Davis-UWC Dare to Dream programme launches: An ambitious challenge for UWC
Kate Woodford, Senior Manager, Marketing and Business Development, UWCSEA
1 February 2018
In a gesture of trust in the transformative nature of a UWC education, Shelby Davis has announced a major pledge of US$100m over 20 years towards the UWC movement scholarship fund, creating 100 additional scholarships per year. This gift is one of the most significant ever made to support secondary education.
Davis’ donation will be used to establish the Dare to Dream programme, with the scholarships to be granted through UWC’s national committees (NC) from 2018. The UWC NCs, made up of UWC alumni and other volunteers in 159 countries, play a key role in enabling UWC to reach a more diverse pool of candidates through their outreach and selection process. The gift will be instrumental in increasing momentum for UWC’s strategic goal of ensuring meaningful socio-economic diversity in the student body across all 17 UWC schools and colleges.
In explaining his pledge, Davis said, "Each year, UWC national committees identify promising young people in almost 160 countries to attend UWC schools and give them access to an international education they would otherwise never even dare to dream of. We need to equip a new generation to work towards a better world. The Dare to Dream scholarships recognise UWC's capacity to bring together students from the most diverse backgrounds from around the globe. I hope it will encourage others to support UWC in eliminating a privileged socio-economic background as a prerequisite for world class education."
Chris Edwards, Head of College at UWCSEA said the ongoing support by Shelby Davis, “inspires students, encourages staff and will help to elevate UWC into a new stratosphere with his gift of hope, optimism and a transformative education.”
The UWCSEA community joins the UWC movement in thanking Shelby Davis for his generosity and trust in creating this unparalleled opportunity to extend the reach of our mission.
The UWCSEA Foundation will work closely with the Dare to Dream programme to enhance the number of scholarships offered at the College. If you would like to be part of this transformational programme, please contact Dave Shepherd, Director of College Advancement.
Shelby Davis is a long-time supporter of the UWC movement and, in addition to substantial donations towards UWC scholarships, is co-founder of the world’s largest privately funded international scholarship programme for university studies, exclusively for UWC alumni: the Davis United World College Scholars Program.