From 21-23 June staff from 13 UWCs met at UWC Atlantic to consider how to improve support for those students who come to us from non-English-speaking backgrounds. The conference, which was organised by staff at UWC Maastricht and UWC Atlantic, brought us together to identify and share good practice, identify areas in need of development, and work towards creating a unified action plan to establish solid support structures across the UWC movement and in our individual contexts. The conference was opened by Peter Howe, the new Head of UWC Atlantic, and the keynote speaker, Dr. Marco Tamburelli, a Senior lecturer in Bilingualism at the University of Bangor, Wales, led to us to consider the importance of actively encouraging mother-tongue use on our campuses. Two days of intense conversations gave us all much to think about and take back to our communities. It was stimulating and nourishing to learn from each other and to engage with others who “spoke the same language”. The support for those learning English needs to go hand-in-hand with the pastoral support systems and we hope that the next conference can include staff involved with both areas of UWC life. With the help of our newly formed network and a UWC Hub group space where we can share materials and ideas, we look forward to improving the support we offer to all students, not just those who are learning English.

It is with sadness we received the news of Hans Olav Tungesvik passing away, 81 years old, following injuries from a bicycle accident. His funeral was at Skånevik Church yesterday, June 22nd. Mr Tungesvik was Chair for the Foundation that worked to set up our College, leading up to the opening in 1995. We were pleased to see him here on campus for our 20th anniversary celebrations, full of vigour. We are grateful for all the work he has done to serve peace and the values he believed in. Our thoughts go to his wife Liv and the rest of the family.