Investigating Impacts of Educational Experiences

Investigating Impacts of Educational Experiences is a multi-year investigation of the impact of particular secondary school experiences on student and alumni outcomes. This project is a collaboration with United World Colleges (UWC), a global network of seventeen international schools. UWC’s mission is to “make education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future.” To fulfill this vision, UWC schools assemble diverse student populations (particularly in terms of national origin and socioeconomic status) in order to encourage cross-cultural exchange, celebration of difference, respect, and personal integrity. UWC is guided by the philosophy of Kurt Hahn, who believed that education has the power to not only prepare students for a full and ethical life but to prevent future conflicts as well.

In this study, Project Zero researchers are investigating particular dimensions of the impact of UWC’s model on a cohort of current students within the system and on selected groups of alumni. The researchers are also working with a diverse set of similar mission-driven, service-oriented schools located internationally. The goal of the research is to uncover and capture the ways in which educational elements and experiences have affected the student and alumni populations. The results will not only inform UWC’s practices and those of the other involved schools but will also contribute to knowledge about diverse international schools and their degree of mission effectiveness.