ALUMNI & SUPPORTERS NEWSLETTER

MAY 2021 01 WELCOME WELCOME

Lighthouse Hackathon 2021 Photo credit: Joan Bessem, UWCA '22 02 Dear Alumni and Supporters,

I am delighted to welcome you to the May edition of our newsletter. As we approach the end of the academic year we continue to see amazing things happening on campus every day, which we have highlighted through this edition.

Our IB2 students finished ‘codes’ midway through April and with no exams to prepare for they have been engaging in the ‘Spring Programme’ which they developed in collaboration with staff. They have participated in a wide range of activities through this exciting programme.

We also feature some great events from our farewell ceremony for students, who sadly had to leave early, to the Lighthouse Hackathon and the launch of our National Coastwatch Station. There is also a great interview with alumnus Phil Green (UWCA ‘78) who has released a book based on lifesaving at the College and we get to know head of IB1 Yordan Demirov in our new ‘Meet Our Standouts’ feature, which will shine a light on those who make our community all that it is.

I hope you enjoy reading it.

With renewed thanks,

Andrea Diez de Sollano Director of Philanthropy, Partnerships and Engagement 03 NCI STATION LAUNCH

As part part of the Seafront Development Programme we are delighted to announce our launch of a National Coastwatch Institution Station here at UWC Atlantic! The objective of the National Coastwatch Institution (NCI) is to assist in the protection and preservation of life at sea and along the United Kingdom coastline.

NCI watchkeepers provide eyes and ears along the coast, monitoring radio channels and providing a listening watch in poor visibility. Comprehensive training ensure they can deal with emergencies at the highest standard. 04 The station known as ‘NCI St Donat’s Bay’ will be based in the BP Lab at the seafront, joining 55 other NCI stations across the UK.

Currently, due to Covid restrictions, local community members will be keeping watch at the station. However, students in the NCI ‘Ways of Life’ programme have been diligently training so they are ready to join once restrictions lift.

Eventually the station will be crewed by UWC Atlantic students in collaboration with members of the local community.

A huge thank you to everyone who has worked so hard to ensure this exciting development became a reality; Jess and the Atlantic Experience team, carpenters Tony Evans, Richard and Shaun, electricians Richard, Gareth and Jak and the accounts department.

If you would like to read more about NCI click here. 05 LIFE AT THE COLLEGE

06 FAREWELL CEREMONY

07 Saturday, April 17th: A day of celebration for second year students unable to stay at the College for the duration of the additional five-week Spring Programme.

The day kicked off with a barbecue on the Madiba lawn, bathed in glorious Welsh sunshine! A huge thank you for the canteen staff for an impressive spread during which the ceremonial “passing down” of the leadership positions for each of the national groups on campus unfolded. iIn the evening, it was the farewell ceremony in the Moondance Sports Hall recognising the contributions of departing students.

Each of the groups behind our amazing conferences this year - Latinx, MENA and Afro-Caribbean - regaled with performances, offering a chance to reminisce on those memorable events.

Then it was over to ACapella to entertain with a version of UWC Atlantic anthem “Dancing in the Moonlight”.

08 Following speeches from Vasu, representing the first years, and Micah, representing the second years, it was over to Principal Peter Howe.

Head of student affairs Valentina Mindoljevic presented certificates to outgoing student council leaders in recognition of their work.

Then it was canapés and “mocktails” on the top lawn to the strains of the UWC Atlantic Jazz Band before students danced the night away in the Bradenstoke Hall for their prom.

A huge thank you to everyone, staff and students, who worked so hard to make the day a memorable one! 09 New4You (formerly the swap shop) is the student-run, staff-supervised NEW4YOU clothing store. Students can buy used and fixed clothes for a token fee of £1, as well as bring in clothes that they no longer need - very useful for finding appropriate clothing for the UK’s seasonal changes!

New4You is particularly useful around the time of balls and formal events. There was a particularly kind donation of a large number of prom dresses.

The venture also enables students in this group fulfil their service IB co-curricular requirements.

10 In this new newsletter series, we feature staff members MEET OUR and the ways in which they make a difference. Introducing Yordan Demirov... STANDOUTS .

When did you join UWC Atlantic? What is your job and how has your role evolved over the years? I joined in August 2019 as a history teacher and in October 2020 I became Head of Year (class of 2022).

Describe your transition from your previous place of work and/or place of residence. It was … strange. I had never worked in a boarding school before, so sharing the same living space with students was certainly new for me. What I found (and still find) most refreshing is the degree of autonomy students have at the school. I very much like the fact that we trust our students to be responsible individuals and we are there, not to tell them what to do, but to guide them and help them grow.

What is your fondest memory since the day you started working at the College? My first-year students organising a support session for my second-year students at the onset of trial exams with music, a bit of dance and some comfort food. It started as a one-off event but it is turning into a tradition of sorts. This is the most vivid example but I am amazed by the various acts of kindness everyone on this campus does for the people they care about. 11 How do you think the College has evolved - or stayed the same - over your time here? My experience is perhaps not the most optimistic one since I have only been at the College for the 2 years marked by Covid. Still, I think over these two years the support structures we have built for students have grown and evolved. There is still a lot to be done but I certainly think the support we have has helped us get through a very difficult period.

If you could implement one change at UWC Atlantic, what would it be? Make the Arts Centre a focal point for cultural events in the entire area.

What is one interesting thing about the College that the alumni, supporters and friends of the College may not have heard about? With no exams this year, the College has a five-week Spring Programme in place with various activities throughout the day to keep second year students busy and engaged with the campus community. The programme is student- organised and student-run (I cannot stress enough how impressive it is).

What is your favourite spot on campus? Why? Donkey paddock. The donkeys are wonderful - they are friendly, cuddly and very sweet. I think they can help make anyone feel better.

What three words come to mind when you think of UWC Atlantic? Challenge, resilience, growth. 12 The Arts Centre SPRING PROGRAMME

With the cancellation of exams for the IB2 students, a committed group came together to devise a programme of meaningful activities to ensure those affected could engage with the College and each other during the five weeks between the end of codes and their graduation on the 22nd May.

The programme began on the 19th April and has been a great success. Days are split between morning “A slots”, which are mandatory and afternoon “B slots”, which are optional and also open to first year students to fulfil their co-curricular requirements.

13 Activities offered are student-led and varied, providing students with the chance to teach or lead something they are passionate about. Our IB2 students have been split into five groups ensuring they get the chance to do each activity through the course of a week. The variation means completing fitness challenges in “Survival of the Fittest” one day, doing creative writing the next and undertaking a “Crash Course on the Italian Mafia” the day after that!

The B slots in the afternoon are led by staff members. Again, they are varied and some are continuations of co-curricular activities from the term. For these activities, they are joined by IB1 students, who have to attend two B sessions a week for their co-curricular requirements. Activities include creative (eg mural painting), environmental (eg bee monitoring), civic (eg Welsh elections engagement) and sport (eg tennis). IB2 students have benefitted from meaningful activities distinct from those in their codes. We often say at UWC Atlantic that often the most impactful learning happens outside the classroom and the Spring Programme is a testament to that!

The organising committee, consisted of second-years: Boris Milic, Carmiña Goya, Eilidh Taylor, Jubair Ahmed, Karim Ghaddar, Mahnoor Mushtaq Ahmad, Samantha Mastel-Marr, Sara Taha and Jeanne Gheeraerdts. All nine students undertook budget management, logistics, disciplinary action all the while enforcing core UWC values.

The programme was widely recognised as a positive experience. CLICK HERE

For a virtual Spring Programme experience click on the short video of a 'dance crash course'! 14 SUPPORT US

15 REINVIGORATING THE SEAFRONT An open classroom

‘Our Class of 1969 believes strongly in the importance of this project, as do many other years, and so I urge you to make an ongoing annual pledge that is consistent with your means.’ Michael Code - Alumnus UWCA ‘69

Thank you to everyone that has supported our Seafront Development Programme to date! We are delighted to announce that we are now 62% closer to reaching our goal of £428,500 for the investment of our phase 2 development and are thrilled to inform you that work has now begun on the renovation of the outdoor pool. This project will be completed by July 2021 when we hope to open the facilities to our local community ahead of the new academic year. What a splashing summer we have ahead of us!

A huge thank you to the Class of 1970 who raised an admirable £50k+ to support the swimming pool renovation in just over a month! A special thanks to John Conyngham, Per Holt, Matt Hannon, John Beardsley and Tom Carpenter, all instrumental in supporting the appeal. Commitment to this important initiative has been excellent - once more our united efforts have enabled us to make huge advancements in a short time period. Please make your donation today! 16 WAYS OF GIVING Volunteering

Photo credit: Katy Marks, UWCA ‘97 17 UNITING THE WORLD

At UWC Atlantic we are proud to welcome students each year funded by the generosity of Shelby Davis and his ‘Dare to Dream’ programme. For many, it is through Shelby Davis’ generosity that they are able to fulfil dreams of going on to college in the US.

The Davis UWC Scholars Program recently published their annual report entitled ‘Uniting the World’. We were, once again, proud to see the huge number of UWC Atlantic graduates featured and read about the impact of the programme. They are all doing a wonderful job of continuing the mission in their post-UWC Atlantic lives.

If you would like to read the report click here.

18 TIME & TALENT

19 24 hours LIGHTHOUSE 9 teams HACKATHON 2021 1 challenge

Saturday, April 24: Student challenge - "Create a solution to reduce food waste".

With only 24 hours to work in teams of five, students overcome challenges (including the internet crashing late that night!), to emerge with a viable product or prototype.

The Lighthouse Hackathon idea - collaborative problem solving - was dreamed up by Lighthouse Keepers to foster innovation and meaningful changemaking during a unique experience.

Exploring the problem of food waste was followed by workshops combining design thinking, systems thinking, and psychodynamic understanding of the value of collaboration (led by Voytek Chelkowski P’21 and Sebastien Baert).

A Just Dance session and roasting marshmallows around a campfire followed in the evening with the second day starting with a 7.30am HIIT session before a public speaking workshop led by two students from the “Taking a Stance - Oral Communication” Changemaker Curriculum Unit. 20 Photo credit: Ula Adamska "We were presented with the huge issue of food waste that takes its toll in or outside the school and we were challenged to come up with a real-life project aimed to tackle it within 24 hours. It was quite impactful and inspirational as it was an exceptional chance to actualise our critical thinking and problem-solving skills and also challenge our time management skills. In an inclusive, collaborative environment, my team had 5 talented and thoughtful students whose great achievement is indebted to the collective teamwork and the shared enthusiasm." -Zakarya Al-Thawr ‘22 (Team A to Z)

All teams had an opportunity to check in with an expert mentor to receive feedback on their projects and any advice. We are grateful to all alumni, "Many thanks for reaching out and asking me to support parents, and supporters of the College who shared their time and expertise with the lighthouse hackathon. It was such a pleasure to the students: Joseph Gridley ‘06, Patricia Matzdorf-Gobeli ‘04, Eddie Arrieta connect with the current AC-Cohort and listen to their ‘05, Roo Smith ‘16, Sara Turnbull ‘99, Cary Reid ‘99, François Lépine-Cossette ideas." ‘19, Sara Abou Ibrahim, and Peter Dillon P’21. -Patricia Matzdorf-Gobeli ‘04

21 Photo credits: Joan Bessem, UWCA '22 Photo credit: Ula Adamska The solutions addressed communities close as our UWC Atlantic campus or as far away as Bangladesh, tackling problem at farming, supermarkets, restaurants, and consumer levels. Congratulations to all teams on their hard work, honest endeavor, and creativity. All submitted full business plans, made videos to showcase projects, and prepared pitches to a judging panel on Sunday morning. Projects were evaluated on the criteria of feasibility, quality of presentation, and innovation and creativity. Teams were also awarded prizes for training at the highest intensity during the HIIT session, best memes, and the best team spirit.

The winning team... ThunderThinkers (Saskia, Filip, Daniel, Greta, Isabella), created a student community food station called FoodWork. It aimed to connect the supply and demand of surplus food in the campus community. Those with surplus food donate which can be taken by those with a lack. This swap functions through a communal fridge and table, communicated through a Facebook group.

Team TAPIA (Tori, Ayooluwa, Pablo, Ishikaa, Agnese) built an app to minimize food waste at the stages of production, consumption, and disposal while tackling societal stigmas through . The app can scan purchased products' expiry date and conservation method. The app then recommends products to use on a given day and sends expiry notifications.

The winning team took the Innovation Trophy, made by Xinny Liu ‘21, one of the Lighthouse Keepers. The trophy was made in the DT Lab using scrap wood found around campus (Photo credit: Filip Maninski, UWCA '21)

22 TAPIA app prototype developed by the team "Listening to wonderful project presentations, that your friends created in a limited time, demonstrate you how capable the people surrounding you are, and that a good impact can be caused if we take advantage of every minute of our lives." -Micaela Corvera Vargas ‘21 (student organiser)

2nd place was awarded jointly to teams TAPIA and Team A to Z. Team A to Z (Xinyao, Abobakar, Zakarya, Lucia, Dechen) built a software called ‘ACCUREAT’ to help school canteens to reduce food waste by tracking student foot traffic, time, weather, date, and food waste produced to estimate CLICK HERE and prepare the appropriate number of meals.

As one of the milestones, each team had to create a short video to showcase their solution. Click on the preview images to learn more about selected projects from the Lighthouse Hackathon 2021. Team A to Z

CLICK HERE CLICK HERE CLICK HERE

Subcontis Seagulls Last Minute Thoughts

23 ALUMNI PROFILE

In this month's alumni spotlight feature, Phil Green (UWCA '78) discusses what he learned while writing a book with two other UWCA alumni and contributions from over 100 others about the College rescue services from 1963 to 2013. It's called "Trained and Trusted, what teenagers can do if you let them" and it shows the importance of developing inner morality, respect for our common humanity, personal confidence and desire to serve others - all of which give much meaning Phil Green (in the front) and Harald Heiene (UWCA '78) to life. competing in Surfski in the 1977 Surf Life Saving Championships

How did your time at UWC Atlantic influence your later life? This is of course the question everyone associated with the college wants an answer to, because the answer offers hope of validating its raison d’être. The reality is it is very hard for an individual to know because there is no counterfactual. Would I have met my wife? Would I have had a different career? Would I have been less involved in society? I do not know, nor, do I believe, does any other individual. But the question you ask is still important. We set out to answer it by asking hundreds of people about their experiences in the rescue services to see if patterns emerged. 24 How did being a part of the rescue service affect the rest of your school life, both positively and negatively? A few years after graduating from AC I had a teaching position at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada. As soon as I arrived I joined the SCUBA club. On our first dive, a young lady named Danielle was found in the water. She was unconscious and not breathing. My beach rescue training kicked in. I tried to resuscitate her while I was in the water and being bounced around in the waves in a Zodiac while we motored to our vehicles and an awaiting ambulance. Sadly, she died of an air embolism. A few days later her father came to campus. He wanted to see where his daughter had died. I took him there. It evoked the sadness I felt during another incident when I saw the father of a 10-year boy who contemplated his son’s body that my beach rescue group had recovered from the bottom of the cliffs at Tresilian. The boy’s father was wailing in distress. We paid our respects to him by removing our helmets as we walked by with the stretcher, but he was whisked off by police and we did not speak. These experiences never leave you and I have sent a note to Danielle’s father on the anniversary of her death, and we have stayed in touch. I told this story to David Sutcliffe after reading his history of the development of the Rigid Hulled Inflatable Boat at AC. My comment made him realise there was a need for the book. We started working on it in 2017. He asked me to set up a team to finish it just before he died in 2019.

In your opinion, how could the lessons you learned as part of the rescue service be replicated for students in the modern world? Saving a life is the ultimate humanitarian act. Disciplined training with peers to save lives creates deep bonds with other humans, respect for each other, confidence in oneself, and a willingness to act when others are in need. That will never go away because humanity has not changed. What has changed is the dangers that people need saving from, and the means of saving them. Each generation will have to find those on its own. We did not have refugees drowning in the Mediterranean in the 1970’s, nor did we have a global pandemic or an epidemic of opioid deaths. The needs of the current age are different, and so are the rescue 25 techniques. Did you get stories from a wide range of ex-students? Are there many stories that stand out to you in particular? More than 100 ex-students responded to our call out for stories, and we’ve included over 50 in the book. Naturally, students from the first decades, the 60s and 70s, are now more likely to have the time to contribute to a project like this, while younger ex- students are still raising families and working hard. So we may have a slight bias towards stories from those decades. Every story is remarkable, but to pick out a few of the really extraordinary ones - Daffy Paust’s shattering experience in big seas off Nash Point trying to rescue a man and his nephew trapped by the incoming tide … Freddie Loyd Smith courageously swimming into caves looking for a small boy who had fallen while he was bird nesting … students encountering death, particularly the death of children, for the first time - as I did, and Eboo Versi did. Some of the stories are not so remarkable in themselves – for example Dimitri Sotiropoulos accidentally ramming a sailing dinghy with the rescue boat was notable for the calmness of his reaction!

Were there common themes in what they had to say about the impacts the rescue services had on their lives? There was a very strong common theme about the later impacts of experience in the rescue services - they are about the value of team work, but also about self-reliance, the importance of training and the way the best training can replace reflex reaction in a crisis. The team working on the book were very impressed by the risks the staff were prepared to take, by allowing students to make mistakes and learn from them, and to Cover photo by Roar Jorgensen let them experiment with things like boat and kayak design, and the hours of (UWCA '78) commitment that staff members contributed to making the rescue services viable. 26

How did the stories from ex-students relate to the original aims of the College? We were astonished as we rediscovered the original vision for the college by the imagination and creativity of the pioneers - from as the originator, and especially Desmond Hoare and David Sutcliffe who were inspirational leaders, immensely courageous and far-sighted. They gathered around them a really committed and distinguished group of young men and women to lead the experiment, and gave the students every opportunity for the widest possible experience. Most remarkably, they had complete trust in the students once they had shown proficiency through their training. They did not interfere in the rescues. I believe this lesson of training and trusting people is a vital one for any leadership role in society.

Are there any lessons from the book that could apply to the college, and the modern UWC movement in general? The experience of learning how to manage risk in order to save life is absolutely at the core of all humanitarian projects. It also teaches individuals how to manage themselves in extreme conditions which is a highly-transferable skill … these are lessons that remain at the heart of the modern UWC movement, even if they are unlikely to be tested in quite such raw surroundings as the in winter. Physical challenge was at the heart of the original vision for the college, and it is exciting to see that AC is finding new ways of replicating that c hallenge by working with NGOs like Atlantic Pacific.

But I think the most important lesson is to develop that inner morality, respect for our common humanity, personal confidence and desire to serve others. That gives much meaning to life. There needs to be a clear mission to train and trust UWC students to save lives that is adapted to the needs of Beatrice Cito our time. Filomarino (UWCA '78) in "Trained and Trusted" will be published later this year. For more information the kayak and Paul Belcher (Ex- please contact [email protected]. All proceeds go to UWCA Staff) 27 Atlantic Pacific. teaching her UPCOMING EVENTS

28 COMING UP

Thursday 20th May, 4-5pm BST Atlantic Circle - InConversation with Elsie Effah Kaufmann (UWCA '88) “Making an Impact in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education” REGISTER HERE

If you’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. 29 LEAVERS’ CEREMONY 2021

Saturday 22nd May, 1pm BST

We would like to invite you to watch the streaming of UWC Atlantic’s annual Leavers’ Ceremony for our 2nd year students.

This special and moving occasion for our departing students provides an opportunity to celebrate two transformative years at UWC Atlantic. This year’s event will be largely student-led.

To access the Live Stream click here. We will also provide a recording and a highlights package. 30 Class of 2021: Image taken by Houming (Michael) Ling, UWCA '21 SAVE THE DATE

Saturday 12th June, 2pm BST

Please join us for the virtual remembrance to celebrate the life of David Sutcliffe - founding staff member and later Principal of UWC Atlantic, founding Head of UWC Adriatic and the founder of UWC Mostar. Also, the book ‘David Sutcliffe: his life, his words and his legacy’ will be launched. More details about the programme will soon follow.

EVENT PRO GRAMME* Speakers Princess Sarvath al-Hassan (Jordan) – educator and friend of David and UWC (Atlantic 1969) – former CEO and former Chair Royal Dutch Lamija Tanovic (co-founder Mostar) – former Ambassador and Professor Physics Sarajevo Henry Thomas (Adriatic) – former teacher and co-author of the book ‘David Sutcliffe: Pioneer of International Education. His Life, His Words and His Legacy’ Chrystia Freeland (Adriatic 1986) – Vice Prime Minister of Canada (TBC) Laurence Nodder – Headmaster UWC Robert Bosch and former Headmaster UWC Waterford

Intermezzo performer Luis Pares (Adriatic 1999) – pianist Engy Jarrouj (Mostar 2019) – author and artist UWC Atlantic Choir (1975) Karen Mok (Adriatic 1989) – singer Kevin Gardiner (Atlantic 1977) – guitarist 31 Event moderation by Katrin Bennhold (UWC USA 1993) *The running order is yet TBC MIND, BODY AND SOUL REBOOT WEEKEND - 4 SPACES REMANING Dates | 11th-13th June Ages | 18+ Fee | £399 GBP single occupancy / £349 shared occupancy

ADVENTURE LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE (ALE) - SOLD OUT Dates | 10-17th July / 17th-24th July / 7th-14th August 2021 Ages | 12-17 years old Fee | £995 GBP (£100 discount if booking multiple weeks)

GLOBAL LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE (GLE) - BOOKING CLOSED Dates | 30th July - 14th August 2021 Ages | 16-18 years old Fee | £2,595 GBP (scholarships available)

ENGLISH LANGUAGE EXPERIENCE AND ADVENTURE (ELEA) Dates | 31st July - 14th August 2021 Ages | 12-17 years old Fee | £2,150 GBP 32 STAY CONNECTED

Be sure to also regularly check the News section on the UWC Atlantic website: www.atlanticcollege.org/media 33 HOST FAMILY OUTREACH

With the uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, we anticipate that there will be some current first-year students who will be unable to return home for the summer holidays. These students will need to stay in the UK either for the entire summer or for a period of time only.

We are reaching out to you with the request for support in offering host accommodation to one or I CAN HELP more UWC Atlantic students. The period within which accommodation is sought is between Saturday 5th June and Friday 27th August 2021. 34 THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT

35