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Success stories aren’t just found in textbooks — they come to life when one steps onto the campuses of United World College of South East Asia (UWCSEA). With over 5,600 students preparing to become innovators for change, their education sets them on a path of their own choosing. Whether it’s working with national agencies to enhance Singapore’s biodiversity, coding and designing lunar satellites with NASA, or improving campus infrastructure, a UWCSEA education empowers students for their future. They embark on this journey with a community of dedicated educators, advisors, and mentors who support them every step of the way.
UWCSEA: A bridge for international students
Starting school can be daunting, with the pressure to make new friendships, get acquainted with the culture of a new country, and navigate different school systems. At UWCSEA, where the College community represents over 100 nationalities, there are many programmes in place to ease this transition. The English as an Additional Language (EAL) programme helps students develop their English skills by creating shared definitions and understandings. As part of the Service element in their holistic Learning Programme, Grade 11 English B students read with young Grade 1 Infant School students, helping them practise their communication and reading skills.
Grade 11 students also have the opportunity through the High School Buddy Programme which pairs them as mentors with Primary and Middle School classes to serve as role models and, most importantly, assist in reading, math, and more. Grades 9 and 10 students spend one lunch hour weekly with an assigned class, participating in reading, games, and art activities.
UWCSEA has a vibrant, truly international group of day and boarding students, staff, parents, and alumni. Source: UWCSEA
Another way they support international students is through translanguaging, turning their home language into a tool to process learning. This is accomplished through means of having common words of home languages incorporated into the campus dressings, to help students feel welcome and to help them navigate around school. Translanguaging is also a tool used in teaching Drama, where students explore intercultural understanding and linguistic inclusivity. Recent High School Drama productions such as “Dunsinane” and “Running Wild,” featured themes of colonialism and modern interventionism. These offered students opportunities to learn and actively contribute to UWCSEA’s values of intercultural understanding and linguistic inclusivity.
“All languages are valuable, and multilingual people have great advantages over monolinguals intellectually and socially,” notes Ellie Alchin, Director of Teaching and Learning at Dover Campus. “Research shows that multilingualism also flexes conceptual learning and critical thinking in ways that build more complex neural pathways in the brain.” Beyond the efforts of UWCSEA’s EAL experts, the Parents’ Association (PA) enhances inclusivity and support. With hundreds of volunteers, the PA connects parents and supports over 4,000 families through events like the Welcome Back BBQ, Community Fair, and cultural celebrations. They have initiated nationality groups to bring parents of similar cultural backgrounds together while also paving the way for cross-cultural immersion. The PA have been the backbone for many initiatives such as their Parent Buddy Programme that helps new families ease into the community, as well as their recent Neurodiversity Parent Support Group.
Meanwhile, UWCSEA’s hosting programme for boarders transforms culture and connection into family for boarders. With 337 boarders from various countries, including over 100 scholars, programme helps incoming boarders including scholars adjust to life in Singapore by connecting them with host families, to provide a home away from home for students who attend the College from around the world. “It’s wonderful to see our scholars thrive with the supportive families in our community, sharing meals, stories and experiences,” says Andy Mullin, Houseparent at UWCSEA Dover. “Many alumni fondly remember their hosts as their Singapore families.”
Real-world experiences are a big part of a UWCSEA education. Source: UWCSEA
From the UWCSEA classroom and into the future
Apart from enhancing social and emotional learning and promoting critical thinking and compassion, these experiences develop proactive contributors to society. Of course, high schoolers spend an equal amount of time nurturing their own talents and solidifying their life’s calling — it’s easy to do so at a school that encourages immersive learning within and beyond classrooms.
At UWCSEA East, High School Vice Principal Kate Levy recognised the need for authentic writing experiences and initiated Stories that Matter, a programme that connects Grade 9 and Foundation IB students with notable speakers like novelists Meira Chand, Philip Jeyaretnam, and Alison Jean Lester, journalists Kirsten Han and Tom Wright, and graphic artist Sonny Liew, who share their personal stories for students to retell in unique ways. The Artists-in-Residence (AIR) Programme explores diverse artistic traditions, offering collaborative workshops with local and international artists. Artistic forms covered recently include physical comedy with Shanice Stanislaus, traditional Malay martial arts (Silat Tua) with Lian Sutton, dynamic storytelling with Claire Glenn, original storytelling techniques with Red Leap Theatre, and Kathakali dance with Bhaskar’s Arts Academy.
Exposure to real-world experiences is another way students get to connect with the professional landscape. The UWCSEA Careers Programme, with over 120 internships and 1,500 mentors, gets students participating in panel discussions to learn more about their aspirations, attending talks by professionals, connecting with successful graduates, interning on campus, or visiting companies like Google, Visa, Bloomberg, and Amazon Web Services.
And once students have a clearer idea of their post-graduation plans, UWCSEA’s University Advising Centre (UAC) supports them in making their dreams a reality. Experienced University Advisors guide students from Grade 10, helping them select IB subjects and navigate the maze of university admissions. The programme includes workshops, presentations, and individual advising, along with access to tools that help gauge potential career paths. Shruti and Pamela, Heads of UAC, advise parents to support their children with encouragement and focus on the fact that university outcomes are just one part of the journey and stress the importance of fostering resilience and adaptability to prepare for an ever-changing future. Students also benefit from alumni mentoring and interactions with over 300 university representatives from top institutions worldwide.
These initiatives are effective — a fact proven by this year’s outstanding IB results. 45% of the Class 2024 achieved 38 points or more, with nearly 30% scoring 40 and above and 8 students achieving a perfect score of 45 point. UWCSEA students are now enrolled at top universities including Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, Columbia, and the University of Chicago, among others. Learn more about the education that got them there.
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