UWC East Africa Guiding Statements 2020/21

You may not know this but earlier this year, the Board of Governors approved our new, revised Guiding Statements. Every school has a set of Guiding Statements that basically describe the sort of institution that we want to be.

In our case, a long process which involved feedback from parents, students in all classes, teachers, support staff, administrators and alumni, was completed and a small group of us set to work in putting together a set of Guiding Statemets that represented the wishes and hopes of all our stakeholders.

Crucially, we also took the Guiding Statements from our former school International School Moshi and those of the UWC Movement into consideration too.

Last week another group of us created an action plan to roll out these Guiding Statements. We want every member of our community to be reminded of these statements on a regular basis, particularly when decision making committees are in action. So, our Board for example have made a resolution to refer to the Guiding Statements every time a decision is being made. The same is true of campus management team meetings, PTA meetings and others.

We also have plans to make the Guiding Statements visible through posters and in the newsletter. We will translate them into other languages and make special versions for our Nursery and EC children to understand! All in all we want to recognise how important it will be for EVERYONE to remember what our values are and how to stick by them!

May we present our Guiding Statements 2020/21.

UWC East Africa makes education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future. We are committed to developing balanced global citizens who are empowered to act responsibly in a complex world.

UWC East Africa is a member of the UWC movement. We live and learn together as part of a community that values:

1. A safe, collaborative and caring community.

2. A sense of belonging, acceptance and tolerance.

3. A holistic and diverse portfolio of learning experiences.

4. An education in a global context that promotes an appreciation and understanding of multiple perspectives and interdependence of individuals, societies and environments.

5. Innovation over perfection within a supportive community where learners are motivated to embrace personal challenge and reflection.

6. The ambition of students to demonstrate initiative and take on leadership roles.

7. Opportunities to engage with the culture and nature of East Africa.

8. A shared responsibility and a collective duty of care for ourselves, each other and the environment.

9. A healthy lifestyle and active pursuits.

10. The happiness and well-being of our community.

At UWC East Africa we have developed our own definition of International Mindedness.

Internationally Minded People:

● Are curious about the world and different cultures.
● Demonstrate the values of UWC and of the International Baccalaureate.
● Strive to learn about the values, beliefs and practices of their own culture so that they can better understand those found in their host country and elsewhere.
● Seek to understand how personal values, beliefs and practices impact one’s own and other’s contexts for learning and interacting in a variety of settings.
● Are influenced by, but not confined to, the cultures of their upbringing.
● Recognise that many values, beliefs and practices are in fact universal.
● Recognise and reflect on their place in an increasingly interdependent, globalised and connected world.
● Recognise and critically engage with multiple perspectives.
● Bridge cultures and act to create a more peaceful and sustainable world.