Each school year, UWC-USA invites many voices onto its campus—a wide range of viewpoints we intentionally seek. Through these voices, we develop young people, no matter their background, who engage with each other and the world.
UWC-USA continues to deliver on its mission of peace and a sustainable future, despite campus realities that make this work far more challenging than it has to be.
Our aging infrastructure, inaccessible campus features, unsustainable energy dependency, and ever-increasing scholarship needs are some of the challenges our Many Voices One World campaign will address. We are seeking investments from established leaders who wish to invest in the leadership potential of the next generation. Together, we can send more committed and reasoned voices into the world. The one world we all share.
Together, we can launch more positive change into the world:
By providing more scholarships to students from all over the world
By delivering innovative, place-based educational programs to our students
By harnessing our natural resources and attaining energy sustainability
By unifying our buildings and making them more resilient to local and regional changes and challenges
The time is now (actually yesterday).
Our campus is impressive in scale and scope. Look closer and you see how UWC-USA has poured its resources into educating students while deferring campus improvements. For the past 40 years we have learned, lived and taught in our original campus buildings. Many have outlived their usefulness; others urgently need major renovation or repair. All of them need added accessibility features and improvements to meet building code standards… and our own.
Montezuma
Castle
40% of the Davis International Center (Montezuma Castle) has yet to realize its full potential. As the signature building on campus it is critical to student life. We envision completing the Castle in order to house all students and staff in one multi-generational living village. The Castle will contain residential support, communal kitchens and gathering spaces to anchor student interactions. In addition, we will consolidate administrative offices in the Castle to improve student experience and support.
Current dormitories were built 40 years ago and have outlived their effective use. Our plan is to replace these dormitories with academic buildings to create an academic quad—all classrooms, science labs, libraries, fine arts and theater facilities in one geographic area. Creating zones of engagement on campus, whether residential or academic, will increase meaningful student interactions.
Dormitories and classes are now separated by 85 vertical feet of elevation shifts. Concentrating dorm life on upper campus and academic life on lower campus will both maximize the efficiencies of staff and students and transform the amount and quality of student engagement.
Residential support staff currently reside at a distance from students. Our plan is to embed residential staff adjacent to the students they serve.
Current classrooms are scattered throughout campus, many in spaces that were not originally created for learning. Currently awkward, dilapidated, and squeezed into any available space, future classrooms will be purpose-built, dedicated, learning spaces all concentrated in one area of campus.
Many challenges. One campaign.
UWC-USA seeks to transform its campus into a living laboratory, intentionally designed to foster dynamic and peaceful coexistence and environmental sustainability. As facilities age, wildfires and droughts increase, and physical impediments to unity continue, we are re-imagining how to fully unlock the power of our people and place.
PEOPLE
Bringing together students from all walks of life, including the margins of society worldwide—refugees, conflict zone survivors, immigrants, and those with no means to attend a school such as UWC-USA—requires significant investment in scholarships and supportive programs.
PLACE
Our goal to become carbon neutral is possible given our abundant natural resources: sun, wind, and land. UWC-USA aspires to energy-efficient, high-performing, and inspiring spaces and buildings that must be more resilient and appropriate to the local and regional changes and challenges.
UNIFY RESIDENTIAL LIFE
Complete the Davis International Center (Montezuma Castle) as the signature building on campus to house students and staff.
CONSOLIDATE LEARNING
Construct a centrally-located Academic Quad and centralize all classroom activity for place-based learning:
- Create connective pathways between buildings to increase student interaction
- Update lab, library, and study areas
- Reorient the auditorium to integrate it into academic life
INVEST IN SCHOLARSHIPS
Add new full-tuition scholarships as soon as funds are available
SUSTAIN RESOURCES
Initiate resiliency projects:
- Build water catchment storage structures
- Install solar energy infrastructure
- Replant a portion of the sports field with native, drought-tolerant plants
- Construct a communal oval pathway around the sports field with interpretive signs and outdoor classrooms
1) INVEST IN SCHOLARSHIPS
Add new full-tuition scholarships as soon as funds are available.
2) UNIFY RESIDENTIAL LIFE
Complete the Davis International Center (Montezuma Castle) as the signature building on campus to house students and staff.
3) SUSTAIN RESOURCES
-Build water catchment storage structures
-Install solar energy infrastructure
-Replant a portion of the sports field with native, drought-tolerant plants
-Construct a communal oval pathway around the sports field with interpretive signs and outdoor classrooms
4) CONSOLIDATE LEARNING
Construct a centrally-located Academic Quad and centralize all classroom activity for place-based learning:
– Create connective pathways between buildings to increase student interaction
-Update lab, library, and study areas
-Reorient the auditorium to integrate it into academic life
“I cannot find the words to accurately describe this heaven where we are living and the way it changes your thinking about the world. It is so beautiful and the wilderness program is huge and extremely ‘take you out of your comfort zone.’ When I first arrived here, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.”
WIAM SKAKRI ’23 (MOROCCO)
UWC has made me feel like I am in a big family, where my voice can still be heard.
TIN KIT AU-YEUNG ’23 (HONG KONG)
I will carry the UWC mission with me by using my voice to drive unity in this world.
DEBBIE MUKUKA ’23 (ZAMBIA)
“It’s not up to others—it’s up to me to use my voice and share my skills to help people escape poverty or find new opportunities.”
Luke Dinger ’23 (USA)
Luke Dinger ‘23 (USA)
On its face, this campaign is about Montezuma—
who we bring to our school, and a vision for the impact our campus could have on how we live the mission.
But it goes deeper.
It’s about the lived experience that will help our students shape a future for the whole world.
It’s that important. big.
On its face, this campaign is about Montezuma—
who we bring to our school, and a vision for the impact our campus could have on how we live the mission.
But it goes deeper.
It’s about the lived experience that will help our students shape a future for the whole world.
It’s that important. big.
AT UWC-USA WE TEACH BY DOING. BY EXPERIENCING.
The Many Voices One World campaign is no different. As we transform our campus to achieve greater unity and resiliency, we will be problem-solving with our students and faculty and partnering in the region and with investors. In other words, we will be participating in the model of engaged community action we wish to see in the world. We can support the fresh energy, wild dreams, and passionate action of the next generation. And we can exemplify what is possible when people come together with one voice.