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ALUMNI NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY 2021 01

WELCOME WELCOME

A group of students on a Christmas day walk to Nash Point

Dear alumni, I hope that 2021 has been off to a great start for you. At UWC Atlantic we entered the new year full of optimism and excitement about the developments that will take place at the College over the next 11 months. We were delighted that, despite the current global pandemic, we were able to welcome back over 90% of our students following the winter break. We are thrilled to report that all students tested negative on the last test after the 10 day quarantine period. This means they have been able to form one household campus and can go back to some sort of normality. There are so many people to thank for ensuring this happened; the nurses working around the clock to look after and test students, the wellbeing team for organising everything and everyone who so generously donated to our covid appeal before Christmas. We are pleased that after consideration of guidance from governing bodies, given the nature of our campus and student cohort, service and activities recommenced on Campus on 25th January. Our first newsletter features two of our most exciting initiatives; the ‘Ways of Life’ programme and the ‘Changemaker Curriculum’. They encapsulate everything that is so stimulating and innovative about a UWC Atlantic education. I hope you enjoy reading it! Thank you for your generous support throughout 2020. We look forward to continuing working with you to make 2021 exceptional! With renewed thanks, Andrea Diez de Sollano Director of Philanthropy, Partnerships and Engagement

OPENING OF NEW STUDENT HOUSES

To add to the excitement of the students returning, we were delighted to welcome students into the two newest houses on campus, Kurt Hahn House and Antonin Besse House. The houses were named after two of the most important individuals in the history of the College, the founder of UWC Atlantic, Kurt Hahn and the man who donated St Donatâ€™s Castle to make Kurt Hahnâ€™s idea a reality, Antonin Besse. 04

Lots of hard work took place over the winter break to furnish Kurt Hahn House so that the first group of students could move in when they returned from the break. As they had to spend the mandatory 10 day isolation period in the house, they had plenty of time to settle in! The two houses have been designed in collaboration with students to meet their needs and feel like home. Students in the houses have the traditional UWC Atlantic experience of living with three dorm-mates whilst also maximising features that help students' wellbeing. The rooms are spacious with each student having access to a lockable locker. The common areas; the dayroom, kitchen and quiet room, are all designed to let as much natural light in as possible with all of the facilities students need. As part of UWC Atlantic’s commitment to be ‘Of Wales’, the houses have been designed in a traditional ‘Welsh Longhouse’ style so that they fit in with our surroundings. The houses conform to high environmental standards with features such as insulation and solar panels meaning they leave as small a carbon footprint as possible. To increase our inclusivity, the houses have a range of features to help ease access to the house, such as an accessible toilet and a lift.

There are forty eight students per house, divided equally between the two floors. Each floor has a conjoined flat for the houseparent, decreasing the number of students per houseparent. To accommodate this, we have appointed four new houseparents, who have all moved into their new flats. Claudia Valarino, Activity Coordinator and Francine Mohammed, University Guidance Counsellor are the houseparents in Kurt Hahn House while Emma Gaze, Additional Learning Needs Coordinator and the newest member of faculty, Economics teacher, Tom Settle are the houseparents in Antonin Besse house. The building of these houses and the hugely positive impact it will have on current and future students, would not have been possible without the generous contributions of our supporters. A massive thank you to everyone who donated to support their building.

BesseAdd House a subheading dayroom Second-year student, Kazembe, in the entry space to the dorm, which is an important feature for privacy

Furniture in a room in Besse House Quiet room

Upstairs quiet room

WAYS OF LIFE

SKILLS, EXPERIENCES AND MEMORIES WHICH WILL LAST A LIFETIME 08

The first term of this year saw the launch of our brand new ‘Ways of Life’ initiative, which allows students to develop skills and have new experiences, the memories of which will last a lifetime. Time spent in any of our ‘Ways of Life’ programmes does not count towards their IB diploma. These activities are outside of the standard co-curricular programme and hence require students to commit their own limited free time to be involved.

In November, our Atlantic Experience team of knowledgeable outdoor practitioners led a series of trial sessions so that students could experience a taster of all of the programmes and improve their basic outdoor skills. 80 students braved the cold Welsh winter weather to attend all of the trial sessions. These students could then apply to become a member of any of the five Ways of Life programmes; Lifesaving, Paddlesports, Kurt Hahn Core, Atlantic Pacific Search & Rescue and National Coastwatch Institution. Students in the lifesaving programme will focus on water based and general life saving skills as well as advanced first aid. By attaining these skills, students in the programme will be able to supervise people in swimming pools and the open water, providing an invaluable service to the campus and local communities. The paddlesports programme will enable students to explore the beautiful Welsh coastline, building their fitness and skills through kayaking, stand up paddle boarding and surfing.

The Kurt Hahn Core was established in 2014 and has been absorbed into the Ways of Life programme. It takes Kurt Hahn’s ideas of experiential outdoor education and makes them a reality for our current students. Led by second year students, the students take part in a variety of creative and fun outdoor sessions every Wednesday at 6.26am. This is complimented by outdoor-based weekend trips such as camping in the Brecon Beacons. Led by alumnus Robin Jenkins, students enrolled in the Atlantic Pacific Search & Rescue programme will learn all the skills required to become members of a search and rescue crew, from navigation to mental health first aid. In a similar vein, students can become members of the National Coastwatch Institution programme. Working with local volunteers, students will keep watch from one of the towers on the sea wall, keeping watch for any incidents in the Bristol Channel and alerting the RNLI, providing an extremely valuable service. We will be the first station in the country to operate a ‘cadet’ scheme and it will be a great chance for students to take on very real and important responsibility. The Ways of Life programmes will fully harness the potential of both our students and our campus. In particular, the significant uptake of these programmes will help UWC Atlantic realise our ambition of reinvigorating the seafront so that it can be at the heart of everything that we do at the College.

CLICK TO PLAY WAYS OF LIFE VIDEO

HISPANICON 2021

Conferences at UWC Atlantic are a chance for the whole community to step away from normal academic and cocurricular activities and work together to inspire and educate everyone. Hispanicon was no different, with the Hispanic community at the College coming together to organise a conference about the region on the 29th and 30th of January with the theme of â€˜Una lengua, a thousand culturesâ€™.

As is tradition, the conference kicked off with an opening ceremony. There were energetic dances, a powerful poem read by Carmina and a great saxophone performance by Fran. Staff were able to watch, socially distanced, from the balcony in the Moondance Sports Hall. The ceremony did a fantastic job of getting everyone energised and ready for the two days ahead. A key component of a UWC Atlantic conference is the student-led workshops. This is a great chance for students to share stories and aspects of their home countries to a wider audience. Workshops were split into two categories; cultural and political, with every student participating in two of each across the two days. The cultural workshops covered a broad range of topics, from Reggaeton to football in Argentina. The political workshops were also very varied, exploring topics as diverse as indigenous women in Guatemala and Latin American feminism. All of the workshops were incredibly informative and gave a lot of space for students to reflect.

CLICK TO PLAY HISPANICON VIDEO 1

There were other things for our students to attend interspersed with the workshops. ‘Hispanic Atlantic’ was a space for UWC Atlantic staff members to share their experiences of Latin America. Elena and Claudia gave their experiences of growing up in Argentina and Venezuela respectively and new economics teacher Tom spoke about economic development across the whole region. Students organised a ‘Human Shrine’ storytelling event in the Tythe Barn. This involved students setting up shrines for notable Hispanic people who had lost their lives fighting for what they believed in and telling their stories. This was an incredibly powerful initiative. The students produced some incredible artwork, which was displayed in a gallery in the Arts Centre. You can see some photos of the artwork and the students looking around the gallery on flickr here. Students worked very hard turning the Moondance Cafe into a ‘Feria’ (Spanish for fair). Dishes from Latin America, Spain and Portugal were prepared, giving students the opportunity to try these dishes. The dishes prepared were; ko’i lechi kayente, cocada, horchata, arroz con leche, quesadillas, media lunas, arepas with shredded beef, ceviche, sopa de mani, bacalhau a bras and tortilla de patatas. Finally, to round off the weekend, the students organised an amazing closing ceremony. There were poems, singing and a performance by MOVE. After an enjoyable but tiring two days, lots of students then took a siesta in the traditional Hispanic style! Hispanicon 2021 photo and video credits: Ayooluwa Kolawole, Josephine Nyachwo, Shuqian Lyu and Ulysse Allard

CLICK TO PLAY HISPANICON VIDEO 2

CLICK TO PLAY HISPANICON VIDEO 3

CHANGEMAKER CURRICULUM RECONNECTING WITH THE LAND We continue our focus on our new Changemaker Curriculum units by focusing on ‘Reconnecting with the Land’ this month. This unit is led by music teacher Ed Picton-Tubervill, who has a master’s degree in Environmental Policy. The idea for the course came from the concept of ‘uprootedness’ and many people are less connected to nature than ever before. The course uses art to break down the barrier between humanity and nature by getting the students to focus on and think about the natural world by developing the skill of paying close attention to the world around them. This is a transferable skill that students can use wherever they find themselves in the world.

The primary way that students develop their skills in this unit is through working in almanacs. Each student has their own personal almanac, an individualised space in which they can work, from sketching the clouds on a particular day to writing reflections on a night under the stars with a campfire. They also take part in different activities that really bring them close to nature and make the most of our beautiful campus, whether it be swimming in the sea or walking barefoot in the woods. The pictures to the left show some of the amazing activities that students in the unit have been up to this term, including; sketching the Bristol Channel with the cloud formation on that day included, envisioning the campus as a tree with its various â€˜branchesâ€™ and making the UWC logo out of leaves. If you would like to give your time, talent or treasure to help support the development of this, or any of our other Changemaker Curriculum units, please email philanthropy@atlanticcollege.org.

CHRISTMAS AT THE CASTLE Due to travel restrictions around the world, some of our students were unable to return home over the winter break period so around forty students stayed behind on campus. In cooperation with Atlantic Experience, we had a team of 8 wonderful volunteers who put on activities and provided pastoral support to the students. These included bonfires in the valley, walks on the beach at low tide, cycling around the local area and climbing on the climbing tower. The most popular activities were football and floorball matches in the sports hall - the students always managed to beat the volunteer team! It is quite fitting that in a unique year, so many of our students had such an extraordinary Christmas. Huge thanks must go to our eight volunteers who gave up their own Christmases to support our students and ensure they had such a wonderful experience. Tony Kรกroly, UWCA '19 and AX Volunteer

The teams were made up of one student and one volunteer - in the end, Xinny and Tony won with 35 points!

TAN

The youth volunteers and kitchen staff put on a very nice Christmas lunch on the 25th

New Year's Dip in the Sea

Boxing Day football game - the students beat the volunteers 5-4

Library sleepover filled with quizzes, hot chocolate and a Harry Potter screening

Students enjoying Christmas lunch

Each student received a hot chocolate reindeer and a box filled with chocolates, as a small Christmas present

STUDENT REFLECTION

It's 3 am in the midnight and I just came up with a nice fundraising project idea with my roommates. So many things can happen randomly in Atlantic College. And this is one of the most exciting and challenging moments that we can experience here. Just like this, the first term has surprised me with wonderful learning experiences. In the beginning of the term, I took the opportunity to explore different subjects and choose the ones that I was passionate about. After the process, I explored many areas and discovered new interests. Music had always been my passion but I never got the opportunity to study itas a subject before I came to UWC AC. Studying music theory in a class with many students who had studied music as a proper subject is challenging but their amazing talent fascinates and gives me great inspiration to put more effort into music. Here in AC, you can meet people who share interests and passion with you. I have been working on an app called EcoCity with some of my friends, and right now we are at the beta testing process. The project would not have been possible without the supportive community that we have in AC. For example, there is the Lighthouse project which supports and funds studentled projects. This motivates students to take initiative and start contributing to society.

Attending the Big Data Changemaker sessions has been an experience unlike any other.. The motive behind these sessions inspires me to do more than just programming. The sessions nurtured my love and passion for programming. In one of the sessions, we did a presentation about various real-life problems using data presentation. The variety of presentations that focused on many areas was fascinating and was a good exploration. In this semester, Iâ€™ve experienced and learned a lot, especially realising how the students possess unlimited potential. UWC offers more opportunities for students to take initiative and be creative. For example, there were many student-led activities in the first term. From all of the wonderful activities, MENA conference was the most impressive one for me. The conference was focused on making students understand the culture and current issues in the Middle East and North Africa. During this conference, there are many student led-workshops in which some students from MENA shared about their culture, or current issues and personal stories. It was such a wonderful learning experience for me to get to know more about the cultures from MENA countries from students who are actually from MENA. Also, I was deeply touched when students who were affected by war shared their personal stories with us. While feeling their experiences, I felt very fortunate to be able to grow in a peaceful country and also I became more motivated to contribute to my society. We may not remember everything that what we learn in class, but we might occasionally recall those moments where we work together, understand each other even though we are from different parts of the world. After all, this is what makes UWC so special. Tenzin Dayoe, UWCA '22

WAYS OF GIVING

Legacy Giving A gift in your will is a unique and very meaningful type of gift. The impact may be felt by many, yet it is a deeply personal statement. It is your legacy, it is a lasting expression of your values and commitment, to be remembered and carried forward. When you pledge a legacy gift to UWC Atlantic, you and your family can take comfort in knowing that your wishes will be looked after by people who understand and share your values.

"My life was changed by Atlantic College. I would like to make sure that it continues to change the lives of people like me. Leaving a material amount of money in my will will help, with limited financial pressure on me in my retirement!" Chris Outram, UWCA '68

A gift in your will costs nothing in your lifetime, but from the moment you pledge, you know you are making a difference to the future of the College, the future of our students and the continued shared experience of a UWC Atlantic education. A legacy gift needs not be large to make a difference. Gifts at any level are valued and an endowed gift can make your support go even further. View the UWC Atlantic Legacy Brochure If you would like to arrange a conversation, please donâ€™t hesitate to be in touch with Keith Steel at keith.steel@atlanticcollege.org. Stay safe and well.

'IN MEMORY' & 'IN CELEBRATION'

The UWC Atlantic 'In Memory' & 'In Celebration' Programmes Making a donation in memory or in celebration of a loved one can be a wonderful way to honour them and help create a long-lasting memory. UWC Atlantic has put together an ‘In Memory' & 'In Celebration' programme which we are delighted to launch this month. You can read more about our ‘In Memory’ and ‘In Celebration’ programmes through our website here and our brochure here.

A Valentine's Gift for your UWC love... Donate this Valentine's Day and surprise a loved one by purchasing a Valentine's rose which will be planted in the beautiful (and romantic!) UWC Atlantic gardens for you and others to enjoy. Each ‘Thinking of You’ rose plant bought will also include a rose gift card. All orders must be made by Friday 5th February, 12pm GMT, to ensure cards are received via mail by Sunday 14th February. To purchase and plant a rose, we kindly ask for a donation of £100 or more which will go towards the campus grounds maintenance and upkeep. For further information, please contact Carissa Bardsley: carissa.bardsley@atlanticcollege.org.

SPOTLIGHT ON...

FILIPPO DI ROBILANT Filippo di Robilant (UWCA '77) is President of the Italian Foundation for the United World Colleges. What’s your favourite memory of your time as a UWC Atlantic student? Surely the flash of heroism that came with being responsible for the safety of life over a 20-mile stretch of dangerous Bristol Channel. As Kurt Hahn said “the passion of rescue releases the highest dynamics of the human soul”. It gave the College its uniqueness and magic. And it was extremely cool too! How has your UWC Atlantic experience contributed to who you are and what you do? It helped me to better understand who I am and give me a sense of direction. In Italy we have a popular saying: “gettare il cuore oltre l’ostacolo”, literally “throw your heart over the obstacle”, meaning don’t be afraid of difficulties ahead of you and, whatever you do, use your heart as well as your brain.

The featured picture was taken at UWC Adriatic in Duino in November 2015. Filippo had just been appointed President of the Foundation and he held a lecture on Diplomacy and Human Rights to students and staff. As Filippo had spent time in Afghanistan, after the conference an Afghan student, Massi Faqiri (UWCAd 2014-16), presented him with a chapan, the typical Afghan caftan.

I think determination is an essential component in life. When I organised the first Italian edition of Telethon, the television marathon supporting the fight against muscular dystrophy, back in 1989, hardly anybody believed it would work and even partners were skeptical. I flew the whole way to Las Vegas to meet with Jerry Lewis, Telethon’s founder, to get his support. Ultimately, we raised the record sum of 20 billion liras, the equivalent of €10 million, and Telethon has gone on air every year since. Your work reflects a number of the values promoted by the UWC movement. Which of these values are dearest to you and why? The importance of reaching beyond easy answers. It’s preferable to be an innovator, or a self-empowered changemaker to use UWC jargon, than a leader, which is a somewhat elitist concept. Leadership is natural of course but with it comes integrity, reliability and commitment. Look at leaders of today, in politics or business: had they attended UWC, many would be less self-assured and more empathic. Many of those who are taking key decisions on our common future have stopped raising questions because they think they have all the right answers. Unfortunately for us, this is not always the case. I believe Kurt Hahn’s legacy is also about this: if you stop raising questions you’ll end up giving wrong answers. You've remained involved with the UWC movement throughout years. What is the importance of alumni keeping in touch with UWC? There is always time to get involved. When leaving UWC I keenly advise to break the bubble and explore the world. I have never returned to St. Donat’s since I left in 1977 and I have an idiosyncrasy for alumni reunions. But there are many ways of keeping in touch, even from afar. In the mid-80s, when I was working for the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at a meeting of the IBO in Geneva I bumped into Colin Jenkins, my housemaster. From then on, I have always kept an eye on UWC. There is a lot to give and take, all along one’s lifetime. Currently I chair the Foundation for the United World Colleges Stock Weinberg – Edward Sutcliffe, established in Italy in 2015 with a Board of Directors made up mostly of UWC alumni. We raise funds for scholarships and promote UWC values. Thanks to the support of a UWC Adriatic alumnus David Halpert and others, we have recently purchased a building, formerly a hotel, in Duino and signed an agreement for free transfer of use with UWC Adriatic. The building is currently undergoing restructuring works and will become a fantastic new residence for students and teachers’ families. This is the sort of outcome that rewards one’s efforts.

What do you cherish the most in your current professional life and in volunteering? When I left university, I chose public service over private business. In all these years I had my ups and downs but I think it was the right choice because it was more an existential than a professional one. In recent years my focus has been on human rights for the simple fact that erosion of the Rule of Law and compression of fundamental rights is happening at the heart of Europe where these values were taken for granted. Professional life and volunteering can converge. What advice would you give to your past self when you were a student at the College? To be consistent: say what you think, do what you say. There is more in you than you believe. Come out in the open, put yourself on the line. In the long run, itâ€™s preferable to have remorse than regret. The sooner you realise it the better. To be nonconformist, which doesnâ€™t mean having disregard for trivial conventions but rather of not feeling bound to accepted beliefs or practices. Avoid becoming a passive follower of the mainstream and learn not to generalise. Reject stereotypes and seek for what makes each individual special. To be altruistic - not devotion but the ability of being open to diversity - and to listen to the other personâ€™s point of view. In other words, to grow up into a responsible citizen of the world.

Filippo - in the middle - with his roommate Rhodri Williams (from Wales) and Donald Cooper (from Bahamas), during a pause while shooting "Death Run", a short film directed by another roommate Michael Rochlitz (from USA). In the film St. Donat's castle was a sort of Alcatraz, a prison from where they were escaping!

COMING UP

SUSTAINABILITY

Thursday 4th February, 4-5pm GMT Atlantic Circle - InConversation with Baroness Helena Kennedy QC: "Human Rights in a Troubled World" Thursday 11th February, 2-3.15pm GMT InTouch event: "Dimensions of Meaningful Changemaking: A Conversation with Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus" If youâ€™d like to find out more about our upcoming events, check out the UWC Atlantic online calendar or get in touch with Magda Joshi, Events and Alumni Engagement Manager.

STAY CONNECTED

To keep up to date, be sure to regularly check the News section on the UWC Atlantic website: www.atlanticcollege.org/media

THANK YOU FOR READING