June 2015
Graduation 2015
Mindfulness in education
National Service
By Chris Edwards
Head of College
In terms of their rhetoric, most good
schools, especially good international
schools, are almost indistinguishable
from one another.
If a computer were to randomly
reallocate the existing marketing
brochures, webpages and welcome
messages, I seriously wonder if anybody
would notice. What’s more, this herd
of schools is huddling ever more tightly
together as if circling predators were
edging closer. Girls and boys beam
cherubically from the brochures: none
of these children cry or fight or act
thoughtlessly. A ridiculously cheerful
Head of School will appear somewhere
on the website telling you that if you
want to truly understand the place,
you really must visit and that you
can be assured of a warm welcome
when you do. Elsewhere there will be
promises that the ‘whole child’ will be
educated, that technology is used as
a means to an end and not for its own
sake, that values trump everything
else but, don’t worry, we’ve got the
academics covered. Service—an area
where UWCSEA trailblazed—is now
ubiquitous. Oh, and there will be a nod
to some ideas parents will not have
known from their own youth: ‘growth
mindset,’ ‘disruptive education,’ ‘flipped
classrooms’ or whatever.
There’s a reason for this. Great
international schools are inevitably
more similar than they might care to
admit, and as they strive to identify
and then promote their unique selling
points, they will inevitably find their
diverse pathways converging at the
same junctions. While the bewildering
and increasing number of conferences,
seminars and presentations on
international education is indicative of
a welcome collaborative spirit among
schools, homogeneity might easily be
an unintended consequence. And if
one school really does steal a march
on others, you can bet it won’t take
long before it is once again a part of the
collective, either because the idea had
more marketing froth than educational
substance and was therefore abandoned
(I can cite a fair few like this), or because
everybody else thought “That’s neat”
and quickly did the same.
My first academic year at UWCSEA is
nearing its end. And I ask myself: are
we as different as we think we are? Is
UWCSEA safe in the centre of the herd,
or is it a bold outlier staring down the
lions? One more question: frankly, does
it matter?
Last question first. Yes it does. It
matters mightily. The pernicious
commodification of education has
enough dark champions: our mission
statement flies in the face of the pie
charts and graphs. What you know
is important, but how you apply that
knowledge, the skills you have acquired
that allow you to attain more relevant
knowledge and, crucially, the ethical
ground upon which you stand and
fight are more important still. I will
repeat this mantra until the day I leave:
don’t definitively pronounce how good
your schooling was when you are 18;
tell us when you are 80. That’s why
researchers from Harvard Graduate
School of Education are our partners in
measuring impact. It’s not a whimsical
foray into research heaven: it is vital,
and speaks to the core of our being.
So how different are we on the ground?
Well, I confess, I came here wondering
if I was going to find Asia’s premier
urban hippy-chic community. A kind
of San Francisco with killer exam
results. I was wrong. It became clear
to me very quickly that our students
didn’t just hug trees: they knew which
trees to hug. I have seen them fuse
tangible and ethereal, practical and
theoretical, orthodox and radical in
ways I have never witnessed elsewhere.
From the resultant intellectual,
aspirational and moral gloop comes
crawling a discernably UWC-type
creature. Mission-driven, self-aware,
collaborative, loyal and capable of
spotting hype, humbug and propaganda
from a hundred paces. There are
exceptions of course, but watching our
students en masse and as individuals,
these traits are evident and in some they
come as naturally as leaves to a tree.
Two events (well, technically four),
communicated with special force this
What’s the difference?
Many articles in this edition have
expanded content on eDunia
(www.uwcsea.edu.sg/edunia)
— look for the symbol as you
read the magazine and visit
eDunia for more photos, video
and expanded content.
Other stories featured only on eDunia:
Primary School
Building in Bali
Families visit the
Widhya Asih centres
K2 Arts Festival
Enjoy a slideshow from
the performance
Middle School
Children’s Shelter
Foundation visit
Students connect with
peers in Thailand
Inspiration in Adelaide
Students attend the Young Round
Square Conference
High School
Advocacy films win
at THIMUN
Student wins Best
Picture
Green Fingers
Student-led recycling
initiative on East
Masterchef Indonesia
Jakarta Street Kids GC hosts a
UWCSEA-YUM fundraiser
College
UWCSEA named Apple
Distinguished School
Community
Swim4Life raises
support for SurfAid
Growing local on
Veggie Wednesday
Cover: Dover Graduation, see pages 16–17
unique essence of UWCSEA. The first
was UN Night (Dover) and CultuRama
(East), the second the respective
graduation ceremonies.
There’s an easy win for UN Night and
CultuRama of course. Lots of young
people from many different nations
all working together happily to create
a sensational evening’s entertainment
for a disparate audience. You nail three
quarters of the mission statement down
in one go. What’s not to like? But then
I’m told that many of these students
had never danced before in their lives;
that they organised rehearsals in their
own time; that many were actually new
to the College. This was more than a
bonding exercise. Here was courage,
discipline and (perhaps most strikingly
in an event run to such a large extent
by the young participants themselves)
quality-control. Strengths and
weaknesses were judiciously assessed,
collaboratively worked on and melded
into something strong, striking and
fresh. I remember thinking to myself:
these guys could have just settled
for Grease.
Graduation was different. While I
sat admiring the delightful balance
between fun and formality, I also felt
a sense of belonging such as justifies
my statement on the website in which I
claim to have “come home.” Yes, you’d
expect a large international school
in Singapore to have a huge variety
of nationalities up on stage, and yes
you’d hope for some variety of colour
and styles in the costumes, but what
you would have no right to ask for was
the passion of the student speeches,
the power of the student music and
the palpability of the desire for the
mission to be taken to the world.
The visual imagery of graduation is
compelling enough, but in the hall you
felt something still more arresting: a
unity of spirit and purpose. Less “Look
what I’ve done,” than “How can we
help next?” A beginning as much as
a parting.
Where ‘same’ is best, we should do
‘same’ with clear conscience. But Kurt
Hahn gave us reasons enough to be
wary of conformity. I believe we should
stand, and do stand, away from the
herd at those times when the UWC
mission calls most strongly.
The College is flawed and must always
strive to do better, but some of those
flaws flow from noble origins, and need
gentle redirection, not damming at the
source. The veracity of the following,
final sentence, cannot be proved, but
viscerally, I know it is so. I am so very
proud of the students at UWCSEA: they
would not be such students had they
gone to any other school in the world.
Mindfulness in education
By James Dalziel
Head of East Campus
Mindfulness in a variety of forms has
been gaining in popularity over the
past years. Broadly based on ancient
Buddhist meditation techniques,
mindfulness has only recently gained
serious study from science. Possibly
the best way to generalise the concept
of mindfulness is as a purposeful
method of gaining increased focus on
self. As editorialist Maria Konnikova
stated in her December 2012 New York
Times article, “… when it comes to
experimental psychology, mindfulness
is less about spirituality and more about
concentration: the ability to quiet
your mind, focus your attention on the
present, and dismiss any distractions
that come your way.” But it’s not just
about concentration: mindfulness
reportedly helps practitioners live in
the present and accept their current
circumstances and related feelings for
what they are. That is not to say that
our current state cannot be changed; in
fact, advocates for a mindful approach
would argue that an honest recognition
of our current state is just the first step
toward meaningful change.
Harvard Psychology Professor Ellen
Langer’s first studies of mindful
practices in the early 1970s arose from
her research with an aging population
and the effects of age on our ability to
focus and maintain concentration. Most
recently, mindfulness has found favour
in educational settings as a potential
antidote for the various afflictions
attributed to our hectic, multi-tasked
and technology-laden lives.
Mindfulness and mindfulness
programmes seem to have become the
flavour of the month in educational
circles; it’s the latest ornament that
simply must be added to our already
overloaded school improvement plans.
This blind adoption of popular trends in
education is cavalier at best; at worst
it is dangerous and unprofessional. The
single metric by which any educational
programme should be measured must
be the extent to which it leads to gains
in student learning. With this in mind,
the benefits of mindfulness are clear,
but not always obvious.
It can be argued that we are better off
when we have a strong sense of our
actions and feelings and the effect they
are having on ourselves and others.
If we can recognise, for example, that
we are feeling mad, and we believe that
making decisions when mad does not
typically lead to ‘good’ decisions, then
we may choose to delay the decision at
hand until we are in a different, more
productive, state of mind. Similarly,
recognising when we are happy and
seeking out those conditions that may
have contributed to our feelings can be
useful in helping us to experience joy in
the future. As author Daniel Goleman
writes, “Mindful meditation has been
discovered to foster the ability to
inhibit those very quick emotional
impulses.” In this way, our decision-
making becomes more intentional
and balanced and less impulsive
and irrational.
School programmes are taking
advantage of this mindful approach to
provide a model of structured decision
making for students. Simply pausing,
checking your emotions and feelings,
and deciding if you are in the most
appropriate state of mind to make the
decision at hand, can provide a powerful
filter to impulsive adolescent behaviour.
That is, of course, if we remember to
employ the mindful steps at all. While
practice can help, the reality is that
powerful emotions are difficult to put
aside while we pause, breathe and
monitor our current states. In the early
stages of mindfulness students are far
more likely to use mindful practice in a
reflective manner, and not necessarily in
the heat of the moment.
However, it is the ‘in the moment’
application where mindfulness finds
its greatest benefits in the form of
an increased level of consciousness.
People who enjoy a heightened state
of awareness are typically people who
have the ability to monitor their own
values, thoughts, behaviours and,
ultimately, their goals. They tend to
have well-developed value systems that
they are able to articulate clearly and
within a variety of different contexts,
transferring their moral compass into
many unique and novel situations. They
can generate, hold and apply internal
criteria for the decisions they make,
and typically practise internal rehearsal
and the editing of mental pictures
in the process of seeking improved
strategies. Those with increased levels
of consciousness tend to read situations
early and avoid foreseeable relational
pitfalls, much to the admiration of
those less sensitive souls who seem
to blindly bumble into one awkward
situation after another.
Individuals with heightened states of
consciousness are aware of themselves,
aware of others, and aware of the
setting they are in. They are conscious
of their thinking and feelings in the
moment, taking the time to stop and
‘step out’ of their current connections
in order to take a meta-level view of
themselves and others. This ‘view
from the balcony’ as it has become
known, allows the viewer to literally
see themselves within the scene,
recognising the influence of their
thinking and subsequent actions
on themselves and those around
them. This reflective view can avoid
‘assumiside,’ or the danger of trusting
wholeheartedly in our assumptions
without ever testing reality, or
“You will find only what you bring in.” Master Yoda
measuring their truth relative to how
others may see the same situation.
This is where mindfulness finds two
natural applications within education:
firstly, the ability for all members of
the community to develop strategies to
‘switch on’ to themselves and others;
and secondly the professional benefits
that come from working and learning in
an environment that is self-monitoring
and ultimately self-transforming.
Organisational researcher and
corporate coach Jane Ellison highlights
this when she cites how educational
thinkers Bob Garmston and Bruce
Wellman “envisioned schools that could
provide a meditative environment,
in which all the players contribute to
the organisation’s practice of being
self-managing, self-monitoring, and
self-modifying. The ultimate goal of
such schools is continuous self-directed
improvements in student learning
(Ellison & Hayes, p. 109).”
Authentic and lasting improvements
to teaching practice, and the attendant
improvements in student learning,
come about only when individuals are
self-directed in their development, that
is to say: self-aware, self-monitoring,
self-managing and self-modifying. This
is true for all learners.
If consciousness is the ultimate goal
where, we may ask, is there room for
the notion of ‘flow’? From researchers
Mihaly Csíkszentmihályi and Martin
Seligman and from the various schools
of Positive Psychology we have been
offered another essential educational
ornament, that of ‘being in the zone’ or
creating the educational environment
that supports a ‘flow’ experience.
Flow, in contrast to mindfulness and
metacognition, is the state of being
fully and unconsciously in the moment.
There is naturally room for both as
educational benefits are associated with
being in the present, regardless of our
state of consciousness.
Ultimately, mindfulness leads to an
increased compassion for others.
By starting with a connectedness to
ourselves, through whatever mindful
strategy we choose to employ, we
gain a level of control over our minds
and our bodies. The physiological and
psychological benefits to this increased
state of awareness and self-mastery are
well documented. Compassion must
begin with a sensitivity and attention
to ourselves, which can then evolve
into empathy and an understanding
of others.
A school in which all members of
the community are taking a mindful
approach to their daily interactions
should result in a self-managing,
self-directing, compassionate and
empathetic environment for our
students: gains in student learning must
surely follow.
References and resources
Ellison, J. & Hayes, C. (2003) Cognitive
Coaching: Weaving threads of learning and
change into the culture of an organization.
Christopher-Gordon Publishers, Inc.
Norwood, Massachusetts.
Kuyken et al (2012). “Effectiveness of the
Mindfulness in Schools Programme: non-
randomised controlled feasibility study” The
British Journal of Psychiatry.
Mindful Schools (http://www.mindfuls-
chools.org/uncategorized/mindful-schools-
featured-in-time-magazine-cover-story/)
Mindfulness in schools project (http://mind-
fulnessinschools.org/mindfulness/)
Sanford, C. (1995) Myths of organizational
effectiveness at work. Battle Ground, WA:
Springhill.
Weare K. (2012). Evidence for the Impact of
Mindfulness on Children and Young People. .b
The Mindfulness in Schools Project in asso-
ciation with the University of Exeter Mood
Disorder Centre.
By Daniel Orr
Teacher of High School and Middle
School Geography
and Nathan Hunt
Coordinator of Environmental
Stewardship and Head of IB Theory of
Knowledge
Dover Campus
With Dover Road becoming one of
Singapore’s leading educational hubs,
Dover Campus is benefiting from the
proximity to neighbouring academic
institutions. Recent partnerships with
academics at National University of
Singapore (NUS) and Yale-NUS are
providing valuable learning opportunities
for students … whether they are studying
for IB Diplomas or PhDs. They are also
directly contributing to our goals for
environmental stewardship on campus.
When two Environmental Science
masters students currently studying at
NUS needed some land to carry out a
field trial on measuring microclimate
effects of native trees in an urban
environment, Head of Dover Campus
Frazer Cairns was quick to see the
educational possibilities for Dover
students. In return for offering the use
of the astro-turf, where our plant
nurseries are currently sited, the ‘deal
was sealed’ when they agreed to
publicise their work to our students and
the wider community.
Tal Hertig and Felix Sadlo (studying at
ETH, Zurich but on overseas placement
at the NUS-Future Cities Laboratory)
were keen to fulfil their side of the
bargain. Some of the first to benefit
from their expertise were the Grade
11 IBDP geographers. An important
unit in the Geography course is urban
sustainability, part of which involves
examining the effects of structures and
LEARNING
ON A WIDER STAGE
human activity on urban microclimates,
including the ‘urban heat island’ effect.
As a result of climate change and the
resultant global warming, urban areas
may become unbearably hot as a result
of this effect. The first step in helping to
plan cities of the future is understanding
the interaction between human and
natural environments, which is what the
field study is attempting to contribute
to. After visiting the field study, Grade
11 Geography student Camila Fernández
Nion said, “It was great to see our
Geography syllabus come to life on our
own campus. I believe Geography is a
subject that holds the key to solving
many of Earth’s problems.”
In preparation for their field trip to
Melaka in Term 3, the Grade 11 students
were also able to gain an insight into
using different data collection techniques
to find out what effect an urban
environment has on localised climate
conditions; this was something which
they investigated as one of the three case
studies they undertook on the field trip.
Middle School Geography students also
took up the offer to visit the research.
Teacher Sarah Song said, ”The field
experiments gave our Grade 8 students
an opportunity to observe classroom
discussion topics being put into real
life action. It was heartening to see the
aspirations of our mission statement
reflected in the interaction and learning
among the students visiting from Zurich
and NUS and those from our community
at UWCSEA. Tal and Felix were
impressed by the depth of understanding
apparent from the questions posed by
the students. A great experience for all!”
Tal and Felix will also be talking to
students carrying out Extended Essays
in Science, as their knowledge of
experimental design is invaluable for
Grade 11 students planning their studies.
Frazer Cairns adds, “We benefit greatly
by our students working alongside
the researchers and in helping to take
measurements we hope that their
enthusiasm for practical research will
be fired. We can also learn a great deal
ourselves about how we can manage
our immediate environment, and it is
interesting to note that a partnership
developed between UWCSEA and
researchers from ETH through an earlier
experiment we hosted, contributed to the
design of the new High School block. As a
result the building will be one of the most
energy efficient buildings in Singapore.”
The second partnership project is with
Yale-NUS, the new Liberal Arts College,
and is also based on tree research.
Assistant Professor Dr Michiel Van
Breugel is a tropical forest ecologist keen
to link his own studies with the work
of UWCSEA’s Rainforest Restoration
Project. With help from doctoral student
Hao Ran Lai and Assistant Director
of Singapore Botanic Gardens Elango
Velautham, Dr Van Breugel has designed
an experiment in our tree nurseries to
examine the responses of tree seedlings
with various characteristics to different
light levels. It is hoped that the data
can then be used to help guide species
selection for reforestation programmes
in this region. The work will be carried
out by our students working directly
with the Yale-NUS team, and hopefully
also involve interested parents and
staff. Dr Van Breugel says this “is a
great opportunity to pilot a real citizen
science collaboration and make a
genuine contribution to much needed
reforestation research.”
While the emphasis of both of these
projects is on learning, clearly both could
have very real outcomes for improved
environmental stewardship in South East
Asia. And even better, both will leave a
legacy of enhanced native biodiversity
on Dover Campus, as many of the tree
specimens (some of which are classified
as critically endangered on the IUCN’s
Red list) will be planted out here this
coming year.
Finally, one more recent collaboration
took advantage of the fact that some
of our students have parents who work
next door! For the Grade 11 Theory of
Knowledge (TOK) Miniweek in January,
Dover parent and Professor of Science
at Yale-NUS, Brian McAdoo contributed
to our lecture series on Integrating
Knowledge for Human Understanding.
Professor McAdoo’s presentation Trans-
disciplinary Approaches to Disaster Risk
Reduction might sound like a subject
at an academic level way beyond our
IB Diploma students, however the
interactive style of the presentation
and its direct relevance to their studies
proved highly useful to them. Not only
did Brian’s talk illustrate that a true
understanding necessitates integrating
thinking from different subject areas
(a key premise of the TOK course), but
it also served to show that without
deliberate integration of local and
academic knowledge, the humanitarian
projects that the students Global
Concerns groups are involved in will
rarely be successful.
As the main purpose of a UWCSEA
education is to learn how to shape
a better world, all three of these
partnerships help us to put our mission
into practice. As teachers and students
we feel very privileged that our
university neighbours are so willing to
work with us to achieve this.
Photos by Simon Bignell and Kate Woodford
By Gareth Barlow
Outdoor Education Coordinator
East Campus
In 2002, I sat in a conference hall in the
UK with several hundred other students
who would shortly be graduating as
teachers from the University of Wales.
We were listening to an advisor from
one of the main teaching unions,
whose unequivocal advice was that as
teachers, we should not take students
on off-campus trips. The risk was simply
too great.
Fast forward 12 years and I now find
myself in the fortunate position of
working for UWCSEA’s Outdoor
Education Department, organising
over 25 overseas trips annually. I find
myself wondering why it is that while
a national system is backing away
from the idea of risk, UWCSEA (and
many other schools internationally) are
embracing it?
The benefits of outdoor education
(which could be defined as the notion
of learning beyond the classroom)
are many: developing self-esteem;
promotion of independence; enhancing
cooperation and perseverance; respect
and appreciation for the environment.
Having witnessed first-hand the
benefits of taking adolescents into
the outdoors and exposing (some of
these students would argue the verb
here should be subjecting) them to
challenging situations, I find truth in
them all. It was Kurt Hahn, founder
of the UWC and Outward Bound
movements and the Duke of Edinburgh
Award, who made the connection with
the particular benefits of impelling
young people into experiences that
summarises the value of outdoor
education and how it can expand
personal horizons: “There is more in us
than we know. If we can be made to see
it, perhaps, for the rest of our lives, we
will be unwilling to settle for less.”
What is outdoor education?
Here at UWCSEA, where Outdoor
Education is one of the five elements
of the learning programme (alongside
Academics, Activities, Personal and
Social Education and Service), we
offer an incremental progression of
experiences to students across the K–12
curriculum.
Grade 1 students spend a night at the
school, and this is often the first time
they have spent a night away from
their parents. As they progress through
school, the time spent away on these
‘school camps’ increases and the trips
become more adventurous, with an
increased focus on expedition-style
journeys in Grades 7, 8 and 9.
Participation on the grade-level
Outdoor Education expeditions is a
requirement for all students at the
College and, up until the end of Middle
School, these experiences take place
during term time and students travel
in their class or tutor groups. However,
in Grade 9 the pattern changes, as
students are offered the chance
to select at least one challenging
expedition that they must complete
during one of the holiday breaks.
Students from both campuses are
mixed together on these trips and often
students have not met many of their
travel companions before.
Last year UWCSEA offered 23 options,
ranging from one week to 18 days in
length and from $600–$4,000 in cost.
This breadth caters to differing levels
of fitness and different interests of
students. In some cases these trips also
allow students to fulfil requirements for
the National Youth Achievement Award
(NYAA, the Singapore name for the
Duke of Edinburgh Award).
The options include trekking, climbing,
kayaking, rafting, tall-ship sailing, scuba
diving, sustainability camps, horse
riding, mountain biking, biodiversity
research programmes, and multi-
activity journeys. Many expeditions
entail our students preparing their own
food as they face up to the constant
challenges posed by such trips. There is
an emphasis on personal responsibility,
interpersonal skills, and the notion of
developing resilience through enduring
hardships usually not encountered at
school or in students’ daily lives. In fact,
this is something that we are always
striving to accentuate from year to year.
While we have a staff of nine
experienced Outdoor Education
professionals at UWCSEA, we work
closely with a number of professional
third party providers to enable us
to offer such a diverse range of
experiences to our students each year.
These providers have in many instances
been working with the College for a
number of years, although a regular
review process ensures they continue to
meet the high standards we require for
our programme.
However, close scrutiny of providers is
only one aspect of a bigger picture when
we balance risk assessments with the
provision of an authentic experience.
The Outdoor Education team devote
countless hours to managing these risks
by collating information in the schools
custom-designed trip management
system (called iPAL – Passport to
Adventurous Learning). iPal’s database
links directly to International SOS, whose
staff are on-hand to provide support and
guidance while staff and students are
on expedition. We also work extremely
closely with an independent Technical
Advisor and our safety procedures are
regularly audited, updated and reviewed.
Working with a Technical Advisor allows
us to draw on best practice from around
the world, and to understand what other
schools (both in the region and further
afield) are delivering in an outdoor
education capacity.
Although there is a break from Outdoor
Education expeditions in Grades 10 and
12 due to busy exam periods, our Grade
11 students embark on a fairly unique
experience which, for many students,
represents the pinnacle of their time
at UWCSEA: Project Week. Working to
a limited individual budget, students
are required to form small groups and
travel unaccompanied overseas for
a minimum of five days, in order to
complete a trip that involves elements
of the IBDP’s Creativity, Action, and
Service (CAS). Students are responsible
for every aspect of their trip (overseen
by a school staff member as their
‘sponsor’), from booking transport and
accommodation, to liaising with service
or activity providers and establishing a
suitable itinerary.
The benefits to students participating
in outdoor education trips resonate
long after they return. While sometimes
not immediately discernible in the
excitement of a successfully completed
trip with their school friends, the
impact becomes apparent in the weeks
and months after the expedition. The
positive impact on their relationships
and ability to collaborate in the
classroom is obvious to teachers, and
the opportunity for them to view one
another in a new light is enormously
beneficial for those students who
may not find themselves a natural
leader in the classroom setting. Most
importantly, students have a new
understanding of themselves, which
they can bring to their learning
in other areas of the learning
programme.
10
in a Hong Kong wilderness area, which
included strenuous physical work and
mental perseverance.
As the ‘new kids on the block,’ FIB
students are viewed somewhat
differently—not as outsiders, just as
those who might need some ‘kid gloves’
since we’ve not been through the
expedition programme that the rest of
our Grade 10 peers have completed in
earlier grades. When a Gold awardee
spelt this out for us on a training hike
early in the year, the comment ignited
some spirit and immediately pushed
us to finish the 20km trek. But it was
more far-reaching than that—it ended
up sparking competition between those
participating in the NYAA Silver Award,
along the way helping us to meet so
many other people in the school. It was
perfect for helping us to settle in.
When we started out in Term 1, the
final expedition felt so distant. After
spending a couple weeks in self-directed
reflection, and some sessions with
NYAA Coordinators Wayne Fozzard and
Matthew Tuggey, we started planning
our expedition. This involved numerous
after school sessions, many of which
were spent meticulously detailing
and perfecting our individual group
route cards.
Planning our own trekking routes
in a country unfamiliar to us was
challenging. Proper terminology in our
writing and accurate measurement in
time and distance were necessary to
ensure our safety. Not to mention our
focus on first aid; during one training
weekend we spent an evening outside
the Roy Bennett Theatre going through
emergency scenarios and the recovery
position. Nothing was left to chance and
everything was designed to develop skills
necessary for all candidates to complete
the award.
Fortunately, the effort was fruitful.
The Hong Kong expedition took place
29 March to 2 April. As the distant event
that we had laughed and joked about at
school was becoming a reality, even the
three-hour plane journey to Hong Kong
had us feeling nostalgic about our access
to technology. Anxiety was creeping up in
us, but as we got off that last bus at the
starting point of the trip, it was replaced
with excitement about the adventure
ahead. The first few breaths of fresh air
were enough to knock me off my feet.
What followed was without a doubt one
of the most remarkable experiences of
my life. Thrown into Tsai Kung, Hong
Kong, and applying the skills we gained
over the past months of pre-trip training
and planning, was a blast of exhaustion,
perseverance and accomplishment.
We reached our goal height of 408
metres on Tai Cham Koi mountain
and conquered the most peaks of any
group. I’d like to personally thank Group
5 for being extremely collaborative,
encouraging, and unyielding throughout
our final expedition.
The time we allocated to the NYAA was
absolutely worth it. On behalf of the
FIBs who joined the Silver Award as an
exercise to help us settle in to our new
school, I’d like to say thank you—the
experience was greatly appreciated
and irreplaceable.
Settling in took some perseverance …
Hiking in a national park in Hong Kong or
Japan is a far cry from where many of our
students choose to spend their vacations,
but the National Youth Achievement
Award (NYAA) pushes our students to the
limit. The NYAA is Singapore’s equivalent
of the Duke of Edinburgh Award and
is closely aligned with UWCSEA’s core
values. Currently around 100 Grade 9 and
FIB students are taking on the challenge
of the Silver Award, while 49 students are
tackling the demands of the Gold Award.
The NYAA encourages students
to engage in service projects, skills
development, physical recreation, and
adventurous journey, which for the Silver
candidates can be linked to a range of
expeditions offered by both the Outdoor
Education and NYAA departments. For
Gold candidates, there is the added
challenge of a residential project. There
is no doubt that NYAA expects a lot
from our students. It’s challenging,
demanding, emotionally and physically
exhausting, but ultimately rewarding,
and has led to a number of our students
graduating with truly inspirational
accounts of perseverance and friendship.
By Adriene Tien
Grade 10 FIB
Dover Campus
What started as a group of friends at
their new international school (having
joined in Grade 10 for the Foundation
IB (FIB) programme) looking for a way
to settle in, ended with us forming a
close-knit group, complete with new-
found skills and independence. Our
participation in the NYAA Silver Award
programme was unforgettable—and
not just the final five-day expedition
11
By James Kelly
Class of 2014
UWCSEA 2007–2014
On 10 August 2014 I started the first of
five projects that I’ve undertaken in the
last 12 months during my Gap Year.
My first project was in Bandipur, Nepal,
where for 10 weeks I taught English at
the local public school for Himalayan
Voluntourism, as well as tutored in
the mornings and evenings at a study
centre. Teaching at the local school
was very difficult. Though I’d done the
ELT course, before I had to put it into
practice I never truly understood just
how hard the English language is to
learn from scratch.
Living in Nepal was very humbling. It
highlighted to me everything that I
take for granted: Internet, education,
electricity, food. Some of my students
walked across mountains each day
just to come to school for a few hours
before they had to walk back again.
Talking with them about their homes
and how they live showed me the vast
differences between their lives and how
I lived in Singapore.
After my stint in Nepal I changed course
entirely and returned to UWCSEA to
accompany the Dover Campus Grade 8
Chiang Mai trips. My role was to act
as a bridge between the students and
teachers, and to assist with the smooth
running of the trips. It was a unique
experience being part of staff instead
of one of the participating students
for the first time, and I saw new sides
to teachers whom I had encountered
at school as their student. I learned
a lot about the safety checks and
risk assessments that are continually
incorporated into the running of these
expeditions, giving me some insight into
how UWCSEA continues to run them
so successfully.
My next destination was Phnom Penh
for a second round of teaching English
with Equitable Cambodia. Although the
activity was the same, the experience
was very different. Instead of being in
a rural village I was in the capital city,
teaching three different classes with
very different age groups. Throughout
the day the ages of my students ranged
from 5 years old all the way up to 23;
and the students’ quality of English
varied dramatically as well. I worked
side by side with the local teachers,
who helped to translate into Khmer
where necessary. It would have been
very difficult to explain grammatical
concepts without this help.
I then spent five weeks on a Marine
Conservation programme run by
Lutwala Dive Centre on Gili Trawanagan
in Lombok, Indonesia, learning to scuba
dive. While there, I learned about the
beauty of the ocean, the delicacy of the
ecosystem below the waves, and the
devastating effects that humans have
on coastal life.
My final destination was Tioman Island,
Malaysia, this time helping with the
East Campus Grade 6 expeditions.
Initially, I took a Gap Year to help figure
out what I wanted to study when I go
to Willamette University, a liberal arts
college in Oregon, USA later this year.
However, it ended up being so much
more. The amazing friends I’ve made,
diverse groups of people I’ve met, and
the variety of experiences I’ve had
will all, I have no doubt, continue to
influence how I see the world in the
future. I have heard people say they
think of a Gap Year as a waste of time
because it delays further education
and subsequently joining the work
force. However, being dropped into
completely different cultures without
family, friends or the support network
of being part of a school trip
has provided me valuable life
lessons that can’t be taught,
or learned, in a classroom.
A Gap Year in five parts
Partnership with
the British Council
UWCSEA partners with the
British Council to offer an English
Language Teaching (ELT) course
to UWCSEA students in Grade 11
or 12 who are planning a gap year
and need to ‘up skill’ in order to
add value to their placements.
The course runs over weekends
during the academic year or as an
intensive one-week course after
graduation. In 2015, 40 students
completed their certification, while
the previous year, 53 students
completed the course.
12
By Naomi Kelly
Head of Counselling
East Campus
“The world is all abuzz right now about
Mindfulness*.” It was with this quote
from Williams and Penman’s (2011)
book Mindfulness: An eight week plan
for Finding Peace in a Frantic World
that we began promoting the practice
of mindfulness with Administration
staff at East Campus in April. The
participants were keen to understand
the term that is being embraced
by students and parents across the
College. Whether through the PACE
mindfulness programme that was
offered earlier this year for parents,
activities in Primary School such as
‘Calm Confidence,’ ‘Yoga Bugs’ or
‘Breathing Buddies,’ the Grade 8 Life
Skills ‘.b’ programme or High School
Personal and Social Education (PSE), the
practice of mindfulness meditations and
an enhanced awareness of the moment
is blossoming.
Mindfulness involves paying attention to
the present moment with an open mind,
curiosity and acceptance. It has been
shown to improve health and wellbeing
(Mindfulness in Schools Project, 2015),
memory, faster reaction times and
increased physical and mental stamina
(Williams and Penman, 2011).
Many of our Primary School teachers
who have participated in Mindful
Schools programmes, have their own
mindfulness practices and implement
strategies in their classrooms. One of
the Grade 3 teachers, Jaki Graham,
hosted a Wednesday afternoon
professional development session for
Primary teachers earlier this year. It
was an opportunity to share ideas and
many teachers left the session having
experienced some simple mindful
practices that they could use with their
classes, as well as resources to access
further support.
One of the more powerful benefits
of mindfulness that we have seen is
when students become more aware
of themselves and their thoughts,
whether they are in the past, the future
or the present. Having the choice and
the ability to redirect their attention
to the present, enables them to focus
for longer periods on whatever they
are doing at that moment, whether
learning, playing, talking, listening or
just relaxing!
In addition to a lunchtime Mindfulness
Activity, Middle School Counsellor,
Cindy Tisdall-McPhee has been
facilitating the .b Mindfulness
programme as a component of
the Grade 8 Life Skills curriculum.
Alongside Life Skills teachers Marianne
Yong-Macdonald and Nadine Mains,
students have been able to engage in
the nine-week Stop. Breathe and Be
programme from the UK’s Mindfulness
in Schools Project.
In her research for Evidence for the
Impact of Mindfulness on Children and
Young People, Katherine Weare found
that “adolescents who are mindful,
either through their character or
through learning, tend to experience
greater well-being, and that being more
mindful tends to accompany more
positive emotion, greater popularity and
having more friends, and less negative
emotion and anxiety (2012, p 2).” With
evidence such as that, the High School
PSE programme has also embraced
mindfulness. Opportunities to practise
mindfulness meditations are expanding
and currently include sessions with
the boarding community in Tampines
House as well as a much anticipated
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction
programme with staff beginning in the
new academic year.
* Please read James Dalziel’s article on
pages 4–5 of this edition of Dunia to
understand more about the theoretical
background to mindfulness.
MINDFUL practices on East Campus
Students practising mindful breathing with their ‘breathing buddies.’ Watching the soft toy rise and fall
helps students to become more aware of their breath. This practice comes from Daniel Goleman.
Photo by Jaki Graham
References and resources
Mindful Schools
www.mindfulschools.org
Mindfulness in Schools
http://mindfulnessinschools.org
Weare K. (2012). Evidence for the Impact of
Mindfulness on Children and Young People. .b
The Mindfulness in Schools Project in asso-
ciation with the University of Exeter Mood
Disorder Centre.
Williams, M. and Penman, D. (2011) Mindful-
ness: An eight week plan for Finding Peace in
a Frantic World. Rodale Inc. USA.
13
ELEMENT literary magazine
The UWCSEA Dover English
Department and a group of student
literary enthusiasts have reinvigorated
the College’s literary magazine
‘Element.’ After a four-year break
Element was reborn in print thanks
to a canny business plan and intense
editorial efforts.
The result is an elegant black and
white print publication showcasing
the literary and artistic talents of High
School students at UWCSEA Dover.
The magazine launch was celebrated at
‘Element Evening’ on 29 April, where
published students performed their
works live to an appreciative audience.
Two distinguished Singaporean poets
also addressed the audience as guests
on the evening: award-winning poet
Yong Shu Hoong has a vast collection
of published works, teaches creative
writing at Nanyang Technological
University and writes for Esquire
Singapore. He has twice won the
Singapore Literature Prize in 2013 for
The Viewing Party and in 2006 for
his collection Frontage. Alvin Pang
is a Singaporean poet, writer, editor,
anthologist and translator and the
founding director of The Literary Centre
in Singapore, a non-profit organisation
promoting literary development,
multilingual communication and
positive social change. He was
Singapore’s Young Artist of the Year for
Literature in 2005 and was conferred
the Singapore Youth Award (Arts and
Culture) in 2007.
Former teacher and polytechnic lecturer,
and now full-time artist, David Liew
also joined the evening. While his work
is primarily in children’s illustration
and writing, as someone who draws
everywhere he goes he created some
beautiful sketches of some of the
speakers at Element Evening, which are
featured on this page.
The decision to move back into print
after several years of online publication
was born of the desire to produce
something tangible that could be read
and reread as a permanent record of the
literary successes of our community.
Mentored by teachers from the
English Department, submissions
were accepted throughout the year
from a number of events and course
units. Most notable was the ‘Lost
in Translation’ event celebrating
International Mother Tongue Day
in February, where the editors
asked students to submit their own
translations of poetry originally written
in their mother tongue.
The Element team wanted to celebrate
the linguistic diversity at UWCSEA—
there are more than 70 nationalities
represented in the student body and
over 52 languages—and so the theme
became ‘Bearing across: finding in
translation.’ A secondary aim of this
theme was to highlight the difficulty of
translating languages into the mould
required by the English language.
Reflecting on the process, Grade 11
student and editor Jaewon Baek said,
“We placed as many pieces of student
work as possible into the 102-page
book. When selecting pieces the
editorial team focused on those that
were ‘honest’ and could connect with
the reader; pieces that carried a kind
Photos by Samay Bansal, illustrations by David Liew
of universal human truth that could be
identified with and agreed upon. It was
also important as a creative literary
work to avoid clichés in expression, and
to leave a kind of impression on the
reader—whatever impression it may
be …”
Students from Grade 9 to Grade
12 also formed teams to attend to
business functions as diverse as editing,
marketing, finance and artwork. After
an intense period of selecting, editing,
sequencing and layout work, the
magazine was brought to life in print.
Launched at Element Evening, the
magazine is available for sale at $5 per
copy from the English Department.
Seed funds for the printing were
provided by the Parents’ Association
and by Head of Dover Campus, Frazer
Cairns. Explaining his support for the
magazine, Frazer includes a quote by
Joseph Conrad, “‘by the power of the
written word, to make you hear, to
make you feel—it is, before all, to make
you see’ … There is something about
words, whether they are written or
spoken. In expert hands, manipulated
with skill, they can captivate you
or set you free. What other
reason is necessary to support a
reinvigorated Element?”
14
course, on the computer, you can press
undo. Nevertheless, I still begin with a
concept image of what I want to paint.
In the IB Art course, speed is your
enemy and it takes quite a lot of self-
management to be able to keep yourself
on track. The value of the course can in
no way be reduced to simply fostering
creativity; I’ve also had to commit a
great deal to developing organisational
skills and resilience in my work. To do
well, one must be very organised and
efficient at managing oneself. The entire
process of planning one’s artwork from
the initial concept to completing the
final piece is a learning experience—and
a rewarding one at that.
I think that there is a misconception
that Art is a light, burden-free subject
without worries or commitment. The
truth is that to be able to finish an
art piece and do it well, one must be
committed to the planning stage, to
the development process and to trying
new things. And when these new things
don’t work out, Art students must
develop their resilience and keep trying
even if the experimentation goes wrong
or doesn’t produce the desired effect.
While it can be difficult, every time you
do this, you learn something new and
grow as an artist.
Purpose in the process
By Arianne Gor
Grade 11
East Campus
It all starts with an image—a
composition in my mind. I rarely start
with the meaning of a piece; you don’t
need to have a mind-blowing message,
meaning or purpose behind your piece.
That’s one of the great things about
Higher Level IBDP Visual Arts; you
aren’t pressured to be a genius from
the beginning because as most things,
the meaning and purpose of an artwork
emerge over time.
In the initial stage, I usually sketch out
my composition; I decide what I want
the subject to be, what colours will look
good, and so forth. To do this, I use
my sketchbook, which is an extremely
helpful tool to help me figure out
what I want to paint without messing
up the final piece and having to redo
it. Sometimes, I’ll paint a miniature
mock piece to see what works well;
other times I’ll just roughly jot down
colour swatches and notes and then
start painting. With digital art, my
process is a little different because of
IBDP Visual Arts student, Arianne Gor, reflects on her artistic process and the
learning and growth she’s experienced through the course and in her own work.
On the opposite page are highlights from the IB Art Show held this term on East
Campus which showcased some of the outstanding work produced by Grade 12
students over the two-year IBDP Visual Arts programme.
IB Art on East
Sketchbook notes and design process for Occupied by Arianne Gor
15
IB Art Show 2015
The 2015 IB Art Show on East Campus exhibited the
work of 25 Higher and Standard Level IBDP Visual
Arts students in Grade 12. The students prepare work
over the two-year IBDP and are ultimately assessed
on an average of 15 works each. The exhibition
included the students’ selected studio works.
At the show’s opening on 22 April, guests were
invited to engage with the artists and explore the
deeper meaning in the artwork. Ted Cowan, High
School Vice Principal, addressed those gathered.
“As you look at these works, some will mesmerise
you, some will make you think and some might even
make you a little uncomfortable. The artists have
personalised a variety of styles and approaches to
express their own ideas. Talk to them, ask them what
they were thinking and what message they want
to get across. The artists are trying to create a new
perspective in the hopes to elicit change.”
Some of the themes in this year’s works included:
• the integration of man and technology
• the meeting of society’s expectations
• multiple women’s issues like the politics of beauty,
obvious and not-so-obvious violence against them
and their plight in different cultures
• the contradiction between what we say and do in
our values
• and a loss of innocence
As you will see from the selected works here, the
artistic achievement of these Grade 12 artists is
truly impressive.
Clockwise from upper left:
Karan Matta Self Portrait, Jia Chen Wan Good Girl,
Veronica Chung Child Saint, Aslan Iskandar Bakri Indonesian Devil,
Robert Williamson Contemporary Religion,
Kyla van der Heijden Local Architecture
16
GRADUAT
By Ricarda Filsinger
Speaker for Class of 2015
Dover Campus
[Today], I would like to share with you
how it is that I came about learning the
single greatest lesson of my life. This
lesson is the lesson of appreciation.
The last time I stood on a stage and
spoke to you, it was Friday, 12th of
December. I gave a speech to all of you,
a speech that had come from my heart.
[I told how] I had come home from
school that week to find my mother
standing amongst boxes of Christmas
decorations, crying uncontrollably. She
was crying because she didn’t want
to celebrate Christmas without her
brother, who had passed away in a car
accident 6 months before.
Why did it take me seeing my mother
so upset, for me to appreciate what she
was going through?
I remember 12th December because
two days later my mother passed
away unexpectedly, right next to me.
I am grateful, that she did not have
to celebrate Christmas without her
brother. I am grateful, that we are an
incredibly strong family. I am grateful,
for everyone who was there with us in
those very difficult days.
But, this is why I am sharing this with
you, I am most grateful, that in those
hours before she passed, I had made the
decision to tell her about the speech I gave
that Friday. She passed away, knowing
that she was appreciated. I cannot begin
to express how grateful I am for that.
The power of appreciation is the lesson
that I have learned, and indeed, it is the
lesson that I am still learning.
So believe me when I say, I appreciate
the fact that we are standing here
today … There is no last week, no
next week, there is only today, right
here and right now … Let us never
forget to appreciate. Because if we
don’t truly know what something—or
someone—means until it is taken away
from us, then one day when we have
achieved our dreams, we may wake
up and realise that we have spent our
whole lives sleeping. Instead, let us look
back at our journey and know that we
appreciated every single stepping stone
along the way.
500
Graduates
42
Scholars
67
Nationalities
represented
17
ION 2015
By Parth Chhabra
Speaker for Class of 2015
East Campus
It’s strange to think that 12 years of
schooling have all built up to this exact
moment. This is what we have been
training for in a sense but it doesn’t
feel real … I’ve never known anything
but school. I can’t comprehend the
possibilities of a life without one.
And so, I hear the future is upon us. This
whole ‘real world’ beckons. We have a
lot to consider.
I hope we always stand up for things we
believe in. That we keep laughing … and
never take ourselves too seriously.
I hope we always fight, for others and
ourselves. There’s so much to fight for,
so much that needs fighting for. We are
part of something larger than ourselves
here at UWC—exactly what, I suppose
is for each of us to figure out personally.
But I really do believe that graduating
from here, we have the opportunity
and responsibility to fight and speak up.
There is so much do: income inequality,
gender bias, discrimination of race
and sexuality, an impending climate
change crisis. As we go forward into
this world, we have to challenge archaic
ideas, move people, and shape our
surroundings for the better.
At East, we’ve been lucky enough to
learn what it means to be part of a
truly collective community. Where we
don’t try to dismiss our differences, but
recognise them, celebrate them and use
them as the glue to a rich and diverse
shared culture. We’ve come together
regardless of our differences, be they
of race, religion or sexuality … And it is
this inclusivity and richness of shared
experience, I believe, that we must
always keep searching and fighting for.
We are strong, we are ready and I know
that we have it in us to be our own
‘Happy Guys.’
I hope we do well. I hope we do good.
Thank you, Class of 2015, for a lovely
four years. I know we’ll do wonderful,
wonderful things.
Countries from which people
watched ceremonies online
68
Unique viewer sessions
1,368
To view photo and video
content from the graduation
ceremonies, visit eDunia.
18
In the 2015 graduating class, 31 boys
from Dover Campus and 11 from East
Campus will enlist in National Service
(NS) in Singapore. Both Singaporean
citizens and Permanent Residents
(PRs), these UWCSEA graduates will
spend two years as full-time National
Servicemen at some stage over the next
three years.
Starting National Service can be a
daunting prospect for many students
and their families. It can be difficult
to accept that while their peers are
getting ready to go to university or on
a gap year, it will be two or three years
before they have the opportunity to do
the same. To help NS-liable students
prepare for this commitment, UWCSEA
has developed a programme to assist
them both physically and emotionally.
This starts as early as Grade 9, and
includes information evenings for
families, individual counselling and NS
camp visits and fitness training.
A programme of support
The first step for most families is
attending a NS information evening,
organised by the University Advising
Centre (UAC) team on Dover or East
Campus. Families are encouraged to
attend a session prior to their sons’
mandatory NS registration at age
16 and six months. These provide an
overview of what NS involves, and
UWCSEA alumni currently undertaking
their NS share their experiences and
answer families’ questions. As part of
this session on Dover Campus, Gary
Seston, High School Vice Principal also
shares his experiences, both personal
and professional.
Later on, in Grades 11 and 12, UWCSEA
organises visits to NS camps, and in
the past few years after-school fitness
training for NS-eligible boys has
been offered on Dover Campus. Gary
also counsels families one-on-one,
answering any questions they may have
regarding NS enrolment.
Before and after NS, the UACs help
these students with their university
applications, whether they complete NS
in Singapore or in another country.
An alumnus’ perspective
Adam Seston (Class of 2011, Gary’s son)
completed his NS in February 2014.
Adam started in basic military training,
and then entered Officer Cadet School,
which included two overseas training
tours, to Brunei and Taiwan. In Brunei,
Adam underwent platoon training
and completed an extreme jungle
confidence course. The officers were
later sent to Taiwan, to experience
platoon and company training in cooler
weather conditions. In his final year,
Adam was enrolled at the Infantry
Training Institute, where he worked
as a platoon commander and trainer
to assess the operational readiness
of battalions. Adam reflects on how
UWCSEA helped prepare him for NS:
“UWCSEA taught me the skills of
critical thinking and how to work well
in a group, which were invaluable
assets for my time as an officer. The
emphasis UWCSEA puts on group work
taught me how to understand different
cultures and how to work together
successfully. The difference between
being a great soldier and a great leader,
is your ability to work well with others,
and UWCSEA taught me the skills of
leadership and understanding, time
and time again. As part of the jungle
confidence course, I completed a nine-
day trek with only two days worth of
food through the jungle of Brunei with
nine other men—an unforgettable
experience in group work!”
Now in his first year of a Bachelor of
Commerce degree at the University
of British Columbia in Canada, Adam
shares how NS helped to further
prepare him for university, “NS served
as great preparation for university
… Whereas my friends are getting
flustered or stressed about deadlines
or exams, I am able to keep a level
head and work my way through. I also
learned that what I put into life, is what
I get out. I was really pleased that I
opted for the ‘harder’ route in my NS
training, and chose to become an officer
cadet … I learned so much, and really
exceeded my own expectations of what
I am capable of.”
Collaboration with MINDEF
As the College looks to further support
families whose children have a NS
commitment, we are also working with
the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) to
help improve communication about
the NS programme. MINDEF has made
a concerted effort in the last few
years to reach out to NS-liable boys to
address their concerns, and UWCSEA
is keen to support this effort. Head of
College, Chris Edwards will be serving
for the next two years as Chair of the
Educational Institutions Committee,
a part of the Advisory Council on
Community Relations in Defence, which
was established to deepen engagement
with different segments of the
Singapore population.
In September, UWCSEA is planning an
information session about NS open
to NS-liable boys and their families at
international schools across Singapore,
addressing questions about enlistment
procedures, and giving families a chance
to hear from NS men and their parents.
National Service is a fact of life for
many of our students and UWCSEA and
MINDEF are working together to make
the process a more positive one, and to
highlight the benefits NS can offer.
Singapore National Service
19
“There are three types of
people in the world; those
who make things happen,
those who watch things
happen and those who
wonder what happened. I
invest in you because you
make things happen.”
Shelby Davis
In February 2013, Shelby Davis, co-
founder of the Davis UWC Scholars
Program visited UWCSEA to meet
students at the Singapore campuses
of what he refers to as the ‘world’s
largest family.’ Wyclife Omondi (Class
of 2013, Kenyan National Committee
(NC) Scholar) shared his impressions at
the time: “I was greatly inspired by his
first words, ‘There are three types of
people in the world; those who make
things happen, those who watch things
happen and those who wonder what
happened. I invest in you because you
make things happen.’ These words not
only made me evaluate my role in our
world, but also to hold on to my dreams
and persist in them.”
Wyclife has certainly held true to his
dreams, and now attends Earlham
College, a liberal arts school in
Richmond, Indiana, USA on a Davis-
UWC Scholarship. This summer, with a
US$10,000 grant from President David
Dawson’s Discretionary Fund at Earlham
College, he will return to Nyabondo
Primary School, the mostly-male
school he attended in Kisumu, Kenya.
Davis UWC scholarship students making things happen
He plans to lead a five-week workshop
for 50 boys and girls, aiming to ease
the effects of bullying while enhancing
learning opportunities for girls as part
of a ‘Teens for Peace’ project. “Bullying
of female students in Kenyan mixed
public primary schools has been a major
contributor to poor girl child education,”
he said. “I want to create a culturally
appropriate awareness education
platform that will help both genders
understand each other.”
Kengthsagn Louis (Class of 2013,
Haitian NC) is also on a Davis UWC
scholarship, attending the US liberal
arts college, Skidmore. She is studying
Psychology and Management and
Business. In addition to being awarded
a US$10,000 Davis Projects for Peace
Grant, she has secured an additional
US$9,000 to support her proposal,
‘Practicing Science for a Peaceful
Haiti.’ The project will create a science
laboratory at Lycée Marie-Jeanne,
the all-girls high school located in
Port-au-Prince, Haiti, that Kengthsagn
attended before coming to UWCSEA.
This summer’s Davis Projects for Peace
grant is a second opportunity for her
to contribute to positive development
in Haiti, as Kengthsagn distinguished
herself in her first year at university, as
a Skidmore ‘SEE-Beyond Award’ winner
and has spent last summer interning
with an NGO in Haiti.
The Davis UWC Scholars Program,
founded by Shelby Davis and Philip
Geier, provides scholarships to
talented international students
at American universities. Over 14
years, 276 UWCSEA students have
received financial aid to attend US
universities through the Davis UWC
Scholars Program.
Projects for Peace is an initiative open
to all students at the partner schools
of the Davis UWC Scholars Program.
Students design grassroots, summer
projects—anywhere in the world—to
promote peace and address the root
causes of conflict. This year will be the
ninth summer of Davis Projects for
Peace program, initiated by the late
Kathryn Wasserman Davis, Shelby
Davis’ mother—in celebration of her
own 100th birthday in 2006.
Zimbabwean NC scholar Heather Cox
(Class of 2015, East) contemplated
her experience at UWCSEA and how,
through the support of the Davis UWC
Scholar Program, she will be able to
continue to broaden her perspectives;
“Next year, I will be continuing my
education at Middlebury College in
Vermont, where I hope to do a double
major in music and biochemistry. I’m
excited about the future, but am also
sad about leaving … I know that my
experiences here will have a profound
impact on the way that I live the rest
of my life: it has made me realise that
though perfection is impossible, self-
reflection allows one to evolve into a
better person each day.”
Visit www.davisuwcscholars.org to
learn more about the Davis UWC
Scholars Program, and visit the
UWCSEA website www.uwcsea.edu.
sg to watch a video of Shelby Davis
explaining his commitment
to the program.
20
By Kate Lewis
Teacher of Geography
and Susan Edwards
Head of Global Concerns
Dover Campus
The numbers do count. They count for
the change and the impact that they
bring to both sides of a partnership.
We speak of the incredible partnership
between UWCSEA and Tabitha
Cambodia. A partnership that is 20
years young and still counting.
In the 2014/2015 academic year alone,
UWCSEA has supported the sustainable
and effective Tabitha programmes:
family partnerships, savings, wells,
field ponds, chickens, pigs, school
building and house building to the tune
of SG$282,248. On the ground, this
means that the UWCSEA community
built 100 houses, two schools, sunk
150 wells, dug 10 field ponds and
funded the family partnerships savings
programme in two provinces, as well as
sponsoring the supply of innumerable
chickens and pigs to help families secure
an income that is not dependent on
the weather. Whilst a few chickens
or a litter of piglets may seem like
small steps, they are key to breaking
out of poverty for the recipients, as
Cambodian families need on average of
five different income streams to create
financial security.
Tabitha tells us that over the years,
UWCSEA has built 1,035 houses, 17
schools, funded 1,289 sources of water
and supported 10,784 families through
the family partnerships programme.
The size of an average Cambodian
family is six people, so by extrapolation
this means that UWCSEA has supported
somewhere in the vicinity of 70,914
individuals to break from economic
disadvantage to relative middle class
status. Numbers do count.
Good money certainly follows good
ideas and this year again the Grade
8 student builders espoused the
virtues of Tabitha and worked hard
to fund the houses they built during
the Term 2 holidays. The students
gave presentations to their parents’
companies, they wrote to family
members and asked that they support
Tabitha rather than send birthday
gifts, they gained sponsorships and in
the case of Ana Koczanowski, swam
10 kilometres to raise SG$12,000. All
totalled, the Grade 8 students raised
over SG$105,000, which funded
40 houses. A staggering amount of
money, which demonstrates their
understanding of Tabitha as an effective
grassroots NGO from which they
can learn.
For the UWCSEA community, house
building is about friendships between
different peoples from very different
backgrounds. It is an opportunity to
learn about dignity and about respect
for each other. It is about change,
which includes a change of attitude
from those who have so little to see
that those of us who have so much are
capable of doing hard physical labor
(even though, if we’re honest, it is a
struggle for many!). The volunteers on
the UWCSEA house building teams
also come to a greater awareness of
their own inner strength by working in
difficult conditions in a hot climate, and
at the end of the build appreciate that
they can do so much more than they
Tabitha and UWCSEA – 20
“What an amazing journey we
have had with UWCSEA over
the years … I thank you for
the lives that were touched by
UWCSEA because the College
cared enough to reach out.
May our relationship continue
to grow from strength to
strength.”
Janne Ritskes
Founder-Director
Tabitha Cambodia