OUTLINE - WORLDSCHOOLING

1. Definition
2. Benefits
3. Example
4. Concern

1. Definition:
● What Is Worldschooling?
- The term worldschooling was coined by Boston-born writer Eli Gerzon. Gerzon
defines it by saying: “It’s when the whole world is your school, instead school
being your whole world.”
- Worldschooling is a type of homeschooling that involves full-time or part-time
travel away from the family’s home country. Worldschooling families may be
nomads, traveling from place to place, or they may have a home base in one
country and travel periodically.
- Worldschooling has become a recent buzzword as alternative education. Rather
than learning through textbooks and screens from the confines of a classroom, kids
are learning through the real life experiences that travel presents.
- People bring the world into a book, now it’s time to leave that book and explore
the further world. Travelling to different parts of the world to learn about different
cultures, languages, and ways of life. Worldschooling emphasizes experiential
learning and encourages students to explore the world around them.
● Why does worldschooling need to grow in popularity?
- Children can receive no greater education than by experiencing and interacting
with the world around them. It includes experiences, places and people from all
over the globe. The more you can travel, the more destinations and the greater
variety of cultures, climates, histories and societies you can explore, the more that
world school education grows.
- For families able to make it work, this often involves traveling together and using
the journey to enhance their children's education. What can both parents and
children achieve:
+ A desire to travel
+ A wish to introduce children to the wider world around them
+ An understanding of the importance of a multisensory approach to
education
+ A need for flexibility in exploring children’s learning process that
traditional schooling cannot provide
 + A desire to create stronger family bonds and special memories together
through travel and exploration
- Worldschooling allows children and young people to explore their interests and
passions in real-world contexts. It encourages them to think critically, solve
problems, and adapt to diverse environments and cultures. Children can build their
confidence through partaking in a variety of activities they might not otherwise,
and meeting people from a huge variety of backgrounds.
● How does worldschooling compare with homeschooling and other traditional
methods?
- Worldschooling and homeschooling are likely to overlap. The main difference
between homeschooling and worldschooling is in the primary (main) learning
environment:
+ Worldschooling is a focused approach to learning through travel, to put it simply.
It is not a learning philosophy, so that means you can teach your kids in any way
that supports them. In many cases worldschooling families educate their children
in a wide range of different countries, usually away from their home country.
Resources like textbooks are limited by backpack space.
+ Homeschooling is the broad idea of when you do school at home or in places other
than a typical school. For homeschooling families the home provides the primary
learning environment for children. Homes can be filled with learning resources,
books, activities and records of children’s work.

Homeschooling Worldschooling
Bigger resources (musical An abundance of new exciting
instruments, science equipment and opportunities
textbooks)
Stability and consistency of the same Opportunity to develop wider range of
environment adventure skills (free diving, climbing,
skiing, mountaineering)
Consistent local resources (libraries, History, religion, culture, politics,
parks, fitness centres) physical geography, biology and so
on.
Consistent access to local clubs and Cross-curricular learning very natural
activities (schools, community centres – transition between subjects easily
and churches). and naturally.
 Easier to record and store children’s Most work and books need to be
work to show progress and celebrate digital. Less face-to-face support – so
achievement parents and children need to be more
independent.

- Unlike traditional schooling, worldschooling allows for a more flexible and

personalized approach to learning:
+ Worldschooling is an immersive and alternative education, typically through long-
term travel within culturally rich and divisive destinations, where kids have been
taken out of the regular schooling environment.
+ In traditional schooling, students are confined to a classroom for several hours a
day, five days a week. They follow a set curriculum that may not necessarily cater
to their individual needs or interests.

Traditional methods Worldschooling

History lessons A trip to the museum or a memorial site
Geography lessons Walking around cities and villages
Language lessons Ordering dinner in the local language
and playing with local kids at a
playground, religious education is
visiting a temple or mosque.

P.E A surf lesson or climbing a mountain.

Often delays students' entry into the World-schooled children can
professional world until after experiment with entrepreneurship
graduation during their childhood.

2. Benefits - Why should we follow this kind of learning

method?
According to Travelynn Family - a family of four from the
UK who enjoy taking long, leisurely trips while still
attending school. They thrive on off-the-beaten-track
experiences and successfully applied Worldschooling for not
only their children but also parents themselves.
Benefits of WS:
a. Go beyond a curriculum
Understandably, the education systems in many countries follow a specific
curriculum to ensure as many children as possible reach the age of sixteen with an
acceptable knowledge and understanding of key subjects. This limits children to
develop themselves comprehensively. More freedom to experiment with the
curriculum and materials that the children are exposed to is provided by
worldschooling. Although it's still crucial that they learn and adhere to the
curriculum in your home country (particularly if you plan for them to eventually
return to full-time education), worldschooling enables you to teach your children
a new language or study the effects of World War II in Southeast Asia rather than
just Europe.

Learning to surf in Essaouira, something that is just not possible at their local school

Your kids might prefer to focus on sport or performing arts whilst you’re
traveling. Again, worldschooling gives you some flexibility in what they’re
learning, rather than handing over all the responsibility to a teacher in the UK
who’s constrained by a narrow curriculum.

b. Expanded social skills

Meeting individuals from throughout the world while traveling abroad is a chance
that may not always be present in daily life at home.
 Playgrounds are always a great place to interact with local kids

When there's a linguistic or cultural barrier, children have to adjust how they
engage with others. It takes time and expertise to converse with someone who
speaks a different language, but it's a terrific approach to help your child's social
skills develop.

c. Flexible learning
7:00am to 4:30pm, five or six days a week doesn’t suit every child and how they
prefer to learn. There might be some days when they don’t feel like going into
school, and others where they can’t wait to arrive and need to be coaxed back
into the car at home-time.

Flexible learning in the cafe without scheduled planning

 Establishing your own timetable and learning pace is possible with
worldschooling. It is still important to maintain discipline and punctuality; rather,
your child's behavior should be monitored so you can tell when they are doing
appropriately and when they are acting out. It's okay if you determine that ending
the day early is the best option. Likewise, you can continue teaching past
dinnertime if a class is going well. Everyone learns at a different pace, and
worldschooling lets you respond to that and build your own timetable.

d. Personalized learning
You have the freedom to customize the worldschooling curriculum to your child's
strengths and limitations based on your preferences. You may conclude that
acquiring new languages is especially important, or you may believe that a school
day should include more physical education.

Shopping at a local market

Visit the museum

 You are the one who knows your children the best—you know what drives them
and where they may be weak. With worldschooling, you have the freedom to
customize the curriculum and pace of instruction. Additionally, there's more room
to inquire about your children's learning preferences and consider their input.

3. Success Stories and Examples

1. The Denning family
Although there might be many families that started this type of education, the one that
became famous and caught the attention of people and the press happened in 2007, the
Dennings a family of 9 (7 kids) started their worldschooling adventure. This family has
proven that you don’t need to be rich to worldschool as they have lived off $5000 a
month while traveling!

So how did they teach their children?

Greg said they use whatever resources they can get for a world-class education, including
free online classes and lots of books. The kids have taken lessons such as Spanish, violin,
and even horseback riding. However, the Dennings have used local tutors and instructors,
which keeps costs low. Plus, the children are getting an education by learning about
cultures in the places they visit and how to interact with people from all different walks
of life.
Up to now, their family has been traveling all around the world. Rachel homeschools
them, and Greg works remotely as an entrepreneur, running youth mentorship programs
and leading adventure trips. You can easily find them on social platforms where they
share all of their stories, and experiences, related to educating their children while being
around the world. They also run a business providing curriculum support for
worldschoolers who wish to take a more structured approach
2. Kate Green family
Another figure to be worthy mentioned is the Green family. Kate Green has five very
successful, alternatively educated young adult and teen children and has unschooled /
worldschooled them for about 27 years now.

You guys might wonder whether those kids can have another chance, a totally different
option instead of traveling with their parents? The answer is yes, it depends on their wish
Jennifer Fondiller, dean of admissions at Barnard College said that those who travel to
learn rather than study with traditional method usually have life experiences that can be
fascinating and these students have the potential to showcase rich learning experiences
that highlight their intellectual curiosity, breadth of knowledge, and desire to seek
more… all of which can add tremendously to a classroom setting and to campus life.”

After traveling all around the world with their mom, Green’s kids decided to apply for a
University to pursue their academic dream. Green’s two oldest children received full
scholarships, one to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and the other to Oglethorpe
University in Atlanta. Her third child was accepted into every school he applied to,
including popular choices like University of Vermont and Rutgers. Green says that the
universities wanted him because of his experience abroad, even though he was a B
student at the university in Dubai, where he’d received an associate of science degree.

4. Concerns
Worldschooling, while adventurous and exciting, does come with some challenges for
families to consider. Here are some of the main concerns:

Financial Stability: Traveling the world can be expensive, especially with a family.
Affording flights, accommodation, food, and activities can be a big hurdle. Many
worldschooling families rely on remote work to sustain themselves, but this requires a
specific job skillset and reliable internet access, which isn't always available everywhere.

Socialization: One concern is that worldschooled children might miss out on the social
interaction and friendships that come with attending a traditional school. While
worldschooling offers opportunities to meet people from all over the world, it can be
difficult to form lasting friendships with a constantly changing environment.

Academic Consistency: There's a worry that worldschooled children might fall behind in
core subjects compared to their peers in a structured classroom. Creating a consistent
learning environment and ensuring your child meets educational benchmarks can be
challenging, especially when traveling frequently.

Legal and Regulatory Issues: Homeschooling regulations vary by location, and

worldschooling adds another layer of complexity. It's important to research the
homeschooling laws of any country you plan to visit for extended periods.
Feeling Unprepared: Worldschooling requires a lot of planning and organization.
Parents may feel overwhelmed by the responsibility of crafting their child's entire
curriculum and ensuring they cover all the necessary subjects.

Despite these concerns, many families find worldschooling to be a rewarding and

enriching experience. By carefully considering these challenges and planning
accordingly, worldschooling can be a fantastic way to raise curious, adaptable, and
globally-minded children.