WORLDSCHOOLING BASICS

WORLDSCHOOLING BASICS

THE POWER OF TRAVEL

Travel can provide some of the most profound experiences for personal growth by blasting apart stereotypes and narrow thinking, nurturing and expanding empathy, testing and strengthening patience, grit, and perseverance… all in the shadow of the Great Pyramid, the Hagia Sophia, or Machu Picchu. In addition to building knowledge about history, geography, or art, travel can impact more deeply: It can heal emotional wounds, create wellbeing, clarify goals, build awe and wonderment, and spark creativity. And the laughter, faux pas, and challenges found on the cobblestone streets, teal seas, and winding trails of the world that can bond groups of travelers.

WHAT IS WORLDSCHOOLING?

Most worldschoolers travel for extended periods of time — for weeks, months, or years. To manifest a long-term journey, they must alter many aspects of their lives at home: find remote work, re-home their pets, sell material items, rent their home, convince relatives that they’re not mad, and more.

Because of all the work that goes into worldschooling, the term transcends the idea of merely educating their children. Worldschooling, which demands massive life changes, is, in fact, a lifestyle.

At its core, worldschooling is a lifestyle in which parents educate their children through intentional interaction with the world outside of their borders. But it involves more than education in the traditional sense. Worldschooling incorporates the best of travel: Families weave together bucket-list sites, knowledge acquisition, personal growth, bonding, and memory-making filled with awe and wonder, emerging with life-changing results.

HOW TO BEGIN

    With so many points to consider, beginning worldschoolers can become overwhelmed. Their questions may include: How do I get on my work calls and meet professional demands? How to I ensure my children remain college-ready? What exactly is unschooling, and how do I know if it’s a fit for my children? How do I choose locations? How fast should we travel, and what is this all going to cost?
    At Deliberate Detour, we have supported multiple families through these considerations. Along with well-traveled, knowledgable people, we’re launching a subscription newsletter called How to Worldschool, which will deliver weekly emails to your inbox.
    While How to Worldschool is not ready to launch, you can get on a list to be notified when it’s ready.

WHO ARE WORLDSCHOOLERS?

Worldschooling families come in all shapes and sizes: They travel by RV through one country for six months, or they visit 16 countries in one year. They bike across continents, or stay in one town. They enroll their children in local schools in foreign languages, in online schools back home, or in no school at all. They purchase curriculum; they eschew formal learning; they process what they experience in the world; they create personal quests. 

Many worldschooled children are in traditional, brick-and-mortar school buildings and travel internationally during breaks and summer or join camps abroad. Their parents consider international experiences to be a cornerstone of a well-rounded education.

Worldschoolers jump feet first into this messy world of uncomfortable bus rides on windy roads and dubious foods because they understand that travel, even the most challenging elements of it, has the power to transform.

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