Una Fonte, Grade 11
UWC Robert Bosch College
As we live through the midst of a pandemic, many things are in jeopardy, people’s lives, housing, livelihoods, and health. With many schools across the globe starting to reopen this September, perhaps what is most prevalent in people’s minds is the disruption to education. While many of us firsties at RBC may have forgotten this during orientation week, UWC is an educational institute, and like many ones that is facing difficulties. Ones around bringing students to school, keeping everyone safe, all while maintaining the same level of education. UWC may be facing challenges, but as we reflect on the UWC movement today, it’s time to look at how the impact of UWC’s mission is still as strong as ever.
On August 36, first years at Robert Bosch College received the news that we would not be allowed to enter Germany for school. Upon receiving this news, the first reaction of students was not “this is so awful “, instead it was “how can we change this “both from students affected by the travel ban and those who were not. After this, most of the first years got busy creating a petition, writing German government officials, and calling embassies. One day before students were set to arrive, the German government changed its regulations; now all but 10 students have arrived. We may never know exactly why the restrictions were changed, but it is nice to think student efforts played some part.
This is a perfect example of how it is people that make up the UWC movement, rather than any specific place. From continents apart, members of Robert Bosch college demonstrated both a desire and ability to make a positive impact. Now that most of us are on campus, it is safe to say this desire and ability lives in every member of the college community. This is shown in many small ways, from the conversation with people about issues from their home country, and how they wish they were different, to the level of care people take for creating a strong community where students are active leaders.
In my first week here, one of my favorite examples of this was Garden Day. A day in which the school comes together as a community to work in the college’s garden for a day. The day reflects how a community only grows when everyone cares for it, just like how our garden only grows when we all care for it. The day started with several introductions for first-year students, which most notably included a sustainability and soil talk from Tobi, the sustainability coordinator, in which he honored his yearly tradition of eating a handful of soil to teach first years about the importance of soil to all life on the planet. This illustrates the level of commitment to education and the passion for their areas of expertise that the staff at RBC hold. Which, in turn, creates an environment in which people’s passion for making the world a better place is encouraged. Students walked away from that talk with a better understanding of how systems of justice and human life are intertwined with environmental ones.
Many of the future there may go on to work in areas that have a positive impact on all of these systems, showing how at UWC RBC, it is the passion of the people here that intern fuels the passion of others.
Today, September 21rst is internationally known as UWC Day, as well as Peace One Day. At the heart of both of these days is the mission of uniting people for peace and sustainability. I’ve been at UWC for only a short while; it is already a place I can call home, a home where it is possible to make this mission into reality. A home that extends far beyond if physical place and is created by a community of people who are all equally passionate about making the world a better place for all.
On August 36, first years at Robert Bosch College received the news that we would not be allowed to enter Germany for school. Upon receiving this news, the first reaction of students was not “this is so awful “, instead it was “how can we change this “both from students affected by the travel ban and those who were not. After this, most of the first years got busy creating a petition, writing German government officials, and calling embassies. One day before students were set to arrive, the German government changed its regulations; now all but 10 students have arrived. We may never know exactly why the restrictions were changed, but it is nice to think student efforts played some part.
This is a perfect example of how it is people that make up the UWC movement, rather than any specific place. From continents apart, members of Robert Bosch college demonstrated both a desire and ability to make a positive impact. Now that most of us are on campus, it is safe to say this desire and ability lives in every member of the college community. This is shown in many small ways, from the conversation with people about issues from their home country, and how they wish they were different, to the level of care people take for creating a strong community where students are active leaders.
In my first week here, one of my favorite examples of this was Garden Day. A day in which the school comes together as a community to work in the college’s garden for a day. The day reflects how a community only grows when everyone cares for it, just like how our garden only grows when we all care for it. The day started with several introductions for first-year students, which most notably included a sustainability and soil talk from Tobi, the sustainability coordinator, in which he honored his yearly tradition of eating a handful of soil to teach first years about the importance of soil to all life on the planet. This illustrates the level of commitment to education and the passion for their areas of expertise that the staff at RBC hold. Which, in turn, creates an environment in which people’s passion for making the world a better place is encouraged. Students walked away from that talk with a better understanding of how systems of justice and human life are intertwined with environmental ones.
Many of the future there may go on to work in areas that have a positive impact on all of these systems, showing how at UWC RBC, it is the passion of the people here that intern fuels the passion of others.
Today, September 21rst is internationally known as UWC Day, as well as Peace One Day. At the heart of both of these days is the mission of uniting people for peace and sustainability. I’ve been at UWC for only a short while; it is already a place I can call home, a home where it is possible to make this mission into reality. A home that extends far beyond if physical place and is created by a community of people who are all equally passionate about making the world a better place for all.
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