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Wow, that just looks cool. An IB education while traveling. :svengo: It's a very inspirational website. If we were wealthy, I consider recreating something like that for our family, because *i* want to travel the world too.

 

Hm, I wonder how we could do something like that on a local level. (wheels spinning).

 

Here's a book I've had in my cart for a long time. It's been recommended several times. The New Global Student.

Edited by elegantlion
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I would love to travel on and off with my kids throughout their teen years but I am not sure how to do it affordably. Someone still has to work and then we would have either have to leave one parent behind or limit travel to holidays which would rather limit the whole immersion element of it.

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Hi all,

 

I noticed that we were receiving traffic from the Well-Trained Mind today, and wanted to say hello. My name is Lee Carlton, and I am an employee for THINK Global School. I'd be happy to answer any questions that you have in regards to the school, and appreciate the enthusiasm towards us that I've seen here :)

 

Very nice forums here as well. Will be spending a bit of time outside of this thread.

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Hi Lee and welcome to TWTM :)

 

I heard of your school for the first time yesterday, amazing! I started this thread in an effort to get some discussion going about the concept of your school and how it could possibly be replicated in a homeschooling environment, even on a more local/national level (I am in Australia). Also to get thoughts/opinions on the concept of 'global schooling'.

 

Having looked at your tuition i know there is no possible way that i could afford to send any of my children. My oldest is only 7, so that is a ways off anyway, but she is certainly the kind of child who would thrive in this style of schooling.

 

Thanks for taking the time to stop by :)

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Hi Amber,

 

I'm so glad that you find value in our concept, and I would love for you to consider sending your child in the future. TGS offers very generous scholarships that differ by the child. We are most concerned with finding the right students for our classroom.

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My daughter went with this program for her fall semester of 12th grade.

It's called Students Without Borders Academy. It was set up by a teacher at a public high school in a town near us. She got credit for Spanish 12, English 12, Global Citizenship 12, and Leadership 12. They worked in a classroom from September - December, and then spent five weeks in Panama. It was an amazing experience for her.

 

Lori

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I went to a United World College http://www.uwc.org/, and while the TGS concept looks interesting, I am not impressed by their diversity - 15 countries for 45 students. Does that translate into 31 US students (plus 14 other countries)?

While we travelled A LOT during our time at the UWC, the real opening to the world and other cultures came through the unique situation of being in a school with 170 students of almost 80 different countries (never more than four from one country). You could put this crowd onto a desert island and pretty much be done with "international experience":D

Also, even with supplemental scholarship opportunities, the tuition information on the website is irritating.

A truly global school needs to be just that - covering the globe, less through travel, more so in outlook. And that means access for a global student body, which can be assured through truly need-blind admission.

Living in a community with an Iraqi boy sharing his room with a young American (in '90/91), crying with a Sudanese friend, who had been without news from family for years (!), discussing values, faith, religion, doctrines with kids from Mongolia, China, Swaziland, Switzerland, Columbia, Island, Bosnia, Uganda, Egypt, ... that is what made my education "global" (and so much more!!!).

I am not trying to denigrate TGS. Again, it looks interesting (and I will look into it when time comes for ds to apply for a UWC...;)) I just wanted to share my opinion on not equalling travelling = global...

Hth!

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I went to a United World College http://www.uwc.org/, and while the TGS concept looks interesting, I am not impressed by their diversity - 15 countries for 45 students. Does that translate into 31 US students (plus 14 other countries)?

While we travelled A LOT during our time at the UWC, the real opening to the world and other cultures came through the unique situation of being in a school with 170 students of almost 80 different countries (never more than four from one country). You could put this crowd onto a desert island and pretty much be done with "international experience":D

Also, even with supplemental scholarship opportunities, the tuition information on the website is irritating.

A truly global school needs to be just that - covering the globe, less through travel, more so in outlook. And that means access for a global student body, which can be assured through truly need-blind admission.

Living in a community with an Iraqi boy sharing his room with a young American (in '90/91), crying with a Sudanese friend, who had been without news from family for years (!), discussing values, faith, religion, doctrines with kids from Mongolia, China, Swaziland, Switzerland, Columbia, Island, Bosnia, Uganda, Egypt, ... that is what made my education "global" (and so much more!!!).

I am not trying to denigrate TGS. Again, it looks interesting (and I will look into it when time comes for ds to apply for a UWC...;)) I just wanted to share my opinion on not equalling travelling = global...

Hth!

 

Hi Shahm,

 

Your feedback is definitely appreciated. Please keep in mind that UWC is a very established program, whereas THINK Global School is only in its second year of accepting students. There are many factors that we have to consider with each potential applicant, but our end goal is to enroll the most diverse assembly of bright minds possible. . Our students also spend three trimesters living and studying with the children at our host school, so the experience is not solely limited to our students interacting amongst themselves. For our sophomores, they have now had the opportunity to live and study within five different cultures, and are about to travel to Berlin for their sixth. UWC is a fantastic program, and I definitely admire their commitment to diversity.

 

I apologize if the wording on our tuition and scholarships page sounds vague, but it is because each student receives a different scholarship based on their needs. We encourage all students to apply, regardless of their financial background. If we feel a potential candidate would be a perfect fit for the school, we will work with the family to determine a reasonable tuition.

 

Our admissions season is currently open for parents interested in the 2012-2013 school year. More information on our scholarships can be found on our website at: http://thinkglobalschool.org/admissions/tuition-and-financial-aid/

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My school has a semester or year abroad option (as well as boarding programs for longer term) and is nowhere near $100,000. :D

 

We have 500 kids from 29 different countries aging from 3 to 18 on one big campus.

 

It has been the most incredible experience for my kids to live and learn in an international environment. If you ever have the chance, go for it!!

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Thanks to Lee for coming back to this. I'd love to know about the references and how that would be handled for only home schooled children.

 

I'd never heard of UWC either so i'm going to take a look there, thanks.

 

Heather, your school sounds awesome :D

 

I wondered about that too. We wouldn't be able to put together the standard application package for that school because we've always homeschooled.

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Thanks for the lead....very neat!

 

Our local school system has an "IB" program...this looks like it's taking the student to the International location... Gives a whole new perspective to the culture when you LIVE it rather than READ it! Will definitely be looking into this one!

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I was reading over the admissions page and am curious about the request for references from several teachers. How would that be handled with home educated students? We aren't currently outsourcing anything so I am her sole teacher.

 

Hi TJ,

 

Thanks for bringing this to our attention, as it is something that is not addressed on the website. With home educated children that requirement would have to be modified. My guess would be that more emphasis might be placed on ensuring that the student could make the transition from learning at home to studying abroad, while also making sure that they can keep up with our curriculum.

 

I'll bring this up though, and hopefully we can get it addressed on the website in due time. Thanks!

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This is something we would very much consider for our kids for the last couple of years of their education pre university. It definitely would hinge on whether the financial aid really could include kids with family on a low income. My eldest would love it though I am sure about that. Will be interesting to see how TGS develops over the next decade.

Edited by lailasmum
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Hi TJ,

 

Thanks for bringing this to our attention, as it is something that is not addressed on the website. With home educated children that requirement would have to be modified. My guess would be that more emphasis might be placed on ensuring that the student could make the transition from learning at home to studying abroad, while also making sure that they can keep up with our curriculum.

 

I'll bring this up though, and hopefully we can get it addressed on the website in due time. Thanks!

 

This school sounds amazing. As far as home schooling applicants go, many of us do use a variety of tools and sources, which could provide a standard to measure a prospective student's abilities.

 

Examples include standardized tests, writing samples, and organizational memberships. Our son takes French on the side, and is also being taught German by my husband. Such knowledge is easily testable. The school he takes French from would likely be able to provide references. Same for his hockey coaches, or his Tae Kwon Do teacher.

 

One of the reasons we enjoy home schooling is the opportunity to take him different places. The only problem with the global school is he would probably have to give up ice hockey. :tongue_smilie:

 

I may have missed this on your site, but is it an all-or-nothing program? That is, one must attend for all four years? Or do you have students who choose to attend for one or two years, for example?

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There's a school that I wish we could have afforded for DD here that tries to be similar-lots of language study in early grades, lots of focus on getting an international student body as kids get older (this is kind of hard for kinders-not many parents send their 5 yr old to boarding school overseas!), lots of travel, and uber-big tuition bills. It's the one school that I don't feel that I can easily match at home.

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Hi TJ,

 

Thanks for bringing this to our attention, as it is something that is not addressed on the website. With home educated children that requirement would have to be modified. My guess would be that more emphasis might be placed on ensuring that the student could make the transition from learning at home to studying abroad, while also making sure that they can keep up with our curriculum.

 

I'll bring this up though, and hopefully we can get it addressed on the website in due time. Thanks!

 

Thankyou. Good to know it will be addressed in some form or another. I've talked it over with my DH and we might just be in contact in a few years time :D

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Well, we aren't anywhere near on a par with UWC or TGS, but for the price of plane tickets, lots of smart wool socks (nothing to sniff at at $10 pair), boots, a sleeping bag, sometimes $5/day for food (sometimes free food), and sometimes a small tent (reusable unless fire ants eat it or you wind up giving it to somebody who needs it more than you do), we have given our homeschoolers a sort-of-global education: a month fixing a temple in Japan, running crow hops across the US with Native Americans, touring the Rep. half of Belfast with a Shin Fein leader, walking through parts of France, Switzerland, and Germany, to mention a few of the highlights. It makes it hard to finish a math book or learn to drive sigh. We haven't succeeded in giving ours the IB diploma or the firm language skills of these other programs, but it has been rather interesting. Just wanted to point out that something moderately global can be done for less than $80,000 per year...

 

Nan

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Well, we aren't anywhere near on a par with UWC or TGS, but for the price of plane tickets, lots of smart wool socks (nothing to sniff at at $10 pair), boots, a sleeping bag, sometimes $5/day for food (sometimes free food), and sometimes a small tent (reusable unless fire ants eat it or you wind up giving it to somebody who needs it more than you do), we have given our homeschoolers a sort-of-global education: a month fixing a temple in Japan, running crow hops across the US with Native Americans, touring the Rep. half of Belfast with a Shin Fein leader, walking through parts of France, Switzerland, and Germany, to mention a few of the highlights. It makes it hard to finish a math book or learn to drive sigh. We haven't succeeded in giving ours the IB diploma or the firm language skills of these other programs, but it has been rather interesting. Just wanted to point out that something moderately global can be done for less than $80,000 per year...

 

Nan

 

:iagree::iagree::iagree:

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Thanks for the link. This school looks quite interesting. Traveling the world is a wonderful gift to give our kids. Teaching my children to have a global perspective is one of the reasons we homeschool. If the price was not an issue, I don't think I would have my children attend this school. I attended a boarding school when I was 14 and I was 5 hours away from home. I personally believe parental presence is very important for those changing teen years. But if my children had to attend a boarding school this one would be on the top of the list:)

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Well, we aren't anywhere near on a par with UWC or TGS, but for the price of plane tickets, lots of smart wool socks (nothing to sniff at at $10 pair), boots, a sleeping bag, sometimes $5/day for food (sometimes free food), and sometimes a small tent (reusable unless fire ants eat it or you wind up giving it to somebody who needs it more than you do), we have given our homeschoolers a sort-of-global education: a month fixing a temple in Japan, running crow hops across the US with Native Americans, touring the Rep. half of Belfast with a Shin Fein leader, walking through parts of France, Switzerland, and Germany, to mention a few of the highlights. It makes it hard to finish a math book or learn to drive sigh. We haven't succeeded in giving ours the IB diploma or the firm language skills of these other programs, but it has been rather interesting. Just wanted to point out that something moderately global can be done for less than $80,000 per year...

 

Nan

 

Thanks Nan :) We travel quite a bit too, but mostly for holiday, do nothing time. I would like to have it be productive engaging time in the future. You've done some great things with your DC! Thanks for sharing.

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Well, we aren't anywhere near on a par with UWC or TGS, but for the price of plane tickets, lots of smart wool socks (nothing to sniff at at $10 pair), boots, a sleeping bag, sometimes $5/day for food (sometimes free food), and sometimes a small tent (reusable unless fire ants eat it or you wind up giving it to somebody who needs it more than you do), we have given our homeschoolers a sort-of-global education: a month fixing a temple in Japan, running crow hops across the US with Native Americans, touring the Rep. half of Belfast with a Shin Fein leader, walking through parts of France, Switzerland, and Germany, to mention a few of the highlights. It makes it hard to finish a math book or learn to drive sigh. We haven't succeeded in giving ours the IB diploma or the firm language skills of these other programs, but it has been rather interesting. Just wanted to point out that something moderately global can be done for less than $80,000 per year...

 

Nan

 

Gah. Wish I could imagine a way to make this happen from the bottom bit of the Southern Hemisphere. Ah well, I've time for the ideas to cross my path.

 

:drool5::drool5::drool5::drool5::drool5:

 

Rosie

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Want some links? The group one of my guys have did this with is Australian. He came back from three months in Japan with an Australian accent LOL, not much but a definate hint, and we now have a few useful phrases in our family from the other side of the world.

Nan

 

Would love some links!

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This school sounds amazing. As far as home schooling applicants go, many of us do use a variety of tools and sources, which could provide a standard to measure a prospective student's abilities.

 

Examples include standardized tests, writing samples, and organizational memberships. Our son takes French on the side, and is also being taught German by my husband. Such knowledge is easily testable. The school he takes French from would likely be able to provide references. Same for his hockey coaches, or his Tae Kwon Do teacher.

 

One of the reasons we enjoy home schooling is the opportunity to take him different places. The only problem with the global school is he would probably have to give up ice hockey. :tongue_smilie:

 

I may have missed this on your site, but is it an all-or-nothing program? That is, one must attend for all four years? Or do you have students who choose to attend for one or two years, for example?

 

Hi,

 

Obviously we would love for all of our students to attend all four years, but it is not required. I do think it is safe to say that our higher grades are very difficult to get into, as the large majority of our students do continue on through all four years. To clarify on that, I would say that if you were planning to attend TGS for one or two years, it would be very hard to do so at the upper levels.

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Well, I didn't exactly do them with them. They went off and did it themselves. Sometimes I've visited while they were doing it. I'd love to take the whole family but we've hardly ever managed to do it outside the US.

 

Nan

 

Oh! I knew that! I just can't imagine how to manage that from here. Air fares are so expensive from here to anywhere other than New Zealand. Not that there is anything wrong with New Zealand, I'm sure. :p

 

I'd like to see your links. If I can learn to imagine far enough, perhaps a plan will form itself. :)

 

Rosie

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Oh! I knew that! I just can't imagine how to manage that from here. Air fares are so expensive from here to anywhere other than New Zealand. Not that there is anything wrong with New Zealand, I'm sure. :p

 

I'd like to see your links. If I can learn to imagine far enough, perhaps a plan will form itself. :)

 

Rosie

 

Rosie Asia is not too expensive from Australia. There is always lots of building, helping remote peoples going on there. I'm sure your kiddos will have part time jobs earning their own money to help fund suck trips by the time they are old enough. Don't rule out sending them to your sister if she is still in Africa too. See, lots of doors open to you :)

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Rosie Asia is not too expensive from Australia.

 

I was surprised! I just had a quick look at flights. There used to be several hundred dollars difference between flights to Asia from Perth and Melbourne, but it seems not to be the case any more.

 

The only overseas travel I've done was three weeks to visit relatives. Dd was one, so it was all very sedate. It's hard to imagine things realistically when you haven't experienced them, that's all. :) And we shan't be this "financially challenged" forever.

 

Oh man. I wanna go on holidays and I only just got back from one.

 

Anyway, the rest of you carry on with the fabulous travelling adventures you or your kids have been on. It'll be good fodder for my imaginings!

 

:tongue_smilie:

Rosie

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Hi all,

 

I noticed that we were receiving traffic from the Well-Trained Mind today, and wanted to say hello. My name is Lee Carlton, and I am an employee for THINK Global School. I'd be happy to answer any questions that you have in regards to the school, and appreciate the enthusiasm towards us that I've seen here :)

 

Very nice forums here as well. Will be spending a bit of time outside of this thread.

Hi Lee!

 

My daughter just got back from Mexico last week! She's very strong in languages. She wants to do this!

 

Though she is the chronological age of a Freshman, she's a sophomore now and a straight A student. I see the site says Junior and Senior Years are closed already for 2012-13. My question is: Is there any chance of getting in as a Senior in 2013-14, or do those spots pretty much go to those who have been in as underclassmen?

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Hi Lee!

 

My daughter just got back from Mexico last week! She's very strong in languages. She wants to do this!

 

Though she is the chronological age of a Freshman, she's a sophomore now and a straight A student. I see the site says Junior and Senior Years are closed already for 2012-13. My question is: Is there any chance of getting in as a Senior in 2013-14, or do those spots pretty much go to those who have been in as underclassmen?

 

...not Lee...but I think I can comment on that:)

This is an IB program, which runs over 2 years. A kid needs to be in an IB school for both years (Junior and Senior), and even then changing school in the middle of the course... I have never heard of it... (but probably possible)

Edited by sahm99
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Amber - Do you know the American song that has the line Sometimes I feel like feather in the wind? It is haunting.

 

Nope, never heard of it. What's the title and i will listen on iTunes. I'm guessing this relates to my Blog name :D We move around a lot and i started my Blog right before one of my moves. I feel like we are a feather on a breeze being taken where that breeze might blow :D

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I was surprised! I just had a quick look at flights. There used to be several hundred dollars difference between flights to Asia from Perth and Melbourne, but it seems not to be the case any more.

 

The only overseas travel I've done was three weeks to visit relatives. Dd was one, so it was all very sedate. It's hard to imagine things realistically when you haven't experienced them, that's all. :) And we shan't be this "financially challenged" forever.

 

Oh man. I wanna go on holidays and I only just got back from one.

 

Anyway, the rest of you carry on with the fabulous travelling adventures you or your kids have been on. It'll be good fodder for my imaginings!

 

:tongue_smilie:

Rosie

 

If you want a holiday on a tropical island you can always come and stay with me. :D Flights from Australia to Malaysia are pretty reasonable.

 

 

.

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Heather I know your inviting Rosie :D but we are probably heading your way next year. DH says KL i'm saying Penang. Will keep you posted because i'd love to meet up if we are anywhere near you!

 

I think you should leave tomorrow. I am sure I saw flights from Perth for just over $300. (Probably on the worst airline with no food and no toilet :p)

 

Thanks for the invite, Heather, but let's just say the flights are not so cheap from Melbourne. Alas; I could do with a holiday to meet a boardie, even though I just came back from one. I've developed a taste for it, y'know. :D

 

Rosie

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This seems like a 'traveling boarding school', and that's not for my family, no matter the benefits of the global experience.

 

But if the question is whether this sort of global experience would create a very special breed of graduating student, I would have to say yes. The IB is a fantastic programme, but I believe it's the international context that makes it more than simply a superior academic programme. I found the Diploma students at dd's international IB school to be very mature and confident, and I put that down in large part to the fact that most of the children had done an extensive amount of international travel, and were exposed to, and comfortable with people from so many national backgrounds. What the THINK Global School seems to do would take that to a whole new level.

 

(I might be incorrect about my 'boarding school' assumption - the FAQs don't seem to be iPad compatible!)

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...not Lee...but I think I can comment on that:)

This is an IB program, which runs over 2 years. A kid needs to be in an IB school for both years (Junior and Senior), and even then changing school in the middle of the course... I have never heard of it... (but probably possible)

Oh, I thought it did not yet have IB status. Ok, thanks.

 

It sounds unlikely that there would be a spot anyway.

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