years, it

was followed by Congress, when the

doors are thrown open to the wider

UWC community. Six hundred alumni,

students, staff, board, council members

and friends of the movement attended.

There was little in the way of self-

congratulatory indulgence, and any

naval gazing was rapidly swept away

by a sense of purpose and urgency

that have not, perhaps, been obvious

leitmotifs of the movement thus far.

As I said in a recent letter to parents,

there were many highlights; the

Syrian UWC National Committee

explaining how, under unimaginable

conditions, they identify, interview

and support students to go to UWCs

around the world; the President of the

Norwegian Red Cross speaking about

the work of his teams and those of

the Red Crescent in the world’s most

dangerous streets, including Aleppo’s;

the moving testimony of the parents

of UWC alumnus Giulio Regeni whose

brutal murder in Egypt while he was

researching that country’s trade unions

elicited global outrage.

For a number of reasons, but especially

because we are so very fortunate in

Singapore, and because so many of

our parental body engage vigorously

with the mission, it might be easy to

see UWCSEA as being a large, self-

sufficient entity standing outside of

the UWC movement. On a day to day

basis, I suspect the ‘movement’ is back

in the recesses of our thinking (if it’s

there at all) whereas the ‘mission’ is,

for many within our community, our

primum mobile.

But Trieste confirmed—if it needed

confirming—that UWCSEA should see

movement and mission as reticulated,

and we should remember the extent

to which we are not just a part of but

indebted to this network. The UWCSEA

students who were present will make

a better case than I, but the palpable

dynamism, passion and exigency

displayed at Congress, especially as

manifest by those working around

the world in the most difficult and

distressing conditions, made clear why

we are a movement and not just an

organisation. While appreciating it is

hardly a neat metaphor when speaking

of movement, Trieste was a grounding.

The current mission statement may

only be a decade old, but it resonated

with the authority of the ages.

We are not committed merely to

an holistic education but a Hahnian

education. We are not focussed

ferociously on self optimisation, but

values and an attendant bias for action.

We are not a great international school

that does service, we are a mission-

driven school committed to peace,

social justice and sustainability.

We are a United World College.

OPINION

December 2016 Dunia | 5

AN INTERVIEW

WITH ANNA

LORD, CHAIR-

ELECT OF

THE UWCSEA

BOARD OF

GOVERNORS

By Megha Parwani, Grade 12

and Dana Kurniawan, Grade 11

East Campus

Anna Lord moved to Singapore in January 2009, and

joined the UWCSEA community as a parent, first at

East and currently at Dover Campus. After working

actively with Global Concerns and school social events,

she joined the UWCSEA Board of Governors in April

2012 as a Parent-elected Governor for UWCSEA East. In

recognition of her contributions, at the end of her elected

term in April 2015, the Board appointed Anna as an Ad

Personam Governor. She has chaired the Audit, Finance

and Engagement Committees, and served as a member

of the search committees for the Head of College and

Director of Finance. In 2016, the Board elected Anna its

new Chair beginning in January 2017 at the end of the

current Chair, Charles Ormiston’s term. Students Megha

and Dana interviewed Anna to learn more about her

vision for UWCSEA.

As students of the College, we know that the Board of

Governors works on a strategic level to ensure there is

progress towards realistic mission and vision as a community.

But what does that look like for the next three years, under

the leadership of the new Chair of the Board? We met Anna

Lord, Chair-elect, to find out.

When we pose the question, Anna is quick to focus on the

quality of the education: “Our highest priority has to be

that we continue to deliver a high quality, mission-aligned

education at all levels of the school. With our strong values,

our incredible teachers and students, our outstanding

leadership and our unique scale, we have an opportunity to

influence international education in a very positive way,”

she said.

She believes the Board must also “remain alert to the market

conditions.” It can be challenging to balance the reality of the

rising costs of education with the changing circumstances

of students and parents, but this is a key focus of the Board.

Finally, Anna is seeking greater engagement within Singapore

and internationally. “We need to look externally and build

relationships that will benefit our current and future students.

It would be wonderful to be more meaningfully engaged

in the Singapore community, as well as with other schools

and organisations at home and abroad … The work that is

being done with Project Zero at Harvard Graduate School of

Education on the impact study is a case in point.”

INTERVIEW

6 | Dunia December 2016

There are no plans to expand UWCSEA in Singapore;

“I am extremely fortunate to ‘inherit’ a College that is

in incredible shape, following the remarkable work done

by Kishore Mahbubani and Charles Ormiston, without

whom we would not have the East Campus. Over the next

few years, we will not be overseeing similar expansion

plans. We aim to consolidate the foundations that they

have built and consolidate our position as a real leader in

international education.”

However, Anna does seek to increase connections with the

UWC movement. She has recently returned from the UWC

Congress in Italy, where she was inspired by the work being

done, particularly in the form of scholarships. In this vein,

she hopes her tenure can see an increase in the population of

scholars across both campuses, with the help of the UWCSEA

Foundation. She recounted for us, moved nearly to tears, the

story of a UWC Adriatic student from Aleppo, Syria, who had

fled to Italy due to the Syrian Civil War. As Anna recounted

the horrors the boy witnessed, she was clearly affected by the

staggering character he exhibits today. While still grappling

with his past, he is studying the rigorous International

Baccalaureate after a five-year break in his education, and

participating in all facets of a UWC education.

“You can’t meet somebody like that and not try harder,”

she concluded, struggling to put into words the rapport she

witnessed between the boy and his classmates when they

presented his story through a play. Anna is eager to see more

National Committee scholars at UWCSEA for the unique

worldviews and experiences they can add to our community.

Anna acknowledged other areas where UWCSEA could

grow, especially after hearing about some of the work

being done at other colleges. Learning about the close

collaboration between the Nordic governments and UWC

Red Cross Nordic, she believes we must integrate further with

Singaporean society. This is one of her focuses as incoming

Chair of the Board of Governors. She hopes to strengthen

ties in the Singapore community with local schools, NGOs,

the government and the broader community, so we can

assimilate ourselves as a school and as a model of UWC

education into wider society, highlighting the potential

synergies from forging close partnerships.

Anna also pointed out, “Doing a lot with very little, that’s

where we have something to learn.”

With the resources UWCSEA has access to, complacency is a

real danger that may lead to inefficiency in how we operate

and function. We mutually agreed on the fact that we still

have so much to learn from others. We noted how deeper and

more purposeful relationships with members and groups in

society could broaden our horizons and enlarge our views on

our roles as advocates and doers of our collective obligation

to achieve social benefit. Our size and history also put

UWCSEA in a unique position to work with organisations such

as the International Baccalaureate to innovate and create a

more flexible curriculum.

“The Chair is just one person on the Board.” Anna emphasised

that it is the consolidated work of the entire Board, as well

as the invaluable contributions by the rest of the community

that will bring us closer to realising such aspirations.

Throughout the conversation, collaboration emerged as the

focal point, in the form of promoting greater interaction

across the College, with the Singaporean community and

across all facets of UWC leadership here and abroad.

Anna has four children at the school. Will this make a

difference to her leadership? “I think having children in the

Infant, Junior, Middle and High schools, gives me a reasonably

good idea of what is happening day to day … and I make

an effort to attend as many events as possible throughout

the year.” Anna is keen to stay in touch with the student

experience as she believes they have a lot to offer. “One of

the most interesting sessions I attended at the Congress

entitled ‘The UWC of our Dreams’ was run by students.

One of the most thought-provoking contributions was from

Jeethu, a Grade 10 student at UWCSEA East. I would love to

see a similar cross-campus session run here.”

As we talked, we could not help but marvel at the plethora

of inspiring anecdotes that she has amassed over seven years

as part of the UWCSEA school community; in the variety of

roles she has taken as well as the personal connection she

has developed with the school and the larger movement.

With her acute self-awareness and an empowered sense

of obligation and responsibility through collaboration, we

eagerly anticipate Anna’s forward-thinking and creative

tenure with an equal desire to transform our atmosphere

and approach into a bigger, better representation of the

UWC mission.

December 2016 Dunia | 7

In 2015, UWCSEA formed a

partnership with researchers from

the Harvard Graduate School of

Education to investigate the impact

of the UWC educational experience

on students and society. The study

was exploratory, intended to build a

general understanding of impact and

lead to the design of a more in-depth

longitudinal study.

The initial research questions were

defined in terms of ethical values,

with particular focus on: commitment

to care (for self, others and the

environment); moral principles, ethical

judgement and decision-making;

and perceptions, representations

and concern for (social) justice. After

surveying nearly 1,000 alumni and just

under 2,000 students, interviewing

more than 50 students and working

with UWC-USA, UWC Red Cross

Nordic and UWC Waterford Kamhlaba,

the researchers have published an

exploratory study report. Here are

some of the key insights.

Respondents overwhelmingly

believe that their experience at

UWC had a significant impact

on their ethical values and that

they incorporate these values

into their daily lives.

The vast majority (more than 80%) of

UWCSEA respondents feel that they

are developing—or have developed—

important ethical values, both as

defined by respondents themselves

in their open-ended responses and as

defined through the questions on the

survey. In addition, approximately 75%

of respondents indicated that UWCSEA

either ‘quite a bit’ or ‘very much’ helped

to develop their ethical values.

The development of ethical values,

even the specific ones that the

research questions were concerned

with, is only part of the purpose of

the UWC mission, which depends on

the community transforming these

values into action. However, though

not sufficient, it is necessary, and can

be seen as the first step in the process

of developing ethical individuals with

a bias for action who can fulfil the

UWC mission.

The majority of respondents do believe

that their values play out in their daily

lives (though this finding particularly

suffers from the issue of self-reporting).

There is remarkable

consistency between students

and alumni across all schools

in terms of their belief that their

ethical values were developed

at UWC, which kind of values

were developed and their

definitions of what constitutes

a ‘better world.’

The correlation between the guided

questions (where respondents were

selecting from a limited list) and

the open-ended questions (where

respondents, either in survey or in

interview, were inputting their own

ideas) showed consistency both within

and between responses. In other words,

UWC students and alumni have similar

views on how UWC impacts on them

and similar definitions of that impact.

Perhaps most tellingly, the open-ended

question “what would a better world

look like to you?” stimulated consistent

responses across all schools, regardless

of other factors. While there are some

methodological flaws that may have

Measuring the impact of a

8 | Dunia December 2016

resulted in ‘priming’ of respondents, the

level of consistency of response points

to a very real, unified point of view,

which can be directly related to the

UWC mission and values.

The commonality of shared

ethical values appears to

override differences in gender,

selection process, scholarship

status, educational model or

country of origin.

This finding is potentially hugely

significant and needs further analysis

through a more long-term study to

be proven.

It appears that length of time at the

school might be a factor influencing

impact on students and alumni, with

those spending a longer time at the

school reporting a more significant

impact. It also appears that the number

of countries respondents lived in prior

to joining a UWC is a factor influencing

impact, with students who have lived

in more countries reporting a smaller

impact of the UWC experience than

those who are living in another country

for the first time. These two findings

make intuitive sense: that both degree

of immersion in a programme and

experience prior to a programme would

make a difference is sensible.

What was more surprising is that

gender, how a student is selected,

whether or not they receive financial

support, which educational model (K–12

or 11–12) they experience or where they

are from, all appear to be negligible in

terms of their influence on the impact.

There is further exploration to be done

here, but at this initial stage, it appears

that the power of the UWC experience

transcends other factors in terms of

lasting impact on the ethical values of

students and alumni.

Key experiences contributing

to the impact include

service experiences,

specific conversations

that emerge during the

academic programme and

the experience of being in a

multi-cultural and multi-lingual

environment with people from

diverse backgrounds and

experiences.

When asked which specific experiences

contributed to the impact, respondents

repeatedly referred to the service

programme, conversations that

particular topics stimulate in class (as

opposed to academic content per se)

and the diversity of the student body.

Those who experience boarding talk

about the impact of learning to live

with people with different backgrounds

and expectations from their own. While

a causal relationship is far from proven,

these areas are worth exploring further

to see if it is possible to connect specific

experiences with specific impacts.

It is also interesting to consider the

UWC-specific nature of some of these

experiences: are they being replicated in

other educational environments?

Impact on society is as yet

unclear.

While it appears that UWC students

and alumni do have a positive impact

on society (the service activities of

students alone would suggest a not

insignificant contribution), the problems

of self-reporting and a lack of control

group make it difficult to draw any real

conclusions in this area. For example,

when asked whether or not they

volunteer, 50% of respondents said

they do and 50% said they do not; there

is no pattern between respondents

who volunteer and those who do

not and it is therefore impossible to

understand whether or not the UWC

experience contributes to this urge to

‘give back’ (and indeed, volunteering is

not necessarily the best way to measure

‘giving back’). Equally, the patterns in

the sector respondents work in can be

more easily traced to their individual

background than to their UWC

experience. And, of course, there is no

necessary relationship between the

type of work an individual is engaged in

and their impact on society.

The problem of measuring impact

on society will need to be carefully

considered during the next phase of

the study.

UWC education

What happens next?

The exploratory study has revealed

some fascinating insights into the

impact of the UWC experience

on students and, to some extent,

society. It has also provided

some key learnings that will feed

into the study design of a more

long-term study. The College is

currently working on a partnership

between the UWC movement and

the Harvard Graduate School of

Education Good Project to run a

longitudinal study. The project, as

well as measuring the impact of a

UWC education on students and

on society, will also contribute

to knowledge in this key area of

education and ethics.

RESEARCH

December 2016 Dunia | 9

By Frazer Cairns

Head of Dover Campus

UWC South East Asia

When my daughter was in K2, she eloquently dismantled a

significant portion of progressive educational thought with a

single sentence. That is not to suggest for a second that she

was a wunderkind, or that she and I were engaged in a deep

and meaningful educational debate. It was far more mundane:

like many parents at the end of each day I eagerly asked,

“What did you learn today?” and on that particular day, while

removing the wings from a fairy, she replied, “Nothing. We

did group work.”

There is a danger that I will be inundated by outraged

emails from members of the Primary staff and parents, so I

should explain that she then went on to describe the task in

which her group had been engaged. It was, of course, both

challenging and multi-layered; it presented the opportunity

for her to be creative, innovative, enterprising and to

demonstrate leadership. However, what she meant was that

the task didn’t have as its central aim the acquisition of a fact.

The focus of the task was the development of the core skills

of dialogue and negotiation, and it struck me that what she

was describing was something that indeed did not conform

to what a traditionalist might consider a model of good

learning—a teacher delivering knowledge to students in the

way that one might pour water into an empty cup. It was,

however, one that was very much in line with much modern

thinking on the development of creativity.

Robert Fritz, in his book, The Path of Least Resistance,

commented that, “The most important developments in

civilization have come through the creative process, but

ironically, most people have not been taught to be creative.”

Unfortunately, it is a perceptive comment. Many educational

systems have come to agree on the importance of creativity

but, alas, do not agree on the place creativity should have in

the system. The arguments seem to reduce to two points: the

first being how creativity can be developed and the second

when it can be developed given that there is all this other

‘stuff’ that has to be got through.

The Hult Prize and

the value of group work

Photo courtesy of Magic Bus Ticketing Inc.

FEATURE

10 | Dunia December 2016

There are as many different answers to the question of

how to generate creativity as there are self-help books in

the Times Bookshop at Changi Airport but richness and

diversity of experience seem to be common aspects. Yes,

absolutely academic study is important but, it seems to me,

it is the combination of a much broader palate of educational

experiences than simply academic study alone that prepares

young people to be creative (and, perhaps, to be creative in the

right way).

For example, a few weeks ago, I saw four things within the

space of a few hours that seemed to fit together like pieces in

a jigsaw puzzle. The first was a crowd of older students going

off to catch buses to their service projects. At the projects

they would take part in—rather than just learn about—a

range of activities to help members of the local community

from young children to those who are mentally disabled.

The second thing was a meeting of the steering committee

for the new IDEAS Hub at Dover Campus. This group of

interested parents, staff and students has been supporting

the development of a space that will provide a focal point for

student collaboration and exploration. The third thing was a

passing comment from a member of staff about a student—a

young woman—who was playing a part in The Short Form.

This was a collection of short theatre pieces ranging from

the comic (the classic fly-in-a-bowl-of-soup-at-a-French-

restaurant sketch) to the deadly serious (murder) and the

comment was not an uncommon one: “Look how confident

that student is! She usually seems so quiet but up on stage

she is extraordinary.”

And the final thing, which brought all these other things

together—being involved, collaborating, and having the

confidence to face a situation that may be initially daunting—

was the announcement that Wyclife Omondi, a student who

graduated from UWCSEA in 2013 had won the Hult Prize in

conjunction with three of his fellow students (two of whom

are UWC alumni from UWC-USA and Li Po Chun UWC) at

Indiana’s Earlham College. The Hult Prize is an annual contest

sponsored by the Clinton Foundation that challenges students

to tackle a pressing global problem and which carries with it a

US$1 million grant.

Their winning project—Magic Bus—was one of 25,000 entries

looking for a solution to double the income of people in

crowded, underserved urban spaces. There are 2.5 million

people in Nairobi who live in slums, 70% of whom rely on the

city’s ad hoc bus system. The bus system has 20,000 private

buses, called Matatus, which seat between 33 to 45 people.

Fares range from 50 cents to $1.50 per trip but commuters

sometimes wait up to two hours for a bus. Even then you

might not get in if it’s overcrowded. Magic Bus tries to fix this

unreliable system by letting riders pre-book their bus tickets

using basic mobile phones. It is SMS based, so it doesn’t

require an internet connection and it integrates mobile

payments through the country’s popular payment system

called M-PESA.

UWCs remain committed to their original goal of bringing

together young people so that they act as champions of

peace, but they have increasingly recognised that they have to

look not just at the tensions and conflicts that exist between

societies but at the tensions and conflicts that exist within

societies. In awarding the prize Bill Clinton commented that

few things “are more central to increasing human dignity and

self-worth than the ability to provide for oneself and one’s

family.” Solutions to problems like those faced by people

everyday as they try to navigate their way across Nairobi may

well come from young people who have had an education

that allows them to respond positively to opportunities, to

manage risk and cope with change and adversity, who not

only know stuff but who can also do stuff, who can work with

others, and who have the confidence to get up on stage even

though normally they prefer to not.

Photo courtesy of Earlham College

December 2016 Dunia | 11

‘Image of the Child’

shapes Infant School at East

By Ben Morley

Infant School Vice Principal

East Campus

Everything that takes place within

the Infant School on East Campus,

in terms of teaching and learning,

building relationships, even professional

development for the staff, all stems

from one overriding idea—our Image of

the Child.

Our Image of the Child is rooted in a

firm belief in a child with unlimited

potential who is eager to interact with

and contribute to the world, rather than

seeing that child as an empty vessel

waiting to be filled with knowledge by

teachers. A child who arrives on our

doorstep in August brings an enormous

amount of existing understanding and

knowledge and so many experiences

ready to share.

The idea of the Image of the Child

has developed through our ongoing

research in recent years into the Reggio

Emilia approach. Our decision to create

our own Image of the Child was a direct

response to the work of Loris Malaguzzi

(1920–1994), founder of the Reggio

Emilia approach. Above all, he believed

“Each one of you has inside yourself

an image of the child that directs you

as you begin to relate to a child. This

theory within you pushes you to behave

in certain ways; it orients you as you

talk to the child, listen to the child,

observe the child. It is very difficult

for you to act contrary to this internal

image. For example, if your image is

that boys and girls are very different

from one another, you will behave

differently in your interactions with

each of them.”

About Reggio Emilia

In educational terms, the northern

Italian town of Reggio Emilia has a

firmly established worldwide reputation

for forward thinking and excellence

in its approach to early childhood

education. It embraces what is called

a socio-constructivist model in that

children co-construct their theories

and develop understanding through the

relationships that they build with other

people, their peers and teachers, and

also the environment.

The approach is distinguished by a

deeply embedded commitment to the

role of research in teaching and learning.

Much attention is given to detailed

observation and documentation

of learning and, significantly, the

learning process takes priority over the

final product.

It is a model that demonstrates a

strong relationship between school and

community. After the Second World

War, it was the parents and citizens

of Reggio Emilia who, in a show of

collective responsibility and the desire

to create a better society for their

children, occupied a disused building

and turned it into the first school. This

and the other schools that followed

were, quite literally, built by the people.

From the start, the schools have been

committed to progressive thinking that

focuses on the child. For these reasons

the Reggio schools have attracted

significant global interest and received

international accolades.

The education that Reggio schools

provide is the result of a long and

gradual process that continues to

evolve. In the East Campus Infant

School, we are still very much in

the early stages of our own process,

as we explore what it means to be

‘Reggio inspired.’ We believe many

of the associated elements help us

to articulate the UWCSEA Learning

Principles in the early years.

Constructing our

Image of the Child

Our Image of the Child is something we

have constructed together as an Infant

School staff and is, ultimately, the basis

of everything we are striving for and

everything we believe is important

about an early years education.

We hope to promote an Image of the

Child as a strong, capable protagonist

in his or her own learning. A child who

is driven by curiosity and imagination, a

child who listens and is listened to and,

significantly, a child who is valued.

We value the contributions of the

children in our care and, as much as

possible, we want them to be a part

of co-constructing the learning in the

classrooms. We listen to what they have

to say. We observe how they interact

with each other and with provocations

in the environment and we use this to

guide teaching and learning. When we

listen to the children, we are then able

to identify concepts and skills that are

appropriate as next steps toward our

learning benchmarks.

The learning environment

Our Image of the Child also continues to

have a profound impact on our learning

environment across the Infant School.

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12 | Dunia December 2016

The physical environment of the Reggio

schools is one of the most well-known

aspects of the approach and, perhaps,

one of the most misunderstood.

It is a common misconception that

to ‘do Reggio’ entails whitewashing

walls and introducing elements such as

mirrors, three-dimensional pyramids or

light tables into the classrooms … and

that is it. Of course, you will find those

things in an Infant classroom at East but

the reality is far more complex.

We strive to create learning spaces

that invite and promote research

and autonomous discovery, both for

individual children and for groups of

children working together. Everything

we set up is done intentionally: a desire

to provoke the children’s thinking; to

build on their existing understanding or

ongoing dialogue we hear in and around

the classroom.

We believe the physical environment of

our school is much more than a simple

container for teaching and learning.

Instead, the environment is a central

component of learning. This is why

Reggio educators often refer to the

environment as ‘the third teacher.’

When you visit a K1, K2 or Grade 1

classroom at East, you will see a flexible

space with different arrangements

of furniture and resources. You will

see evidence of the children’s voices

on displays or in blog postings as we

want to make their thinking visible.

You will see interesting and creative

provocations, with a variety of

resources being used and reused in

inviting ways. You will see spaces for

endless dialogue, nooks and crannies

for children to have conversations and

interact in different sized groups. You

will not see 22 children sitting in rows

at 22 desks!

Again, quoting Malaguzzi, “The

environment you construct around

you and the children also reflects this

image you have about the child. There’s

a difference between the environment

that you are able to build based on a

preconceived image of the child and

the environment that you can build

that is based on the child you see in

front of you—the relationship you build

with the child, the games you play. An

environment that grows out of your

relationship with the child is unique

and fluid.”

Earlier this year, we decided it was

time to share our Image of the Child

(at right) and it is now displayed

throughout the Infant School and

referenced in communications with the

wider community. As we continue to

integrate the principles of Reggio into

the environment and curriculum of the

Infant School, this image will inform

each step and support us in creating

a school that recognises, respects,

supports and nurtures each child.

Our Image of the Child

Children are unique. They are

capable, curious and insightful and

able to express this through many

and varied ways. We value what

they have to share and offer and we

seek to work together with them to

develop shared understandings.

Listening

Every child who comes to us

brings unique, rich and complex

understandings of the world they

have already formed and are

constantly reforming based on their

individual families, experiences,

cultures, relationships and

thoughts, which we seek to listen

to and honour. They have hopes,

dreams, history, knowledge and

understanding that they can share

with and offer others.

Learning

Children express and create their

knowledge, understanding, feelings

and ideas in a wide variety of

ways, which we seek to celebrate,

understand and enable.

Children learn from the perspective

of those around them and through

collaboration.

Seeking to make their understanding

visible honours their thinking and

allows us to listen and have dialogue

with the children as learners.

Our curriculum represents important

shared language we can use in

dialogue, but we should also be willing

to be surprised, open to possibilities in

children’s thinking and the ways they

make meaning of the world.

December 2016 Dunia | 13

IDEAS HUB

The IDEAS Hub is a unique space at Dover that inspires and supports creators from the College and the community.

In the Hub, everyone can explore, innovate, collaborate, and create sustainable solutions to shape a better world.

The Hub provides a variety of facilities and specialist areas including collaboration and fabrication zones, a coding and

robotics area, two green screen film studios and a presentation space.

The IDEAS Hub is funded by gifts from the community, with the founding benefactors providing over $1 million to date.

3D printers

Dual extruder printers enable

students to translate ideas from

computer to reality in a variety of

materials, including plastic, wood

and carbon fiber.

iPad and Pad Caster mount

As part of the two green screen

film studios, this equipment helps

students make professional and

creative films and incorporate

unique visual effects.

Electronics station

The magnifying lamp, soldering

iron, and circuit board vices

facilitate the assembly of electronic

projects.

Tools

Saws, cordless drills, handheld

jigsaws, combination squares and a

variety of tools for students to build

quick and dirty prototypes.

Colin Peter: IDEAS Hub Technical Manager

Colin trained as a Mechanical Engineer at the National

University of Singapore and has been working with

Makerspaces since 2011. Colin is onsite every day to

provide technical support to students of all ages, and to

facilitate connections between student inventors and

the local tech community.

Robotics and Arduino kits

Students of all ages can learn

and develop their knowledge of

electronics and coding with these

flexible, open source kits. Projects

range from making a simple LED

light blink in response to noise,

to a clawbot that responds to

external stimuli.

Workbench

These heavy duty tables are custom

made for students, and come

equipped with quick-grip clamps for

easy use by the youngest students.

INNOVATIVE SPACES

GETTING TO NEXT

Supporting our students to find a ‘right fit’ university

UWCSEA students are sought after

by reputable universities worldwide.

Our graduating class typically enrols

at universities in over 15 countries,

with the four most popular country

destinations being the US, UK, Canada

and Australia. Last year we hosted

over 300 universities on our campuses

for information sessions, with several

choosing UWCSEA to host their

information events for the wider

Singapore community.

Our students literally have a world of

choice available as they start exploring

their post-graduation options, with

most going directly to university or

taking a Gap Year. Around 10% of

each graduating class need to factor

in National Service commitments.

Whatever their next destination, we are

conscious that our community of largely

Third Culture Kids (TCKs) needs carefully

considered advice and support to assist

them with university applications

around the world.

As a result, UWCSEA has developed

a careers and university advising

programme that spans the High School

years. It also intentionally links with

elements of the Personal and Social

Education (PSE) programme in order to

ensure students are able to use key self-

discovery and exploration tools that are

highly relevant to their university search.

Underpinning the success of the

programme are a highly experienced

team of University Advisors who are

equipped to support and advise students

as they transition to life beyond the

College. Between them, they have

decades of experience and expertise

across many university destinations

and work closely with tutors/mentors,

heads of grade and teachers to gain

the most detailed picture they can of

a student’s strengths, so that they can

guide them and advocate for them on

an individual basis.

Starting with preliminary sessions

for students in Grade 9, the process

expands into a highly individualised,

nuanced programme of support in

Grades 10, 11 and 12.

Grade 9 and 10:

Understanding themselves,

exploring options

In Grade 9, the University Advisors lead

sessions where students start exploring

and developing their academic strengths

and extra-curricular interests. The

emphasis is on students beginning to

know themselves as a key first step in

the journey towards identifying and

applying to ‘good match’ universities.

Students and parents have access to

information about university systems

around the world.

In Grade 10, the students continue to

explore topics that will help them in

their university search, with significant

integration with the PSE programme. In

their tutor/mentor groups, at assemblies

and in lunchtime and after school

sessions led by the University Advisors,

students continue to expand their

career and aptitude exploration journey.

Information and events include:

• tools on Naviance Family Connection

• Alumni Weeks

• Careers-in-Focus talks by visiting

speakers

• Careers Fair organised by our Parents’

Associations

• academic ‘taster’ lectures by visiting

academics

• resume writing and communication

skills training

• summer options and access to

research databases

In-depth IB Diploma Programme (IBDP)

subject selection guidance is also

offered, including an individual meeting

with a University Advisor, which parents

may also attend.

A ‘Planning ahead for University’

presentation for students and parents

complements the rest of the advising

process in Grade 10, which includes

guidance on standardised admissions

tests and the recommended timeline for

taking these tests.

Grade 11 and 12:

Personalised advising

In Grade 11, students are assigned a

University Advisor who oversees the

student’s entire university research

and application process until (and

sometimes beyond) graduation. The

advisors continue their support beyond

graduation in the case of students

bound for Gap Year or National Service.

Country-specific information sessions

for students and parents are led by the

University Advisors. These are followed

by a series of individual meetings

between each student and their advisor.

Parents are also welcome to schedule

appointments.

Students are supported with a variety

of research and information resources

throughout the two years of the IBDP.

The PSE programme interweaves ‘core’

topics at key times of year, and others

(that are relevant to smaller groups of

students) are offered via the Activity

programme at lunchtime or after school.

The support offered includes:

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16 | Dunia December 2016

• information events by visiting

universities and UWCSEA alumni

• academic ‘taster’ lectures by visiting

academics

• specialist presentations on topics

such as Oxbridge, medicine, National

Service, US athletics recruitment etc.

• mock US admissions workshops and

alumni interviews

• UK personal statement and US

application essay writing support

• training and mock interview

workshops

• guidance on standardised admissions

tests, including on-campus test-prep

and testing several times a year

• Gap Year and internship support to

find meaningful work or volunteer

experience

Students continue to meet with

their advisors as needed throughout

their Grade 12 year for guidance, for

individual application essay feedback,

application processing, and enrolment

decision-making support.

Communication:

a key to success

The University Advising Centre

(UAC) has a number of customised

communications including a campus-

specific website, Google calendar and

blog linked on the portal, and regular

bulletins and eBrief messages. The

volume of activity means that it is

important for students and families to

actively engage with these channels

so that they can make the most of the

opportunities available.

In Grade 12, students are also provided

with a clear timeline of UWCSEA-set

(‘internal’) deadlines to help them

submit applications in time to meet

the deadlines set by the individual

institutions (‘external’ deadlines).

In order to support the students’

applications, the advisors need this

additional time to write and compile

confidential school references, and

coordinate submission of all school

documents, including teacher

recommendations, transcripts, the

school profile, and any other required

documentation. The internal deadlines

are set to enable the advisors to meet

a range of external deadlines over the

course of the year.

Professional support

Building a relationship of mutual

trust, respect and collaboration with

university admissions professionals

worldwide has been a key goal for the

UWCSEA UAC team. A key part of their

role is to manage the liaison between

the school and the universities. The

success of this approach meant that last

year, both campuses were visited by 315

different universities and colleges.

Whether it is volunteering on Executive

Boards for organisations or presenting

to peers at conferences, the UAC team

are also respected in the international

university guidance community.

They regularly co-present with

university admissions representatives

at international conferences, and all

members of the UAC team regularly visit

universities across the world to stay up

to date with trends in higher education.

Johanna Fishbein, Head of University

Advising on Dover Campus is currently

President-elect of the International

Association of College Admission

Counseling (IACAC), the largest

professional body for international high

school advisors who provide guidance

on college admissions, while Joan Liu

from East Campus is their Vice President

for Inclusion, Access, and Success. Sean

McAuley from Dover Campus also

co-hosts the annual Global University

Counsellor Connect, a two-day

workshop that brings university advisors

from over 15 countries to Singapore.

This extensive networking means there

is always someone the UAC team can

contact to answer questions, provide

support and, where appropriate,

advocate directly for our students.

A final reassurance

UWCSEA students are actively recruited

by universities worldwide because of

their excellent and rigorous academic

preparation through the IBDP, their

incredible range of interests and talents,

but most importantly, because they

embody the UWC mission and ethos.

The UAC team take great pleasure in

supporting students as they journey

towards becoming graduates who are

high-impact on the university campuses

they attend. In the words of one

university admissions representative:

“In addition to bringing diverse cultural

perspectives to campus, UWC students

are making an impact in every area from

academics to community engagement,

service, and leadership. UWC students

have won research grants in the sciences,

written plays and choreographed dance

shows, led service projects, … interned in

campus departments and … companies,

and been leaders in student government.”

December 2016 Dunia | 17

4 | ACADEMICS

The University Advising Centre (UAC) teams work collaboratively to provide a student-centred programme. They focus on

providing information, guidance and advocacy to assist students in finding ‘good fit’ university options where they will be

appropriately challenged, join a community suited to them, and in turn be able to thrive both academically and emotionally.

Our University Advisors include former university admissions officers, who provide unique insight into the university side of the

process, and counsellors from a teaching background, who bring a firsthand understanding of the academic environment at our

school. This balance of internal and external expertise is a key reason that our advisors are able to provide such personalised

and successful support. We are proud to introduce the team of professionals who support our students as they transition

beyond UWCSEA.

Meet the University Advising team

Julie Davidson

University Advisor,

Dover Campus

Julie joined UWCSEA

in 1990, with a period

teaching, advising and

coordinating work

experience in Australia and

Malaysia before returning

to UWCSEA as an English

teacher in 2003. She has

been involved in careers

education and advising

since 1986.

Highlight: Work experience

can vary from volunteering

in a nursing home to

flipping burgers at a fast

food joint, to shadowing

a surgeon. All experience

can contribute to positive

self-reflection and give a

better understanding of

the world, and universities

particularly appreciate

work that takes students

out of their comfort

zone. Some professional

degrees (such as Veterinary

Science, Law, Architecture,

Medicine) stipulate related

experience for applicants.

Opportunities are provided

by the College via the

Careers Fair as well as our

alumni database.

Johanna Fishbein

Head of University

Advising, Dover Campus

Johanna joined UWCSEA

in 2014 from the

International School of

Brussels where she was

the Head of College

and Careers Counseling.

Previously at Barnard

College she was Director

of Pre-College Programs

and Coordinator of

International Recruitment.

She began teaching in

NYC public schools, and is

the President-elect of the

International Association

for College Admission

Counseling (IACAC).

Highlight: University

advising requires a

tremendous amount

of up to date individual

knowledge (or the

knowledge of who to ask

to find an answer). The

university advising and

admissions communities

are highly collaborative,

and a vital tool to foster

this is our membership

and participation

as presenters and

delegates in professional

association events.

John Bush

University Advisor,

Dover Campus

John started teaching

Mathematics in the UK,

before joining UWCSEA for

a five-year stint in 1999.

He returned to the UK as

Head of Mathematics at St

Clare’s International School

in Oxford, returning to

UWCSEA in 2006. Before

joining the UAC in 2011, he

was also a Senior School

Head of Grade.

Highlight: John coordinates

staff and alumni who

support students in

preparing for interviews,

including preparation

advice, a realistic mock

interview and individual

feedback. Interviews

are a significant factor

for students applying to

study Medicine, Dentistry,

Veterinary Science, or

when applying to Oxford or

Cambridge or to a number

of US universities (alumni

interviews). UAC also

host an annual interview

workshop run by Oxford

University.

Linda De Flavis

University Advisor,

Dover Campus

Linda joined UWCSEA in

1998 as an English and

ToK teacher, moving into

University Advising in

2003. Previously she taught

literature at universities in

the US and at high schools

in Hong Kong and the UK.

Highlight: UAC taps into

alumni stories to reassure,

guide and inspire our

current students. Alumni

provide role models that

they can easily connect

with, enabling them to

imagine themselves in a

range of academic or career

settings as well as answer

specific questions on

courses or institutions. Our

alumni have also helped

us to identify specific

challenges TCKs face in their

transition to university and

address them via our PSE

programme and an annual

forum in partnership with

the Parents’ Association.

We also partner with

universities to give

conference presentations

on helping TCKs adjust

to university.

Sean McAuley

University Advisor,

Dover Campus

Sean joined Dover in

August 2011 having worked

in international schools in

the US, Japan, Hungary and

Indonesia, most recently

at the Bali International

School where he was

university counsellor and

IB Diploma coordinator.

Sean co-founded the

annual Global University

Counsellor Connect

and was instrumental in

starting ‘Alumni Week.’

Highlight: Sean has

always found that students

struggle to truly gauge

university life. Websites

only show sunny days

and cheerful professors,

and representatives only

highlight positive aspects

of their campus. He began

organising alumni talks,

where recent graduates

‘return home’ and meet

current students, so they

can find out about campus

life. Over 100 graduates

now return each January

and June and the event is a

fundamental aspect of our

advising programme.

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18 | Dunia December 2016

Joan Liu

University Advisor,

East Campus

Joan joined the East

UAC team in 2013, after

working in Turkey, England

and the US. Joan was

instrumental in launching

the first ever Financial

Aid Institute at the IACAC

summer conference,

helping international

school counsellors learn

more about financial aid

and merit scholarships in

various higher education

systems around the world.

Highlight: Thinking about

how to afford the cost

of an education can be a

daunting task, but UAC

advisors are well-versed

in guiding students and

families toward resources

that can help them make

comparisons among

options. The UAC team

provides additional support

to students and families for

whom cost is a barrier to

accessing higher education.

Jacqueline Villa

Evanko

University Advisor,

Dover Campus

Jacquie joined the UAC

team in 2016 after

spending nearly a decade

working in undergraduate

international admissions in

the Boston area at Boston

University and Brandeis.

Highlight: In approaching

university advising,

Jacquie thinks about ‘fit.’

Students sometimes miss

the opportunity to focus

their efforts on finding the

school that best ‘fits’ them,

and instead focus on finding

ways to ‘reach’ a school. To

get to these dream schools,

families may consider hiring

outside help. However,

your UWCSEA advisor has

the context of the UWC

experience, the insight

from decades of working

with our student outcomes,

a deep understanding of

the university admissions

process, and relationships

with peers and universities

around the world.

Shruti Tewari

University Advisor,

East Campus

Before joining UWCSEA

to start up the East UAC

in 2012, Shruti worked

in Jakarta as a college

counsellor and IBDP English

teacher. She also spent

three years as the Director

of College Guidance at

UWC Mahindra. Shruti

began her career as an

Upper School English

teacher in New Jersey, USA.

Highlight: The UAC puts

a great deal of effort into

coordinating a wide-ranging

support programme for

students and families.

Aside from hosting 300+

university visitors each

year, both campuses offer

a number of events to help

students and families make

informed choices, including

support for specialised

programmes, e.g., Art,

Engineering, Law, Liberal

Arts, Medicine, Music and a

series of University Advisor-

run workshop sessions to

guide students in writing

a UK-style personal

statement and a US-style

essay for applications.

Pamela Kelly

Wetzell

Head of University

Advising, East Campus

Pamela joined Dover in

2010 and moved to East

in 2012 to build the UAC

in anticipation of the first

graduating class in 2014.

Pamela practised law in the

US before moving to Asia

over 20 years ago, founding

a small international school

in Phuket before moving

to UWCSEA. She is also a

mentor for IACAC’s Scholar

Mentor Program.

Highlight: Naviance

Family Connection is a

powerful university and

career information and

application management

platform. Students access

it in PSE time from Grade

10 to explore interests,

strengths and potential

careers, and it allows them

to research and create a list

of potential universities.

The UAC use it to send

transcripts, references and

supporting documents to

many universities, and to

collate and analyse past

acceptance data in order to

best advise students.

Robbie Jefferiss

University Advisor,

East Campus

Robbie Jefferiss joined the

UAC team in 2014 after

working at several schools

internationally and in the

US as a school counsellor

and in admissions at a

UK university.

Highlight: One part of the

job that Robbie truly enjoys

is going to visit university

campuses all over the

world. “When visiting

so many campuses, it is

remarkable to see that they

each have their own ‘feel’

or ‘culture.’ When walking

around, the names and

faces of my students appear

in my mind and I think

‘That student would be a

great fit here!’ Meanwhile,

these visits also allow us

to build relationships with

the university admissions

officers and learn about

the trends they are seeing

or any new institutional

priorities they may have

in terms of the types or

students they are looking

to admit.”

December 2016 Dunia | 19

By Justin Chan, Grade 8, East Campus

and Gauri Shukla, Grade 9,

Dover Campus

In September, a group of Middle and

High School students from both

campuses attended the annual GIN

Bali conference, which takes place at

a different location in Indonesia each

year. GIN, which stands for Global Issues

Network, empowers young people to

learn about and take action on some

of the world’s most pressing issues.

The conference is a chance for budding

activists to connect and network with

like-minded people, allowing them to

work together to realise their dreams. It

is a chance to see sustainable systems

thinking in action—to see what exactly

it means to ‘go green,’ to see the results

of recycling, to see how much one

person can do, and how much people

working together can do to, in a very

real way, to save the world.

This year the conference was held

at Bina Cita Utama School in

Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan,

in the heart of Borneo. Why was this

special? Because it was there that, at

the same time last year, the forest fires

caused haze, and the PSI reached an

unlivable 2300. There, standing in the

middle of the forest, we could see the

sustainability issues and change right

in front of us. Considering that a year

ago, people in Kalimantan could hardly

see each other through the haze, this

conference had a feeling of hope and

resilience. The skies were clear, but the

memory of their hardship, the efforts

to recover, and the desire to prevent it

from happening again, were at the front

of everyone’s thinking and actions.

Students aged 12–18 from schools

across the region participated—bringing

together a diverse group of young

people all passionate about making our

world a better place. The conference’s

‘one-for-one’ model meant that

Indonesian students from Bali and

Kalimantan were able to learn about

the complex systems affecting their

environment, economy and society

alongside international students.

The three-day conference was a varied

mix of workshops, cultural experiences,

field trips and musical performances,

where messages about systems

thinking, resource use, indigenous rights

and more were conveyed to us, the next

generation of activists. We were able

to hear from presenters from all over

Indonesia, from veteran activists who’ve

been inspiring and making change for

years, to young and passionate speakers

helping others to realise their potential,

including Gauri, who shared her work

to eliminate unsustainable palm oil.

Youth activists, innovators and leaders

all came together to collaborate,

recognising our shared responsibility to

take care of our planet.

During those three days, we ate

together, relaxed together, worked

together and learnt together—and built

lasting relationships. This networking

allowed us to apply the concepts

of sustainable systems thinking

throughout the conference in a student-

led, project-based approach.

Examples of student-led projects were

presented in order to inspire participants

and to model approaches that have

worked. Gauri was one of the presenters

in the ‘How Kids Can’ workshop where

she shared her experience launching the

SOS (Students of Singapore) campaign

during the 2015 haze crisis. The SOS

campaign advocates for sustainable

palm oil and paper products by directly

lobbying companies to use sustainably

produced ingredients and products.

They also educate students and

community members about becoming

‘haze fighters’ and using sustainable

cooking oils.

The aim of the ‘How Kids Can’

workshop was to empower fellow

students and encourage them to

make a difference in their own way.

Gauri demonstrated the steps she

took to launch a campaign and lobby

companies. Games and activities in the

session encouraged people to identify

the issue they are most passionate

about and to #startwithonething. On

the final night she also presented to the

wider conference audience about the

SOS campaign and what the movement

aims to do.

In the end, all of us were united and

aware of our responsibility: that we

need to be the change our world needs.

This conference helped us to realise

who we are and what we really stand

for. This realisation is the essence of the

Global Issue Network Conference, to

start with one thing and make changes

that foster sustainability in the world

around us.

Students tackle global sustainability issues

COMMUNITY NEWS

Photo by Claire Psillides

20 | Dunia December 2016