53-602: Round Square is an international network of schools, based on the educational concepts of Kurt Hahn , and named after a distinctive building at Gordonstoun . Founded by a group of seven schools in the late 1960s, by 1996 it had grown to 20 member schools worldwide, and has since expanded to over 200 schools. Round Square is incorporated in England as a Company Limited by Guarantee, and is a registered charity. Between 1962 and 1963 Jocelin Winthrop Young and Roy McComish listed all
106-641: A "Christian gentleman." Hahn's ideas were also adopted — through the efforts of Alec Peterson , who previously worked under Hahn at the newly founded Atlantic College in the 1960s — by the International Baccalaureate program and thus secularised. During his lifetime, Hahn summarised his beliefs about the younger generation at the time into six key points, describing them as the Six Declines of Modern Youth: Hahn also proposed four solutions to these problems, all of which manifested themselves in
159-461: A "Project Week" every year, giving students a change to delve into either service based or expedition based experiences, and hosts student-ran Conferences on a quarterly basis offering deep introspection to students into the chosen conference topic. The college has a strong tradition of boat design and boat building. The Atlantic College Lifeboat Station stood within its grounds as an active RNLI lifeboat station from 1963, when it opened as one of
212-501: A cliff suitable for climbing and rescue practice. In 2004, the college installed a carbon neutral biomass heating system to replace an aging and unsustainable oil-based system. It runs on locally sourced sustainable woodchip biomass , and makes the campus the largest site in the UK to be heated in such a way. Students live in eight modern accommodation houses built in the castle grounds named after either ancient Welsh kingdoms or benefactors to
265-610: A common German belief that Shakespeare was better in German than in English. I refused to allow this. I argued that the German translation might indeed be very good, but that the English original must be better . No, he assured me, the German was better ; and as I didn't know German and he did know English, he must be right. We grew absurdly heated. In the fall of 2007, The Kurt Hahn Expeditionary Learning School opened in Brooklyn , New York. In
318-481: A fierce temper, a strong hand with the cane, and a temperament which hated being crossed. Especially damaging to my very English view, was his dislike of being defeated at any game. Hahn was an avid tennis player. But was it an easily forgiveable weakness that his opponents had to be chosen for being his inferiors or else, if their form was unknown, instructed not to let themselves win? Hahn's behaviour came to seem to Worsley "so ineffably, so Germanically silly" that he
371-626: A range of community service activities both locally and internationally. Many projects are run through the school and further opportunities are available via the Round Square Region, Network and Worldwide Organisation. Notable events including the Round Square International Conference (RSIC), where as the most recent 2024 conference took place in Brookhouse School , Nairobi . Round Square schools are characterised by
424-679: A result he was imprisoned for five days, from 11 to 16 March 1933. After an appeal by the British Prime Minister, Ramsay MacDonald , Hahn was released and in July 1933 he was forced to leave Germany and moved to the United Kingdom. Hahn settled in Scotland, where he founded Gordonstoun on similar principles to the school in Salem. Later Hahn converted to Christianity , became a communicant member of
477-519: A shared belief in an approach to education built around six themes, our IDEALS, drawn from the theories of the educationalist Kurt Hahn . New Zealand Kurt Hahn Kurt Matthias Robert Martin Hahn CBE (5 June 1886 – 14 December 1974) was a German educator. He was decisive in founding Stiftung Louisenlund , Schule Schloss Salem , Gordonstoun , Outward Bound , the Duke of Edinburgh's Award , and
530-460: A summer term at the newly founded Gordonstoun in the capacity of consultant . In his memoir Flannelled Fool: A Slice of a Life in the Thirties , Worsley records his impressions of Hahn's penetrating character analysis, and his energy and commitment in the cause of human development, but as time went on he became critical of Hahn's "despotic, overpowering personality": He revealed himself as having
583-542: A variety of ways at Salem, Gordonstoun, Atlantic College, and with Outward Bound: Kurt applied these seven laws to Salem School, Gordonstoun School, community programs for building physical fitness and social spirit, the worldwide Outward Bound movement and Atlantic College. In 1934, through his lectures in London to the New Education Fellowship , Hahn met the educationalist T. C. Worsley and persuaded him to spend
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#1732898449565636-493: A week as part of the International Baccalaureate's Creativity, Action, Service (CAS) requirement. The opportunity to undertake weekly community service, physical activity, and creative activity offers students a 'counterbalance' to the Diploma Programme's academic pressures, and allows the students an opportunity to reflect on their experiences and develop specific interests and passions. Additionally, UWC Atlantic runs
689-502: Is attended by approximately 350 students from more than 90 countries, the majority of whom are selected through their National Committees, which help fund their education through partial or full scholarships; over 65% of students who apply through national committees receive some form of scholarship or financial aid. The diverse student body includes refugees, war victims, and members of persecuted communities, who live and study alongside members of royal families and other students from around
742-558: Is to "make education a force to unite people, nations, and cultures for peace and a sustainable future". Students from over 90 countries participate in UWC Atlantic's two-year programme, in which they combine academic studies with activities and service. Admission into United World Colleges , and scholarship awards, are decided by national UWC committees around the world and the Global Selection Programme. Atlantic College
795-492: Is today known as Round Square . After World War II , Hahn divided his time between Britain and Germany. He founded or inspired the founding of several new boarding schools based on the principles of Salem and Gordonstoun: Anavryta , Greece (1949); Louisenlund , Germany (1949); Battisborough, England (1955); Rannoch School , Scotland (1959); Box Hill School , England (1959); International School Ibadan , Nigeria (1963); and The Athenian School , USA (1965). He resigned from
848-586: The Church of England in 1945 and preached in the Church of Scotland . Hahn was also involved in the foundation of the Outward Bound Organisation with Lawrence Holt , Atlantic College in Wales and the wider United World College movement, and the Duke of Edinburgh's Award . An international organisation of schools aligned with Hahn's educational philosophy was initially to be called The Hahn Schools but
901-562: The NATO Defence College in 1955, where he saw former enemies from several nations working together towards a common goal, and realised how much more could be done to overcome the hostility of the Cold War if young people from different nations could be brought together in a similar way. He envisaged a college for students who were already grounded in their own cultures but impressionable enough to learn from others. Drawn from all nations,
954-586: The South Wales Youth League , a regional youth league, starting in the 2024-2025 school year. UWC Atlantic is located at St Donat's Castle , a 12th-century castle near the town of Llantwit Major on the South Wales coast, overlooking the Bristol Channel . The castle has been continuously inhabited since it was first built. The extensive grounds also include the 12th-century St Donat's Church and
1007-678: The CAS component of the IB Diploma and as co-curricular activities. Facilities include indoor and outdoor swimming pools, tennis courts, a climbing wall, a sports hall with basketball and badminton courts, a five-a-side football pitch, dance studio, and gym equipment, and playing fields used for football and rugby. Students also participate in a range of activities that take advantage of the college's seafront location, including cliff abseiling, rock climbing, hiking, and sea kayaking. The college’s football team, Atlantic College Football Club, will participate in
1060-561: The Presidency to his great-nephew, the then Prince of Wales, Charles . Former presidents of the United World Colleges also include Nelson Mandela of South Africa (from 1995 until his death in 2013), a position he shared with the current holder of the position, Queen Noor of Jordan . Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom was a Patron of the college, from its early days until her death in 2022. The college's stated mission
1113-531: The R.S.I.S. (Round Square International Service) was created to promote and organise overseas voluntary service projects in much the same way as the project in Cephalonia. Winthrop Young retired as headmaster of Salem in 1974 but continued to run the Round Square association as Honorary Secretary and later as Director until he retired from that position in 1992. Round Square schools encourage students to take part in
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#17328984495651166-540: The RIB (rigid inflatable boat). The building of ILB training vessels at the school is a longstanding student activity, and were used for practice and training of the student-led RNLI crews at the station until its closure in 2013. In 2014 students at the college helped design a new boat in conjunction with companies in Japan, to help in the aftermath of a tsunami . The college offers a range of sports and fitness activities as part of
1219-509: The United States. Service has been a core part of the college's ethos and structure since its founding, rooted in Kurt Hahn's philosophy and belief that physical activity and especially service to others were vital elements of a well rounded education. At the beginning of each year at the college, students are obliged to select 3 activities that they will each carry out for at least 2 hours
1272-481: The already established and pre-eminent Hahnian schools. On 5 June 1966, Kurt Hahn’s 80th birthday was celebrated at Schule Schloss Salem, and as the headmaster of the school Winthrop Young invited the headmasters of Box Hill School, Gordonstoun, Louisenlund, Anavryta, Battisborough, the Athenian School, and the recently opened Atlantic College , to discuss the establishment of a Hahn schools conference. This meeting
1325-402: The castle are the social and gymnasium blocks, and the 12th-century tithe barn (with a contemporary extension), which is both used by the college and open to the public as a theatre, arts centre and cinema. The college owns sports fields, tennis courts, and in addition to indoor and outdoor swimming pools have a range of surf and rescue equipment, kayaks, sailing boats, RNLI training boats, and
1378-626: The college by Antonin Besse , it was owned by William Randolph Hearst , who undertook major renovations, including transporting the roof and fireplace from the Bradenstoke Priory in Wiltshire and an ornate, gilded and vaulted ceiling from a church in Boston, Lincolnshire. Lessons take place in modern academic blocks built in the 1960s–80s, converted medieval estate buildings, and the castle itself. Next to
1431-458: The college's premises. On 19 September 1962, Atlantic College opened with nine teaching staff and 56 male students aged between 16 and 19 years from 12 countries; in 1967, the school became co-educational, with a cohort hailing from 35 nations. The school was hailed by The Times of London as "the most exciting experiment in education since the Second World War." From its founding,
1484-490: The college: Kurt Hahn, Antonin Besse, Powys, Whitaker, Gwynedd, Madiba, Tice and Sunley. The Pentti Kouri house, formerly Dyfed, was refurbished in the autumn of 2008 to include technologies such as geothermal heating and an energy usage monitoring system to lessen its impact on the environment. Due largely to the college's setting at the castle, in combination with its reputation as a progressive institution, media sometimes use terms such as " Hogwarts for hippies" to describe
1537-562: The corruption of society and a promise of later doom if people, Europeans particularly, could not be taught differently. At the Schule Schloss Salem , in addition to acting as headmaster, he taught history, politics, ancient Greek, Shakespeare, and Schiller . He was deeply influenced by Plato's thought. Gordonstoun is based less on Eton than on Salem. Hahn's prefects are called colour bearers, and traditionally they are promoted according to Hahn's values: concern and compassion for others,
1590-459: The design in 1973, sold the rights to the RNLI for the nominal fee of one pound; he did not cash the cheque, which is still displayed at the college. David Sutcliffe, a member of the founding staff of Atlantic College in 1962 and its second headmaster, published The RIB The Rigid-Hulled Inflatable Lifeboat and its Place of Birth The Atlantic College in 2010, a book that tells the story of the inception of
1643-472: The first experimental inshore lifeboat (ILB) stations established in the United Kingdom, and staffed mostly by students participating in the college's Inshore Lifeboat service, until 2013. Much of the development of the Atlantic 21 , 75 and 85 classes of lifeboat took place at Atlantic College. What was to become the world's most widely used type of craft for inshore rescue, the rigid inflatable boat (RIB),
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1696-652: The first of the United World Colleges , Atlantic College . Born in Berlin to Jewish parents, Hahn attended school in the city, then universities at Oxford , Heidelberg , Freiburg and Göttingen . During World War I , Hahn worked in the German Department for Foreign Affairs , analyzing British newspapers and advising the German Foreign Office . He had been private secretary to Prince Max von Baden ,
1749-512: The first trial exams for the IB. Having already participated in these pilot exams in parallel to offering the British GCE A-Levels , in 1971 Atlantic College became the first school in the world to entirely abandon a national curriculum and qualifications in favor of the new program. The college also offered a Pre-Diploma course, offering 15-16-year-old students the chance to study IGCSEs among
1802-487: The founding members of the Round Square: Box Hill School , Gordonstoun , Anavryta Experimental Lyceum , Schule Schloss Salem , Aiglon College and Abbotsholme School . At the 2nd Round Square conference held at Box Hill the principles of the association were established and co-education was the first of the sequence of conference themes that were discussed. At a later conference held at Box Hill in 1980
1855-497: The headship of Gordonstoun on health grounds and returned to Hermannsberg ( Heiligenberg ), near Salem in 1953. He died there on 14 December 1974 and was buried in Salem. Hahn's educational philosophy was based on respect for adolescents, whom he believed to possess an innate decency and moral sense, but who were, he believed, corrupted by society as they aged. He believed that education could prevent this corruption, if students were given opportunities for personal leadership and to see
1908-459: The historic terraced gardens, as well as preserved woodland, farmland and Heritage Coastline . St Donat's Castle is the main building of the college, housing the Tudor great hall, the gothic dining hall, Bradenstoke Hall (today used for assemblies and performances), an extensive 25,000-book library, staff offices, student common areas and certain academic departments. Before being purchased for use by
1961-681: The last Imperial Chancellor of Germany , and in 1919 was part of the German delegation to the Paris Peace Conference , where, as secretary and speechwriter for the German minister of Foreign Affairs, Graf Brockdorff-Rantzau , he witnessed the creation of the Treaty of Versailles . In 1920 Hahn and Prince Max founded Schule Schloss Salem , a private boarding school in Baden-Württemberg in south-western Germany, where Hahn served as headmaster until 1933 and Adolf Hitler 's rise to power. Hahn
2014-623: The rest of the college's older population. This programme ended in 2019. IB graduates are typically accepted at the most competitive colleges and universities around the world, with many enrolling in Ivy League universities in the United States as well as British universities. Students at the college are eligible, after graduation, to participate in the Davis United World College Scholars Program , which funds undergraduate study for UWC students at selected universities in
2067-491: The results of their own actions. This is one reason for the focus on outdoor adventure in his philosophy. Hahn relied here on Bernhard Zimmermann, the former Director of the Göttingen University Physical Education Department, who had to leave Germany in 1938 as he did not want to divorce his Jewish wife. Hahn's educational thinking was crystallised by World War I, which he viewed as proof of
2120-577: The school was intended to be the first of a series, initially to be named "The Atlantic Colleges." In 1967, Lord Mountbatten of Burma became President of the organisation and the term United World Colleges came into existence, with an international office in London, and the school became known as the United World College of the Atlantic. Mountbatten was an enthusiastic UWC supporter and encouraged heads of state, politicians and personalities throughout
2173-457: The school. The college has hosted several royal visitors to the castle, including Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh , Lord Mountbatten , King Charles III and Diana, Princess of Wales , as well as Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko of Japan, Queen Beatrix and Prince Claus of the Netherlands, King Willem-Alexander (an alumnus) and Queen Máxima of
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2226-873: The schools which they considered to have adopted the educational ideas of Kurt Hahn or had included them at their foundation. These schools were: in Scotland, Rannoch School and Dunrobin School; in England, Abbotsholme School , Battisborough and Milton Abbey ; in Germany Louisenlund ; in Switzerland Aiglon College , in Ghana Achimota School ; in India The Doon School ; and the soon to open Athenian School in California. Salem , Gordonstoun , Anavryta and Box Hill were 'taken for granted' as
2279-461: The students would be selected purely on merit and potential, regardless of race, religion, nationality and background. The college was the result of Kurt Hahn's vision and the work of individuals such as the founding Headmaster Rear Admiral Desmond Hoare , Director of Studies Robert Blackburn , Air Marshal Sir Lawrance Darvall , Alec Peterson (who established the curriculum for the college) , and Antonin Besse , who donated St Donat's Castle for
2332-509: The television series The Crown , Hahn is played by German actor Burghart Klaußner . Atlantic College UWC Atlantic (formally the United World College of the Atlantic , and often referred to by its original name, Atlantic College ) is an independent boarding school in the Vale of Glamorgan in south Wales . Founded in 1962, it was the first of the United World Colleges and
2385-490: The willingness to accept responsibility, and concern and tenacity in pursuit of the truth. Punishment of any kind is viewed as a last resort. According to the German educational Michael Knoll, "education for democracy" was at the core of Hahn's educational philosophy. Hahn also emphasised what he called "Samaritan service", having students give service to others. He formulated this as focusing on finding Christian purpose in life. His former pupil, Golo Mann, later described him as
2438-618: The world to share his interest. He was personally involved in founding what became the third UWC – the United World College of South East Asia – in Singapore in 1975, following the founding of the second College, the Lester B Pearson United World College of the Pacific in Canada in 1974, named after Nobel Peace Prize winner and former Canadian Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson . In 1978, Mountbatten passed
2491-715: The world. Atlantic College was founded by Kurt Hahn , a German educationalist who had previously set up the Schule Schloss Salem and the Stiftung Louisenlund in Germany , Gordonstoun School in Scotland , and the Outward Bound movement. Hahn founded the college as a practical response to the search for new and peaceful solutions in a post-war world riven by political, racial and economic divisions. Hahn had been invited by British Air Marshal Sir Lawrence Darvall to address
2544-539: Was among the first educational institutions in the world to follow an international curriculum ; it helped create the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme in the 1960s. In addition to the IBDP , UWC Atlantic places student participation in community service at its core. It is known for its liberal education , its global ethos, and its strong focus on local and global sustainability. It
2597-444: Was chaired by King Constantine and during its course an agreement was reached on naming the conference "The Hahn Schools", it was then decided that the first conference would be held at Gordonstoun in 1967. At this first conference at Hahn's insistence the name "The Hahn Schools" was dropped in favour of a new name "The Round Square" after an iconic building at Gordounstoun. Six of the schools that attended this first conference and were
2650-572: Was one of the first colleges in the world, and the first in the UK, to follow an international curriculum, and offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme . The college was one of the key institutions involved in the creation of the International Baccalaureate, and continues to be actively involved in its development. In May 1967, 108 students at Atlantic College joined 37 at the International School of Geneva to sit
2703-449: Was originally conceived, designed, prototyped, tested, and built at the college under its founding headmaster, retired Rear-Admiral Desmond Hoare. The B Class Atlantic Inshore Lifeboat was named by the RNLI after its birthplace. It has often been claimed that, had the college earned royalties on every rigid-hulled inflatable boat now in service, its scholarship fund would have never looked back; instead, Desmond Hoare, who eventually patented
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#17328984495652756-600: Was raised Jewish, and began his fierce criticism of the Nazi regime after the Potempa murder of 1932 , when Stormtroopers attacked and killed a young communist in the presence of his mother. The Stormtroopers were originally sentenced to death, but when they were given amnesty and celebrated by the Nazis, Hahn spoke out against Hitler publicly. He asked the students, faculty, and alumni of the Salem school to "choose between Salem and Hitler" . As
2809-414: Was unable to share the clear adulation of the teaching staff: We were going through the classrooms when, in one, he suddenly stopped, gripped my arm, raised his nostrils in the air, and then, in his marked German accent, he solemnly pronounced: 'Somevon has been talking dirt in this room. I can smell it.' Hahn's views on Shakespeare led to an open disagreement: He had what I have since learned to be
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