No Limits

Every year some students arrive at UWC RCN linguistically and academically unprepared to manage the demands of the two year IB Diploma Programme. These students are identified early by the Academic Support Team and invited to attend the UWC RCN 3-week Summer Course (in advance of the start of the academic year), which gives them exposure to and lessons in English, helps orient them to their new environment, provides them with a supportive network of friends and introduces them to UWC values, expectations and activities.

The Foundation Year is a tailor-made course focused on English language development, study skills, and foundation in Maths, Science, Humanities and IT – alongside a holistic approach as expressed in the UWC Educational Model through extra-curricular challenges and our residential programme, emphasizing trust and a sense of belonging. The participants will take our UWC Red Cross Nordic Foundation Diploma – and this will be awarded at the end of the course. The main aims are to build confidence, nurture participation in our deliberately diverse student community, and prepare students for the demands of the two year IB Diploma or course certificates. Each student will be given a tailor-made timetable and individual tuition with more appropriate challenges, organised / supervised by the Learning Support Team.

Our human environment of purposeful diversity becomes a resource for all when each and everyone is equipped to learn, progress and share.

For more detailed information about the Foundation Programme, please click here for a written description and here for a visual flow chart.

Thanks to the Høegh Foundation and the Davis-UWC IMPACT Challenge for enabling us to set up the support infrastructure through our 20th Anniversary campaign in 2015 – and to Zoya Taylor and Harald Møller for their generous donation to the programme in 2017. The Foundation Year is a crucial component for our purposely diverse recruitment.

Read the stories of some of the students who have been on the Foundation Programme: this year’s students – here, and from last year, Hari, Ladiba and Sara.

Garage sale!

Towards the end of term, the following departing members of staff – Kathini, Larry, Simon, Marloes, Cristina and Avis – held a garage sale for the staff, student and local community to raise money for the Foundation Year Scholarship programme at UWC Red Cross Nordic.

This was a new initiative held in the Rektor’s garage one Saturday morning – with furniture, cutlery and crockery, pot plants, sporting equipment, clothes and much more for sale.

In total 21 members, beyond the original team of departing staff, made donations in exchange for items – with students taking books, clothes and other items for free.

NOK 14,055 was raised which will, in turn, be matched by the Davis Impact Programme – for a grand total of NOK 28,110.

Thank you to all who contributed to the organization and to the raising for money for the Foundation Year Programme.

If you would like to make your own donation to the Foundation Year Programme, please click here.