Founded in 1982, UWC-USA’s location in Montezuma, New Mexico, was chosen because of its remarkable beauty and proximity to immense wilderness areas in the historic region of Northern New Mexico. At UWC-USA students forge connections with peers of diverse backgrounds, engage in community service and develop a profound respect for nature through wilderness experiences. Simultaneously, they navigate a demanding IB diploma programme, gaining practical idealism skills that shape them into lifelong changemakers.
Three Unique Features
- Community service: Students perform over 17,000 hours of community service each year in soup kitchens, at the local residential mental hospital and in local schools. San Miguel County, where Montezuma is located, has one of the highest poverty rates in the country.
- Wilderness: The Wilderness Programme at UWC-USA focuses on empowering students to embrace their personal strengths and leadership skills through self-discovery in the outdoors. Opportunities exist in backpacking, hiking, river walking, adventure biking, climbing, swimming and overnight camping with an emphasis on positive group dynamics, individual self-reflection and safety.
- Bartos Institute: The Bartos Institute for the Constructive Engagement of Conflict has an endowed array of programmes dedicated to fostering conflict resolution and cross-cultural skills.
UWC-USA provides a two-year educational pathway for students aged 15-19: the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. The IBDP is made up of three core components and six subject groups.
Average class size: 16 students
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
Core components
Theory of Knowledge: Students reflect on the nature of knowledge and on how we claim what we know.
The Extended Essay: An independent, self-directed piece of research finishing with a 4,000-word paper.
Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS): Students take part in a range of experiences and at least one project.
Subjects
- Studies in language and literature: English Literature, English Language & Literature, French Language & Literature, Spanish Literature, School Supported Self-Taught Literature
- Language acquisition: English B, French B, French B Ab initio, Italian B Ab initio, Spanish B, Spanish B Ab initio
- Individuals and societies: Economics, History, Global Politics, Social & Cultural Anthropology, IT in a Global Society
- Sciences: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Environmental Systems & Societies
- Mathematics: Mathematics: Analysis & Approaches, Mathematics: Applications & Interpretation
- The arts: Visual Arts, Theatre, Dance
Co-curricular
All students at UWC complete a co-curricular programme called Creativity, Activity and Service (CAS) – an integral part of the IB qualification. Students get the opportunity to choose a physical, a creative and a social service activity. There are more than 70 different CAS experiences (referred to as Quan Cai) offered at LPCUWC.
Physical activities
Wilderness Program Wild ExEdinton
Wilderness Leadership Training
Tennis
Ultimate Frisbee
Volleyball
Yoga
Zumba
Swing Dance
Squash
Table Tennis
Basketball
Football (Soccer)
Dance Ensemble
Physical Fitness
Running
Creative activities
African Chorus
Latin Ensemble
Percussion Ensemble
Global Chorus
Silk Road Ensemble
Chamber Music
Jazz and Contemporary Ensemble (Music Improv)
Dance Ensemble
Yearbook
Marketing and Communications
Play Production
Theatre Technology
Literati (Student-run periodical)
Poetry Reading
Model United Nations (MUN)
Youth and Government
Social service
Work with homeless shelters
Work with teens in a behavioural health institute
Tutor Spanish in the local schools
Philosophy for children course in local schools
Work in the local soup kitchen
Work with developmentally disabled adults in a local institute
Work with the elderly in assisted living facilities
Student Council
UWC-USA is located at the edge of the Pecos Wilderness in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The 200 acre campus is anchored by the famous Montezuma Castle and includes several classrooms, residential buildings as well as an extensive sports complex. The 20-acre Agroecology Research Centre – or ‘The Farm’ – features a working farm utilising sustainable agriculture techniques, providing produce for the campus dining hall.
Health Clinic
Theatre Stage
Gym
Football Pitch
Basketball Courts
Art Centre
Tennis Courts
Music Room
20-acre Farm
Climbing Wall
Squash Courts
Weight Room
Meditation Light Sanctuary
Dance Studio
Greenhouse
Student Centre
Library
IT Centre
Residential accommodation:
There are six residential dorm spaces, each housing around 40 students, with resident coordinators and resident assistants for each dorm. There is a kitchen and “dayroom” in each facility, with students living two to three per room.
Medical provisions
- Health Clinic on campus
- Full-time registered nurse
- Hospital within 20 minutes of campus
Academic and emotional well-being
Support at UWC-USA comes in various ways, starting with our general ethos of celebrating our differences while looking for what connects us all. Students have access to small classes, excellent teachers, college counsellors, residence coordinators, student RAs, academic advisors, personal counsellors, peer tutors, a health clinic and licensed therapists.
The dining hall offers a wide variety of food options including both meat and plant-based choices at every meal. Much of the produce is grown on the UWC-USA farm.
Students also find support via their various identities in groups such as the Black Caucus, LGBTQ+ association and regional affiliation. Other support comes from the Student Wellness Education and Empowerment Team (SWEET), Constructive Engagement of Conflict, Climate Action Team and the Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity and Access (IDEA) team. Courses in CPR, First Aid and Mental Health First Aid are offered regularly.
You can apply through your UWC national committee (NC) or through the UWC Global Selection Programme.
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