United World College of the American West (UWC-USA) which was founded in 1982 by the Occidental Petroleum magnate and philanthropist, Armand Hammer, is an upper-secondary school with 200 students and two dozen faculty from 80 countries or more. Situated amid traditional Hispanic settlements in New Mexico's scenic Sangre de Cristo Mountains, UWC-USA brings together young people (ages 16-19) from many nations, races, and social backgrounds for challenging pre-university studies and voluntary service. Its goal is to help students develop pride, become more articulate, and gain a sense of responsibility and a mature perspective on their own culture, background, and nationality. At the same time, to transcend that background and become aware of and involved in the challenges common to all humanity--justice, peace, or whatever issue facing the global community may be most interesting to them. This article also discusses the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum which all UWC secondary schools follow.