Dunia June 2019

June 2019

EXPLORING

DIVERSITY

AT UWCSEA

page 14

CELEBRATING THE

CLASS OF 2019

GRADUATION

page 12

WHAT A TIME TO

BE HERE: FAREWELL

CHRIS EDWARDS

page 4

The universal values of UWC—the celebration of

diversity, education, the environment, peace, sustainable

development, multiculturalism—these are exactly the same

as the aspirations of the UN.”

Pascale Moreau '79

Director of the Bureau for Europe of United Nations High

Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

THE NECESSITY

OF PEACE,

LOVE AND

UNDERSTANDING

Chris Edwards on

UWC's signature

dish—its mission

THANK YOU,

CHRIS

Farewelling our ninth

Head of College

OECD

EDUCATION 2030

PROJECT

Carla Marschall makes

connections to the

UWCSEA concept-

based curriculum

MODELING

FUTURE-

RELEVANT

EDUCATION

Nathan Hunt on

nurturing the

next generation

of scientists and

advocates

A CAMBODIAN

JOURNEY

The annual Grade

8 trip is much more

than History and

Housebuilding

BOARDERS

DIVE IN

Learning a life skill

GRADUATION

Highlights from

the Class of 2019

celebrations

DIVERSITY:

DIFFERENT FOR

EVERYONE

Moving towards a

shared understanding

SPOTLIGHT ON …

Clowning workshop

with Artist-in-

Residence Matthew

Godfrey

DRIVING THE

SUSTAINABILITY

AGENDA

FIB students

investigating our

ecological footprint

HCA HOSPICE

WELCOMED TO

CAMPUS

PACE coordinates

the full 'UWCSEA

experience'

"IT'S COOL

TO BE GOOD."

Dave Shepherd

reflects on 27 years

at the College

BE PREPARED

TO HAVE YOUR

EYES OPENED

WIDE

Katherine Short '90

gives some advice to

incoming UWCSEA

students

LEAVING AND

ARRIVING WELL

Cindy Tisdall-McPhee

shares some strategies

COVER IMAGES

Celebrating

Graduation 2019

Front: Dover Campus

Back: East Campus

June 2019

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, Nabilah Husna Bte Abdul Rahman and Kate Woodford

Photography: Sabrina Lone and members of the UWCSEA community

Design: Nandita Gupta

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 2017–17 July 2023 | 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 2017–9 March 2023 | Charity Registration No. 002104

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OPINION

The necessity of

peace, love and understanding

By Chris Edwards, Head of College

When taking my mother out for lunch

back in the UK, I often make a point

of asking her how many items on the

pub blackboard menu (we don’t do

fine dining) would have appeared on a

menu when she was a girl. The answer

is usually zero. Even a humble pasta dish

would have been an exotic mystery to

a post-war child. How the blackboard

has changed since then. Many dishes

are now prefaced by a hyphenated

history: the fish is pan-seared; the

scallops hand-dived; the mushrooms

forest-foraged. Sometimes it sounds

as if you’re ordering jewellery (a duo

of medallions), a sofa (foam-treated)

or a demolition squad (deconstructed

gateaux). But fads and fashions soon

burn themselves up, and so we can also

be fairly sure that today’s elaborate

compositions au jus will one day be

perceived as passé and possibly rather

silly. And we can also guarantee—it’s

happening already—that some of

the old dishes will reappear in retro

restaurants.

The UWC mission is, to my mind, a

classic dish. It needs no extra sauces

and spices. It may need heating up and

stirring from time to time but little

beyond that. There is something pure

and, you might say, beguilingly naïve

about it. I always equate the problem

of the UWC mission with the title of a

1970’s song by English songwriter Nick

Lowe: "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace,

Love and Understanding". The song

implores us not to forget those things

which matter most, even if they often

lack the faux-sophistication and appeal

of shiny distractions. And it’s a plea for

us not to get lost in the pandemonium

of complexity when simplicity is sitting

in front of you staring silently back. But,

a newly written menu representative of

forces at work in education today might

give pause for thought. While we would

of course see thrilling new challenges

and opportunities being born in this

Fourth Industrial Revolution (where

schools must acknowledge the meshing

of biological, digital and physical

worlds), we also see new, less welcome

dynamics.

We must acknowledge and address the

mental health epidemic of children and

adults alike in an increasingly connected

and pressured world. Our young people

are continuously exposed to wonderful

possibilities, but also to the malice and

manipulation of others. Many adults

too cannot escape the cauldron. When

I started in teaching, long before the

invention of email and social media,

there was no formal contact with

work colleagues, parents or children

from 5pm until 9am the next morning.

Unless the school was burning down

you’d be unlikely to hear anything

about work for 16 hours out of any 24.

The equivalent was true for just about

everyone I knew. Nobody went to bed

with the night’s latest email rattling in

their heads, nor did they reach for their

phone in instinctive panic the second

they woke. The world was, as I recall,

still turning.

An easy way out of the morass, and a

route favoured by many now, is to turn

to populism and absolutism. Too often

what we hear today is: If I don’t get

what I want, or even if you just disagree

with me, I will expose you on social

media and call you out for the Fascist

(or worse) that you are. UWC’s default

position should be never to engage on

such terms. We should assume good

intent, but with the courage to engage

fearlessly if truth is under threat. And

we must recognise that truths can be

nuanced and conditional.

One of those challenging truths for

UWC is that if a UWC education

is to be truly transformative and

inclusive, we need more divergent

thought among student and teacher

bodies alike. There is, perhaps, less

“transformation” in many UWC

educational experiences than there is

extension and enhancement of what

is already there. The makeover is often

wonderful, but you can usually spot

the original underneath. Like attracts

like. Like begets like. Like nurtures like.

And perhaps, with this intensification

of sameness, there is a looming danger

that increasingly we will hear not the

liberating call of the mission statement,

but the stifling arrogance of dogma.

And surely, “UWC dogma” ought to be

an oxymoron. Dogma is delivered from

a pedestal: the UWC mission should

have us looking people in the eye.

So, after all that, here I am looking

at the menu in my restaurant. Do I

recognise anything? Am I hopeful?

Absolutely I am. UWC’s signature

dish—its mission—remains at the

top of the blackboard, written in the

largest hand. People still want it. In fact

they want it more than ever. I guess

there’s nothing funny about peace,

love and understanding. From Mostar

to Moshi, Mahindra to Maastricht, the

message from UWC should be clear

2 | Dunia June 2019

and brave. Yes, things will go wrong

every day and provide naysayers

with endless ammunition: yes, we

must look after ourselves if we are to

impact the lives of others: and yes,

that means a host of new strategies

to deal with the rabid intensity of

modern connected life (and one of

those strategies is, of course, to reject

it). But there are great and wonderful

truths to be told. We should all be

deeply proud of UWC, the mission, and

of the UWCSEA community. Time and

time again, UWCSEA has shown what

being a great UWC can look like: our

remarkable students excel and inspire;

my colleagues offer their passion and

expertise with selfless dedication; our

parents support and engage with verve

and energy; and from all around the

world people and organisations come

to see what and why and how we do it.

What stories we have for such people.

To have worked for five happy years at

one of the world’s great international

schools has been an honour. To have

lived five happy years at one of the

world’s great UWCs transcends even

that. It has been a vital, electrifying

experience, sprinkled with instances of

exuberance and enchantment. Thank

you to everyone who made it so.

When all is said and done we should

present Kurt Hahn’s extraordinary faith

in the young as the unadorned truth

that it is. It isn’t a message of hope: it is

a statement of necessity.

June 2019 Dunia | 3

We welcome Chris as UWCSEA's newest 'alum' and celebrate his tremendous leadership and service to the College and the UWC movement.

Thank you for inspiring us to strive to be a great UWC. We wish you all the best on the journey ahead.

Chris Edwards

Ninth Head of UWC South East Asia

UWCSEA.

WHAT

A PLACE

TO BE,

AND WHAT

A TIME TO

BE THERE.”

FEATURE

Thank you, Chris!

"What a place to be, and what a time to be there."

Such was Chris’ opening message to our community on his appointment as the ninth Head of UWCSEA. As we prepare

to farewell Chris after five years as Head of College, we’ve asked a cross-section of his community for a reflection on his

contribution to the College, Singapore and the UWC movement as a whole.

What a time it's been indeed.

“While Chris was our Head of College, he pushed us to

look beyond our two campuses and moved us closer to the

heart of the UWC movement, we also became more deeply

embedded in Singapore. Chris pushed us to examine our

commitment to the UWC mission and pave the way for a

sustainable future for UWCSEA. We enjoyed his unique

communication style and his self-deprecating sense of

humour. His musical talents, and in particular his parodies

lifted the spirits of many. Thank you, Chris.”

Anna Lord, Chair, UWCSEA Board of Governors

“There are few people today who try hard to remain so down

to earth: Chris is one such person. But he is no ‘common

man’—far from it. I have had profound and significant

conversations with him and his point of view has always been

shaped by notions of fairness and decency. I have also had

conversations that have been about poetry, literature, art,

history, philosophy—when it was both a joy and a marvel

to share his eclectic frame of reference. And then—perhaps

most memorably—there have been times when he has

made me laugh like a drain and enjoy the rich absurdities

of life. And that is Chris: wise, humourous, forgiving. And

effortlessly good company. Albeit with a disconcerting habit

of playing the piano at the drop of a hat.”

Jonathan Carter, Director of Admissions, UWCSEA

“One of the things I admire is Chris’ willingness to meet

people and talk to them about any and all concerns they

might have. He truly embodies the UWC mission and has,

through his work at the College, promoted the values and

strengthened the relationship between UWCSEA and the

UWC movement as a whole.”

Agnes Bjørn Andersen '20, scholar from Denmark

“You tossed yu sheng with gardeners with the widest smile,

did not mind getting scolded by the barista as you forgot to

bring your mug, poured some wine with gratitude at holiday

lunch and chauffeured me to the MRT station. A heartfelt

thank you for what I call Leadership Redefined.”

Aman Singh Chauhan, Operations Manager, UWCSEA

“Chris has impressed and inspired us—with his balanced and

considered perspective at International Board meetings,

with his way with words (much to the benefit of our UWC

Strategy 2018 and Beyond) and with great ideas and

impulses he has contributed to UWC International (such as

the UWC Impact Study with Harvard University). In short,

Chris has done no less than bring UWCSEA back to the

centre of the UWC movement, where it belongs. Thank you,

Chris, and may this be your lasting legacy at UWC!”

Jens Waltermann, Executive Director, UWC International

“Chris’ passion to see that his students really benefited from

the experience of interacting with and contributing back to

the Singapore community was evident during his sharing of

how the school has been engaging the community. I wish

you all the best in your next endeavour and trust that you

will continue to leave behind positive legacies no matter

where you go.”

Dr Andrew Lim 林贤文, Director, Volunteer Resource

Optimisation, Fund-Raising & Engagement Group,

National Council of Social Service, Singapore

“Leading UWCSEA must be one of the most challenging

and rewarding positions that an educational leader can take

on. We have shared some of the challenges and created

what I think will be some enduring solutions. You have met

the twin imposters of triumph and disaster head-on, with

equanimity and resolve; you have kept your virtue and not

lost the common touch; and yours, now, is the earth, on a

different island. May the soil be soft to turn.”

Graham Silverthorne, Head of UWCSEA East

“Chris put his heart and soul into UWCSEA and Singapore.

He was always the friendliest of people to all local staff

while at the same time working with Senior Ministers

of State on significant national committees. He treated

everyone the same way: with respect. I will miss his humour,

warmth and sincere appreciation of the local community.”

Aye Thida, Executive Assistant to Head of College

OPINION

Taking part in the

OECD EDUCATION 2030

PROJECT

Values

Attitudes

Knowledge

Skills

Co-agency with peers,

teachers, parents,

communities

Well-being

2030

Student agency

OECD LEARNING COMPASS 2030

Reproduced with permission from OECD

6 | Dunia June 2019

By Carla Marschall

Head of Curriculum Development

and Research, UWCSEA

Over the past year, Stuart MacAlpine,

Director of Teaching and Learning on

East Campus and I had the privilege to

contribute to working groups as part

of the OECD Education 2030 project.

The Organisation for Economic Co-

operation and Development (OECD)

is an intergovernmental organisation

with 36 member countries that seeks to

promote global progress, especially in

the economic realm. Its Education 2030

project sets out a vision for education

and “provides points of orientation

towards the future we want: individual

and collective well-being” (OECD, 2019,

p. 4). Specifically, the project "aims

to help education systems determine

the knowledge, skills, attitudes and

values students need to thrive in and

shape their future" and to identify how

schools and other educational systems

can deliberately develop them.

With an interest in both the UWC

movement and Stuart MacAlpine’s work

with Sky School (a global high school

for refugee and displaced youth and

UWCx initiative), we were invited to

share our perspectives across a number

of project areas. As we took part in

working groups, made up of educational

leaders from across the globe and a

variety of contexts, we reflected on the

relevance of the UWC mission and the

choices we have made as a College in the

construction of our learning programme.

The aims of the OECD Education 2030

project will sound very familiar to

anyone who has spent time at UWCSEA

or read about our learning programme.

Indeed, when we reflected on how

our current and future thinking about

education connects to global trends and

developments, a few parallels became

evident. Here are our conclusions:

Relevance of the UWC mission

Firstly, and most importantly, the

UWC mission to make education a force

to unite people, nations and cultures

for peace and a sustainable future has

never been more relevant. One of the

goals of the OECD learning framework,

called the Learning Compass 2030,

is to develop students’ “sense of

purpose and responsibility while

[they] learn to influence the people,

events and circumstances around

them for the better” (Ibid, p. 4). This

action-orientation, evident in both

our mission and the articulated goals

of Education 2030, invites students to

use their hands, hearts and heads to

meaningfully engage with and inspire

change in the world around them. As a

result, our learners actively contribute

to the sustainable development of

local and global communities, doing

their part to tackle the myriad social,

economic and ecological issues

emerging around the globe.

Developing student agency

In order to enact our mission, students

need to develop their sense of agency,

another core theme of the Education

2030 framework. Student agency goes

deeper than choice or autonomy. It

relates to the development of identity

grounded in, “motivation, hope, self-

efficacy and a growth mindset” (Ibid,

p. 15). When we invite students to take

part in service-learning opportunities

at the College, local or global level,

for instance, they see how their

actions can indeed make a difference.

By understanding and recognising

complexity through real-life experiences,

our students can identify leverage points

whilst seeking to minimise unintended

consequences of their actions. This

realisation that they can influence the

world around them in positive ways

shapes their identity as a changemaker.

UWCSEA’s holistic learning programme

provides breadth and balance of

opportunity. Throughout the diverse

set of experiences it affords, one way

we build learners' sense of agency is by

developing the Qualities and Skills of

our Learner Profile. The Science class

that asks students to hone their skills

as a critical thinker and the after school

swimming session that builds resilience

combine to create individuals who can

engage flexibly and conscientiously

with the world around them. Designing

opportunities for students to develop

their agency within our learning

programme continues to guide the

strategic thinking of the College.

Creating a curriculum that

enables transfer of learning

Another connection we made to the

Education 2030 framework was the

idea of explicitly “teaching for transfer”

and making transfer of learning an

expectation of our programme.

The Education 2030 framework

acknowledges how, “Teaching to big

ideas can lead to deeper learning and

more effective transfer of knowledge

and skills” (Ibid, p. 51). The design of

UWCSEA’s concept-based curriculum,

centred around big ideas and significant

concepts, enables us to facilitate

transfer of learning. We do this in

the classroom by inviting students

to construct and express their own

conceptual understandings and apply

them to new contexts. When students

can transfer their knowledge, skills

and understandings, they can use

their learning critically and creatively

in new situations. Thus our learning

programme actively builds student

agency and supports students in

enacting the UWC mission both during

and after their time at the College.

Taking part in working groups as part of

the OECD Education 2030 project has

granted us the valuable opportunity to

look outwards in order to look inwards.

Our work at UWCSEA both mirrors

global trends as well as provides us with

inspiration for future developments.

Sources

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and

Development, OECD Future of Education and

Skills 2030 Concept Notes, 2019.

http://www.oecd.org/education/2030-project/

For more information

please visit:

https://curriculum.

uwcsea.edu.sg/

June 2019 Dunia | 7

Nurturing the next generation of scientists and advocates

By Nathan Hunt

Director of Sustainability, UWCSEA

While members of UWCSEA’s

Rainforest Restoration Project (RRP)

love nothing more than planting trees

with members of our community,

their dedication to sharing their work

is having an increasing impact in

the wider Singapore landscape. As

well as sheltering hundreds of often

critically endangered tree seedlings, the

specialist nurseries on both UWCSEA

campuses are helping to nurture

the next generation of reforestation

scientists and advocates. Our long-

term partnership with the National

University of Singapore (NUS) and

NParks, the Singapore government’s

National Parks Board, is providing

both excellent opportunities for

applied learning for UWCSEA students

and exciting chances to contribute

to Singapore’s national strategy for

biodiversity conservation.

A very productive start to the year in

2019 culminated in our participation

in a Forest Restoration workshop

hosted by NParks at the Bukit Timah

Nature Reserve Headquarters. The

workshop was the initiative of Dr

Chua Siew Chin, a lecturer at NUS’

Ridge View Residential College (RVRC)

who is an experienced researcher

and key advocate for tropical forest

restoration here on the island. As well

as developing learning modules for her

RVRC students, Dr Chua also kindly

supervised RRP member and Grade

12 Dover student Naomi Schulberg

in her IB Diploma Programme (IBDP)

Extended Essay research.

The workshop was an opportunity to

showcase this learning as well as to

develop more community engagement

in this important work. Naomi

presented her experimental study of

the performance of rainforest seedlings

in degraded soil from secondary forest

sites known locally as ‘Adinandra

belukar forest’ for the dominant species

that has populated these abandoned

agricultural plots. As much of the

reforestation work in Singapore will

be enriching these relatively species-

poor, nutrient deficient sites, Naomi’s

research contributes to much-needed

knowledge about the best strategies

for ensuring successful regeneration

of primary forest species. Her study

is currently being considered for

publication in one of Singapore’s

scientific journals. This is an exciting

development as Naomi prepares to

study Environmental Science at Cornell

University, USA.

Alongside Dr Chua and Naomi, NParks

Conservation Manager Zhou Boyi

led a discussion on how the audience

of educators and students could be

involved in Singapore’s ambitious

new Reforestation Plan. Introduced

by NParks Director of Conservation

research, Dr Adrian Loo, the 10-year

plan provides for the planting of over

250,000 native trees and shrubs,

predominantly in the Nature Parks

that act as buffer zones for the more

biodiverse Central Catchment and Bukit

Timah Nature Reserves. Developing

more tree nurseries, using the school-

based model developed by the

UWCSEA RRP, is seen as a key strategy

to both engage more young people in

conservation and volunteer efforts,

as well as to provide the number

of saplings necessary to meet this

ambitious planting target.

UWCSEA was pleased to be able

to share our work with a wider

audience of other schools at the

workshop, and already this year we

Modeling future-relevant

FEATURE

8 | Dunia June 2019

have welcomed visitors from Dulwich

College (Singapore), Hwa Chong,

Commonwealth Secondary and

Anglo-Chinese School (Independent)

to examine our model and the Lycée

Français were due to visit in Term 3.

The academic year will finish with us

planting out many of our saplings in

Jurong Lake Gardens as part of the

Reforestation Plan, as well as on the

Dulwich College (Singapore) campus

and in gardens of some of Singapore’s

iconic ‘black and white’ housing estates,

thanks to interested parents and

friends. On campus, our planting will

continue through the highly successful

Adopt-a-Tree programme, which to

date has seen 304 trees adopted since

its launch on East Campus in 2011.

Alongside Naomi’s research, Amenech,

Grade 12 scholar from Ethiopia at

East, also wrote her Extended Essay

on adaptation to varying light levels

of some of our critically endangered

tree species. As a long serving

member of the project, her exposure

to our research with Yale-NUS

meant that she could draw on data

she had collected herself over many

months in the rooftop nursery on

East Campus. And this year on Dover

Campus, three of our Grade 12 RRP

members completed their Certificate

of Tropical Forest Restoration before

graduating in late May. The Certificate

is a UWCSEA qualification for which

members of the RRP can elect to

study. The assessment is based on a

minimum two-year commitment to

the RRP and evaluates practical skills

and theory as well as outreach work.

Students learn within the campus tree

nurseries, at community plantings

and through expert input and advice

from NParks and NUS/Yale-NUS staff

and researchers. To date 11 UWCSEA

students or graduates have received

their certification as part of the

programme.

This opportunity to combine a

grand passion with rigorous learning

and genuine service is the ultimate

ambition of both the IBDP and the

UWC movement. With discussions

beginning about the evolution of

educational pathways to deliver more

personalised, innovative approaches to

learning, perhaps UWCSEA’s Rainforest

Restoration Project could serve as an

experimental model as we innovate to

deliver future-relevant education.

education

Now a key part of UWCSEA’s Service

programme, the development and

expansion of this dual-campus

programme was made possible

by generous gifts from the Kirtida

and Bharat Mekani Environmental

Sustainability Fund. To further the

work of the RRP and extend its

outreach, UWCSEA is constructing

a dedicated Ecology Centre as

part of the Green Heart of Dover

Development.

Visit the Rainforest

Restoration Project

blog for more: https://

rainforestnursery.

blogspot.com

June 2019 Dunia | 9

By Chris Davies, Teacher of Mathematics

and Tabitha Trip Leader, Dover Campus

At the end of Term 2, 80 Grade 8 students

participated in the 13th History and

Global Concerns Trip to Cambodia. This

trip embodies all that UWCSEA aspires to

be, by giving students a genuine insight

into the hardships faced by others and an

understanding of the difference they can

make in the world through individual and

collective action.

On the first day in Cambodia, the students

learnt about the country’s recent brutal

history. The students started by visiting

the Tabitha Office where they learnt about

Cambodia’s history and the experiences of

the Tabitha staff through a briefing from the

ever-inspiring Janne Ritskes, the founder and

director of Tabitha. They then visited key

historical sites: the Tuol Sleng (S21) Genocide

Museum and the Choeung Ek Killing Fields.

Both are very harrowing places, but they

provide an important insight into why there

is a need for the help we were there to offer.

Over the following two days the students

travelled out of Phnom Penh to build 40

houses: 20 in Prey Veng Province and 20 in

Svay Rieng Province. The students had been

looking forward to this part of the trip for

several months, working to raise funds to pay

for the houses—this year, raising over $80,000.

Building the houses in the heat was a very

physically demanding job but the handover

ceremony, when the houses were formally

presented to the families, is a memory that will

stay with the students for a very long time.

On the fourth day, the students visited either

the Punley School in Prey Veng or the Ampil

School in Svay Rieng, running activities

and playing games with the children in the

school. This day was quite challenging for

many of our students due to the language

barrier, but as the sessions went on they

learnt the importance of visual cues and

everyone had a lot of fun.

On the final day of the trip, our students

visit one of our Global Concerns partner

organisations in Phnom Penh, learning

firsthand about their projects and challenges:

Indochina Starfish Foundation Schools, Wat

Chann Heimberg Centre, Sombok Chab Slum

Young Leaders Centre, or Tiny Toones.

Students (and staff) came back from the trip

both physically and emotionally exhausted

but with a sense of genuine satisfaction

about the work they had done, the lessons

they learnt about themselves, and what

they can do for other people. These are

invaluable as many of the students will go on

to become the Service and Global Concerns

leaders in High School.

Said Kate Woodford, UWCSEA's Senior

Marketing Manager who joined the trip,

"The trip is an immersive journey through

the recent history of Cambodia—hearing

firsthand about how the country came to

be in such desperate need, learning about

the horrors they experienced, then creating

hope through partnerships in housebuilding

and education, and finally gaining personal

understanding of our shared humanity during

the NGO visits. I felt privileged to observe

this happen; one student expressed a high

degree of uncertainty and nervousness the

morning of the first school visit, asking how

she was going to communicate with students

who had no English at the village school and

hanging back in the classroom there. And

yet, the very next morning, she was in tears

when saying goodbye to the children who

had been in her classroom at the ISF 2 school

as she hugged them farewell. She had an

incredibly powerful experience. What struck

me was how the trip allowed our students to

witness the positive impact they can make,

and recognise that there are things they

can do personally to connect with others

in their shared humanity, despite their life

circumstances being so very different."

A CAMBODIAN JOURNEY

COMMUNITY NEWS

An immersive experience in our shared humanity

Photos supplied by Susan Edwards

10 | Dunia June 2019

Less than a year ago, boarding student and

scholar Sylvain Yabre, Grade 11, did not

want to entertain the thought of going into

a swimming pool—now he proudly calls

himself “a fish” in the water.

"I was hostile to the idea of getting into the

swimming pool, and it was something I kept

myself away from for a very long time,” he

recalled. “Back in my old school I would

resist getting into the pool; I didn't know how

to swim and I wasn't interested at all. But

within a month here I was able to jump into

the water and swim as I wish. Today I can call

myself a fish."

Sylvain is part of Start to Swim, a learn-

to-swim programme comprising some

dozen students from the Dover Boarding

community, not one of whom started the

school year knowing how to swim well, or

at all.

The initiative was kicked off by Sophie

Morley, Senior Houseparent at the Nelson

Mandela Boarding House and several

enthusiastic peer coaches. Later joined by the

leader of the Community Swim programme,

coach Sarah-Jane Clark, the Start to

Swim programme has been taking place

consistently every Sunday at the campus

swimming pool.

Shared Sophie, "At one Boarding House

barbecue pool party, I remember seeing a

group of the new boarders—many of whom

happened to be UWC National Committee

scholars—all huddled together in the shallow

end of the pool. That was week one. Now

they’re swimming lengths and jumping or

diving in.”

Swimming is a life-skill many who have

grown up in the UWCSEA community will

take for granted, with PE lessons in the pool

and sea-based Outdoor Education trips from

a young age. But for some students it is a

privilege that involves plenty of discipline

and brave overcoming of fears.

Said Sophie, “We recognise that when

students join this school they may not have

had any formal PE lessons, or have had the

chance to learn how to swim. We want to

give them some tools for self-improvement,

and acknowledge the fact that not everyone

starts here at the same point. We want them

to be water safe and water confident.”

This team effort would not have been

possible without Coach Sarah-Jane who

offers her expertise as a professional swim

teacher, facilitating and supervising the

lessons. She has allowed Start to Swim to

blossom, and strengthens the possibility of

its continuation as an annual programme.

Sarah-Jane credits the high level of

commitment among the boarders to the

peer coaches, many of whom consistently

swim alongside the learners every week.

Said Sophie, "It was a good way to meet

people and establish connections. What

I was blown away with was that a lot of

people weren't helping for the CAS [the

compulsory Creativity, Activity, Service part

of the IB Diploma Programme] credit. They

were coaching because they were available

and the lessons gave them a chance to

connect with new people."

“Start to Swim gave me an opportunity to

be immersed in the joy of swimming,” said

Shiqi Yang, a Grade 11 peer coach. “Through

teaching, stronger relationships were built

between me and my friends.”

Boarders also learnt survival skills, basic

rescue skills, and kayaking. Over the school

holidays, when many of our scholars are

unable to travel home, access to swimming

and other water-based activities keep the

students stimulated and engaged—a much-

needed respite from their studies.

DIVING IN TO BOARDING

COMMUNITY NEWS

Peer-to-peer swim coaching

Photos supplied by Dover Boarding

June 2019 Dunia | 11

GRADUATION 2019

Societies can only be truly prosperous, stable and

peaceful if they include everyone. As citizens, we

have rights, but we also have obligations, and you

know this because you have had the privilege of

learning and living in a multicultural diversity that

promotes understanding and tolerance. Please

keep this alive. It is one of UWC’s most precious

gifts, and each of you can make a difference."

Pascale Moreau '79

Director of the Bureau for Europe of United

Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

(UNHCR) and Dover Graduation guest speaker

The world beyond UWC isn’t something to

fear, because we must remember that it is

our actions that shaped our atmosphere.

We worked to create this reality, which

means we have the ability to do it again,

to extend this bubble beyond 1207 Dover

Road. So as you go forward in your life, even

if you are scared, even if you’re not sure,

because none of us truly are, do not let the

expectations you set for yourself hinder you

from taking risks. I hope we remember that

each of us have something to offer."

Teddy Diallo '19 and Ritika Purbey '19

Class speakers, Dover Campus

569

students

scholars

countries

When I think of our legacy, I can’t think of

a better way to set an example for future

grades than the way we did: together.

It highlighted how far we've come and

showed our exemplary levels of cohesion.

The journeys we take and the memories

we forge are immeasurably better when we

have others to share it with. I would urge

you all to carry on the spirit of cohesion

that we have cultivated."

Adhwaith Neralla '19

Class speaker, East Campus

Whether you are a novelist, a filmmaker, a baker,

or a data scientist, it’s all about creative problem-

solving. It is a common mission. In all this, what

I’ve realised is that to believe, to care, to pursue

with conviction together, is what strings together

meaningful moments in one’s life. I’m really

excited for your future today. I’m excited for my

future because you are going to be the leaders

in it."

Ayesha Khanna

CEO, ADDO AI, Founder of 21C Girls, East Campus

parent and East Graduation guest speaker

By Elizabeth Bray, Head of Dover Campus and

Erin Robinson, Middle School Principal, East Campus

Martin Luther King Jr’s quote sits very comfortably within our

community-wide conversation about why we value diversity

at UWCSEA and we would be foolhardy to ignore important

lessons from the past. The diversity of our community is most

definitely one of our greatest sources of strength. Around the

world, it is not difficult to find communities struggling with

the fear and uncertainty of embracing difference versus the

illusion of security found by closing the door and protecting

the known.

Kurt Hahn’s vision for UWC recognised the power of an

educational system that deliberately brought different people

together for a shared purpose. At UWCSEA we welcome and

embrace the beauty of our differences because we know that

peace and sustainability will only be achieved through the

combined strengths and differences of many. Recently, we

have asked ourselves hard questions about the ‘look, sound

and feel’ of diversity and inclusion on our campuses.

UWCSEA is unique in the world of international school

education because we consciously cultivate a diverse student

body through our K–12 day students, residential boarders

and scholars. In an international school setting, many

students will learn how to navigate cultural differences as

their social skills develop. However, it is not enough to leave

the development of intercultural competency to chance.

Supporting students to better understand their identity

and the role that cultural differences play in relationships

and building strong communities are key themes in our

Personal and Social Education (PSE) curriculum. You also see

intercultural learning in our Service learning and programmes

such as the Initiative for Peace (IfP). A core standard of our

membership within the Council for International Schools (CIS)

requires us to ensure that our Guiding Statements “endorse

the school’s commitment to developing intercultural learning”

and from the perspective of the CIS accreditation process,

UWCSEA is in many ways a model for embracing diversity.

And yet we know that there is more to do.

Our mission compels us to strive for intentional and deep

intercultural skill building. In turn, this drives our aspiration

to have inclusive and equitable organisational learning

environments and operational systems. It is because of this,

the UWCSEA Strategy highlights diversity and inclusion as a

strategic area of focus. As we began to explore how we might

support diversity to flourish throughout UWCSEA in the

future, our starting point was to engage with the members of

our community to learn more about what aspects of diversity

matter to them. The ‘world café’ process at the end of Term

2 this year created an opportunity for students, staff, school

leaders, parents, governors and alumni to share ideas and

contribute to outcomes of an Action for Diversity strategic

plan. Structured dialogue provides the means to elicit deep

Diversity:

different for

everyone

An individual has not started living until they can rise

above the narrow confines of their individualistic

concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.”

Martin Luther King Jr

14 | Dunia June 2019

conversation that is important at both an individual level and

a collective level. It also allows the participants to deepen

their understanding of one another’s perspectives.

What emerged from the two world café’s was fascinating,

demonstrating first and foremost that diversity is valued

by our community. Through dialogue, it was clear that

diversity is complex. While one might initially think that an

international school would focus on visual diversity such as

nationality, race and gender, our community extends the

thinking to embrace notions of cognitive, ability, language,

political diversity and so on. Several of our boarding students

also pointed to the differences in experience between day

students who may have grown up as ‘Third Culture Kids’

(TCKs) and scholars whose childhoods are firmly rooted

in their family’s culture. Our scholars are selected in part

because of their ability to contribute to cultural diversity but

their cultural identity is different from our TCKs in ways that

may not be immediately obvious. This adds to the intricate

tapestry of student diversity at UWCSEA.

More than once we heard the comment “it’s not about ticking

a box” made with reference to the concept of diversity. It is

clear that the community values these conversations and the

opportunity to explore these ideas through dialogue, with

a view to addressing bias and uncovering unconscious bias.

There have been numerous requests to hold more world cafés

and to further explore and develop opportunities in which

our entire community can learn together. Conversation and

making meaning together is also a powerful vehicle to raise

awareness and push towards a greater understanding of

one another.

We know that diversity and inclusion are intertwined in the

minds and hearts of our community, and we hope to explore

this further in the next steps of our project. In Term 3, parents

were invited to complete a community survey that included

diversity-focused questions. A similar survey will go to staff

and students early in the next academic year. We expect

that this will be followed by focus groups and additional

community outreach. We are also engaging with experts in

the field, both in education and non-educational sectors.

Based on this work, in Term 1 next school year we will develop

an action plan.

The peace and sustainability of our planet has always needed

communities operating with a high degree of intercultural

competence. With hindsight, all educational organisations

should have been prioritising these skills and understandings

at least as much as—if not more than—other educational

priorities. Intentionally infusing intercultural competence

throughout our school culture as well as into the individual

actions of our students, staff and wider community is

well within our grasp—one action at a time. Diversity has

always been a part of the UWC journey and we’re thrilled

that through a strategic focus our community will have

the opportunity to deepen our individual and collective

understanding of the power of differences.

FEATURE

June 2019 Dunia | 15

The Middle School at East Campus recently welcomed back Drama artist-in-residence, Matthew Godfrey for the

third time. Matthew conducted interactive workshops with students, teaching them about how to engage an

audience through the age old art of clowning.

SPOTLIGHT

ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE

WORKSHOPS

SPOTLIGHT ON …

16 | Dunia June 2019

Explore some of the students' sustainability

project websites linked on the online

version of the article (via the QR code).

Calculate your ecological footprint:

http://www.footprintcalculator.org/

By Kirstie Parker, High School Science Teacher, East Campus

Our Foundation IB (FIB) programme Science course has

always provided students with great opportunities to acquire

research and evaluation skills in order to expand their scientific

knowledge. This year we concluded our FIB Science programme

with a project that not only allowed students to demonstrate

their research skills, but also enabled them to learn how science

can be used to work towards a peaceful and sustainable future.

Sustainability, ecological footprint and climate change are

buzzwords we commonly hear, but it was clear to us that many

students didn’t understand the true meaning of these words.

“Before we started this project I personally thought that

sustainability just means the reuse of plastics and not throwing

rubbish carelessly, not knowing that it is actually more than

that," said student Lusiana Mailakeba.

This year we rewrote our entire unit on Sustainability to

ensure that students would not only know how to reduce their

ecological footprint, but also feel inspired to make change—no

matter how small. The driving question was: "How can we help

our community to become more sustainable?"

Mireille Couture, Head of Environmental Systems and

Societies, kicked the project off by sharing about the

definition and various models of sustainability. We learned

about the interconnectedness of environmental, social and

economic factors and discussed whether some were more

important than others.

Students also calculated their ecological footprint and were

staggered to find out that if everybody on Earth used the

same amount of resources as they do, we would require at

least four Earths. They were realising just how many resources

they used and questioning which of their actions were the

biggest contributors.

Student groups were given the role of “sustainability

consultants” and allocated a teacher-client. They diligently

prepared interview questions and nervously met their clients

for the first time to find out more about their lifestyles. Then,

they began researching. At first, they discussed cutting down

on air travel, recycling and reusable bags, but as they delved

FIB students drive the sustainability agenda

deeper into research, the solutions became more creative. By

the second week they were discussing sustainable credit cards,

toiletries, cat products and the differences between the A380

and A350 airplanes (the A350 is much more sustainable!).

In their final client meetings, students presented a website

containing the culmination of all their research. Collaboration

with Digital Perspectives meant that students learnt about

the Science behind sustainable choices, and how to create a

website which includes podcasts, infographics and a space for

client feedback.

As the world has seen from student activist Greta Thunberg,

to be an environmentalist is no longer a private affair: we need

advocates to share their thinking so others can join in for the

greater good of our planet. Learning to design media that is

accessible, articulate and convincing is a 21st century skill. If

technology can amplify our voices, don't we have a responsibility

as a UWC to use those tools in accordance with our mission?

We could not have been more impressed with the students’

professionalism and articulation of their findings. “The group

gave background knowledge and practical steps for moving

forward—I can make changes today that will support my own

wellbeing, my pocket and local and global sustainability—

what a win!” said Cathy Jones, East Campus High School

Vice Principal.

The students valued having an authentic audience for their

learning and it is clear that they haven’t simply learned about

sustainability with their brains—the lessons have also snuck

into their hearts. The final reflections from the students

demonstrated their takeaways from this project and we

couldn’t be more excited to do this again next year—perhaps

with parents as clients.

FEATURE

June 2019 Dunia | 17

It was all smiles on Friday, 10 May, as 18 guests from HCA

Hospice Care (HCA) were taken on a customised, wheelchair-

friendly Sustainability Tour of Dover Campus.

The special event was the long-awaited brainchild of parent

volunteer group, Parents’ Action for Community and

Education (PACE). The PACE volunteers organised a wonderful

array of activities and experiences for the visitors which began

the moment they stepped onto campus.

Throughout the morning, our guests were given the full

UWCSEA experience—from being serenaded by our Junior

School student-singers and soloists, to traveling to far-

away places in the exciting IDEAS Hub green screen room,

to getting their creative juices flowing with a fun string-art

activity. The tour also took them around the campus, where

they learnt about UWCSEA’s sustainability mission and

exchanged stories with our students. Looking across the

group, the joy from all present was palpable. And for good

reason: it was a big occasion for both PACE and HCA—two

groups who have worked closely together for a decade.

A long-standing relationship

HCA Hospice Care is a registered charity providing comfort

and support to patients with life-limiting illnesses and their

families. For years, PACE has been volunteering with the HCA

Day Hospice, organising entertainment, celebrating many

different cultural events, keeping patients company and

learning about their lives and stories twice a month.

It seemed natural then, for PACE volunteers to, bring some

of the hospice patients to UWCSEA, to celebrate the long-

standing relationship. This time, it would be all hands on

deck, with support and contributions for the day-tour enlisted

from the UWCSEA Foundation, the Junior School Music

Department and the IDEAS Hub.

The tour thoughtfully combined four elements of UWCSEA’s

goals: sustainability, service, activities and community

engagement. When Rachelle Gaa, PACE Local Outreach

coordinator, came up with the idea to celebrate the HCA and

PACE relationship, she thought, “Why not bring the patients

to UWCSEA to see what goes on, and what is so special about

this school firsthand?”

With the variety of activities programmed for the day, our

guests had an all-rounded experience of the uniqueness of

UWCSEA. Said Robin McAdoo, Head of Communications

at PACE, “The effort toward sustainability is celebrated and

shared, the benefit for both volunteers and patients in giving

service is received, the creativity and physical movement

provides exercise for the brain and memories to come, and

finally, the whole of the community coming together to

collaborate on this multifaceted event engages people who

might not meet or work side by side otherwise.

Our appreciation to everyone involved in planning and

working toward making this event successful and productive

is bottomless.”

GUESTS FROM HCA HOSPICE GET

COMMUNITY NEWS

18 | Dunia June 2019