United World College-USA was founded in 1982 by philanthropist Armand Hammer, with the encouragement of HRH The Prince of Wales, then President of the United World Colleges.

 

 

The beautiful and historic campus is situated in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in the American West and is highlighted by its signature building, Montezuma Castle, a former spa resort hotel built by the railroad company in the late 19th century. The large Queen Anne-style castle was recently renovated and is the centrepiece of the UWC-USA campus and home to the Bartos Institute for the Constructive Engagement of Conflict. UWC-USA established this Institute to emphasise the importance of students learning skills in conflict resolution and to provide a venue for the training or hosting of others with experience of conflict situations.

 

Montezuma Castle is also home to student and faculty residences, classrooms, the social and activities centre, dining hall and beautifully restored public rooms. Elsewhere on the 110-acre campus are a large fieldhouse with gymnasium, squash courts, fitness rooms, a dance/movement centre and a technology centre where access to information technology supplements the highly interpersonal learning style of a UWC campus. The campus also includes classroom buildings, a library, other student and faculty residences, athletics fields, natural hot springs and the Dwan Light Sanctuary, a spectacular spiritual centre for diverse religious and cultural expressions.

 

The campus is surrounded by national forests and mountains to the west and the Great Plains to the east. The wilderness is an important feature of the UWC-USA experience, with camping expeditions and training in wilderness survival, environmental concern and 'search and rescue'. The nearby town of Las Vegas, New Mexico (not to be confused with Las Vegas, Nevada) with a population of 20,000 is easily accessible. Santa Fe, a world-renowned arts and cultural centre, as well as historic Taos, Albuquerque and several American Indian pueblos are also a part of life for UWC-USA students.

 

Students take an active part in many community and social services, working with the mix of cultures, Hispanic, Indian and Anglo-European, which make up the American Southwest. They also benefit from the generosity of local families who host them for occasional weekends and holiday meals.

 

In addition to the demanding two-year International Baccalaureate Diploma, UWC-USA students are exposed to theatre, film, music and the fine arts through performances, lectures and workshops by visiting artists. Students organise regional cultural days, highlighted by the cooking of national dishes and the performance of skits and dances representative of their countries. They also present theatrical productions and concerts open to the public.

UWC-USA has 200 students, nearly all of whom are on full or partial scholarships provided by generous donors from throughout the USA.