What is UWC?

Still confused about what role UWC Costa Rica has with the other UWC Colleges and the UWC Movement? What makes our College unique? Don't worry; we know there is a lot to take in and learn from! This guide will set the basics of your whole experience as a UWC student.

The UWC Movement

UWC (United World College) is a global movement that makes education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future. It is made up of 18 schools and colleges across the globe; UWC Costa Rica is one of them and the only one in Latin America & The Caribbean!

While all colleges are different from each other, offering a unique experience on each campus, we all share five key values that unite us as a movement:

We are a truly global movement
We are deliberately diverse
We are selective but not exclusive
We value service, as well as knowledge
We build a community of role models

UWC Costa Rica

UWC Costa Rica is located in Santa Ana, San José, and it is transitioning to a new space in San Isidro, Heredia, offering many learning opportunities in nature for the new generations; a campus surrounded by 40 hectares of a nature reserve is an ideal place for an inverse and transformative experience in connection with nature. Our current campus at the heart of Santa Ana allows students to engage with the Costa Rican community directly while still surrounded by nature.

Our Mission

To cultivate in young people the passion and ability to serve humanity and our planet—learning from nature and from each other for a lifetime.

Our Principles

Learning from nature and from each other for a lifetime.

Our Values

Empathy

Reciprocity

Accountability

Sustainability

The college’s own sustainability framework establishes sustainability in its broadest, most holistic sense as a mindset and ethical guideline for balance and well-being, embracing the concept of reciprocity. Sustainability is being embedded across all aspects of the college, including our education model (pedagogical focus, curriculum, programs, and projects), promoting learning from nature, and new pedagogies for the future. To this principle, the college is also purposefully building a new campus with sustainable construction practices and the restoration and conservation of a nature reserve within its property.

Sustainability Principles

The Sustainability Principles (SPs) aim to encompass all actions needed to transition towards a college exemplary in its sustainability and inherent values.

Action Lines

Strategies for guiding and organizing the different activities for each action area to achieve greater integration, coordination, and continuity of efforts to fulfill UWC Costa Rica’s mission.

Our mission: To cultivate in young people the passion and ability to serve humanity and our planet—learning from nature and from each other for a lifetime.

San José, Costa Rica. 10901.
+506 2282 5609 | info@uwccostarica.org