Consecutive school years abroad; culminated in a World Schooling venture

Situation

A family shared time abroad and in their home state, balancing urban and rural life for several months of consecutive school years. In addition to ensuring academic standards were mastered, the family was seeking an immersive learning experience allowing for experiential learning and cultural exploration. They needed a private educator who fit their family dynamic and could join them abroad to fulfill their academic requests.

Experience

The educator designed a customized curriculum that blended standard subjects with the country’s culture, history, ecology, and geography. Instead of learning about daily agricultural life, they lived it. The natural landscape became their classroom, followed by deep reflection, enhanced by student-selected picture books, literature, and journal writing on the beach. The surrounding environment became a place for outdoor, hands-on projects that tapped into each student’s interests and hobbies. Local experts and natives often led field trips such as learning cultural dances and songs, engaging with wildlife, and interacting with and observing the flora and fauna of the region. Weekends were set aside for family expeditions to other parts of the country, encouraging real-life immersion and exploration.

Outcome

The personalized model enabled the children to complete their school work at a faster pace than the traditional model, leaving time for special interests and family activities. The positive results encouraged the family to explore additional countries in a world-school model for the culminating year.