New college and school projects

Establishing new colleges and schools so that more students can benefit from a UWC education is one of the ways we aim to increase our impact.

UWC’s strategic plan commits the organisation to looking carefully at proposals for new schools and colleges. In doing so, the UWC International Board is mindful of the need for growth not to impact adversely on the existing UWC schools and colleges. There are a number of initiatives to develop new school and college proposals in various parts of the world which are subject to an approvals process and policy set by the UWC International Board.

The process for considering new UWC school and college proposals
New college and school projects are initiated and driven by individuals, groups or organisations who have the vision to develop a project and who believe that they will be able to attract the significant support and resources that such a project will require. In some cases, UWC national committees are responsible for initiating proposals. UWC International does not initiate or drive forward the creation of new college and school proposals.

The process has three stages: Initial Notification does not confer any approval status but indicates that the UWC International Board is aware that a proposal has developed to a certain point and is prepared to establish a task force to monitor further developments and assess if and when it will be appropriate to consider a proposal for the next stage of approval; Initial Notification is followed by the stages of Preliminary Approval and Final Approval.

UWC International recognises that establishing new schools and colleges will involve different challenges and opportunities in each country. The task force approach is intended to enable the International Board to understand fully a specific proposal but also to understand the feasibility of a college in a particular country in the context of UWC’s mission, values, policies and approach to education. The approach will also provide a chance to analyse how capacity can be added to UWC and whether there will be implications for other parts of the organisation.

The proposals listed here have achieved one of these stages of recognition from the UWC International Board.

Germany
Preliminary Approval has been granted for a proposal for a new,  two year pre-university college in Freiburg, Germany. The proposal is the result of a partnership between the German UWC national committee and the Bosch Foundation. Reflecting the interests of these two partners and the City of Freiburg it plans  to have a strong environmental agenda. An International Board task force has been established to work with the German project team, which is now working towards achieving Final Approval and then opening in September 2014.

Armenia
Initial Notification has been granted to a new college project in Dilijan, Armenia. The school is currently under construction and will form part of wider re-development within the local community. It will concentrate on the two-year IB programme in its initial stages, but plans to broaden its range to include students aged 13 and above from the local community in later years.

Israel
In February 2012 the UWC International Board granted Initial Notification to a new college project in Israel that is intended to focus on the Eastern Mediterranean region. The Board will be convening a task force to monitor the further development of the proposal and to understand the implications of such a college and of its regional aspirations.

Japan
At its October 2012 meeting, the UWC International Board granted Initial Notification for a new UWC college project in Japan. An existing school project, the International School of Asia, Karuizawa, is seeking to partner with UWC to establish a two/three year pre-university UWC college. To further explore the project the UWC International Board is establishing a task force. ISAK's recruitment process for teachers is already under way - contact recruit@isak.jp

China
An International Board task force is also in place to consider options for a future UWC college in China.

Middle East and North Africa
The Board has for some time expressed an aspiration to establish a school or college in the Middle East and North Africa region. UWC welcomes proposals for consideration. In line with this aspiration, UWC International has been working with the national committees in the region to build UWC’s presence there. A strong national committee network is an important prerequisite for the development of a school or college proposal in the region.

Individuals or organisations interested in developing a proposal for a new UWC school or college are invited to contact the UWC International Office.