| United World Schools | |
| Formation: | May 12, 2009 |
| Status: | Charitable organization |
| Purpose: | Education |
| Headquarters: | London |
| Abbreviation: | UWS |
| Region Served: | Cambodia, Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, Madagascar |
| Leader Title: | Chief Executive |
| Leader Name: | Peter Taylor |
| Website: | www.uwsglobal.net |
United World Schools (UWS) is a UK-registered charity working to ensure children living in the world's most remote and marginalised communities have access to quality, inclusive education. The charity collaborates with local communities and governments to deliver schools, train teachers and to strengthen education systems.
To date, UWS has opened a total of 311 new schools, trained over 1,500 teachers, and given educational opportunities to more than 63,000 previously out-of-school children across Cambodia, Myanmar (Burma), Madagascar, and Nepal.
Chris Howarth, together with his family, founded UWS in 2008 after working as a volunteer teacher in Cambodia with VSO. While in Cambodia, Chris saw a need and opportunity to work with the under-resourced local authorities of Ratanakiri, NE Cambodia. The first UWS school opened in Kong Nork School, Vernsai, Ratanakiri in 2008 and educated more than 250 ethnic minority students. Since then, the charity has expanded its operations to more remote and marginalized areas of Cambodia, as well as parts of Myanmar, Nepal, and Madagascar reaching over 63,000 children across all three countries.
UWS was founded in 2008 and registered with the Charity Commission of England and Wales in May 2009.[1]
In 2020, United World Schools launched UWS USA Inc, a 501(c)3 registered organization, to develop their supporter base and organisational capacity in the United States.