What is worldschooling? Let me tell you! My family lives the worldschooling travel life.
Three teens. One tween. We’ve been world schooling since hmm… pretty much forever.
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Worldschooling Defined
What is worldschooling? In a nutshell, it is one way, out of many ways to educate children. It is sometimes considered a form of homeschooling or home education. Although, if you read my blog, Wanderschool, you know that in our worldschooling world, there’s a lot of unschooling (child interest-led learning) going on, too.
And a lot of schooling happening that’s not at home.
I like to think of worldschooling as family togetherness and learning in the real world, in real time–a travel based education. Wherever the kids and I happen to be in the world, we spend our days seeking, finding, and absorbing learning opportunities every day.
Some think of worldschooling as an educational movement. But there’s more to it, especially at the personal level.
Worldschooling is experiential education at its finest. Where the world is the ultimate classroom, and where the world is a vehicle for personal discovery and growth.
The world is the ultimate classroom
Worldschooling as freedom at it’s best. Educational freedom. Personal freedom. Freedom to discover and grow naturally.
It allows children to learn and think in ways that are beyond the reach of classroom walls or textbook pages.
The Worldschooler Lifestyle
For many families, worldschooling is a committed travel lifestyle. It might look like a passport full of stamps, a laundry list of past or upcoming AirBnb rentals or flight tickets, a house on wheels, or a permanent address abroad.
To others, worldschooling is defined as journeys, trips, family adventures, or weekend warrior-like travel binges, which are short or limited in duration — maybe six months at a time, or perhaps a year away from ‘regular’ school.
How to World School
However families choose to worldschool, the way it’s done is always as unique as the family. There is no one way to do it. There is no one world schooling itinerary that gives the best or better educational experience.
For example, some families choose to enroll their children in schools around the world when they travel. Still others stay together, working and schooling alongside each other in hotel rooms, while hiking on mountain trails, or while cycling across continents.
If you are interested in learning how to world school, I highly recommend reading everything you can on worldschooling blogs and books, or joining groups like travel lifestyle or worldschoolers facebook groups.
Also, you can follow popular worldschoolers on Instagram, and read homeschool discussion threads on Reddit. You can also explore worldschoolers exchanges, like house swaps and volunteer exchanges, like Workaway, that can help to put your worldschooling goals within reach. You can also consult with worldschooling coaches or programs like World School Academy or Project Worldschool.
We are Worldschoolers
We are a worldschooling family. My children are worldschoolers.
What does this mean? It basically means the world is my children’s classroom. My children have grown up living a travel lifestyle. They are not schooled in the traditional sense. Instead, they are schooled in the ways of the world. They have grown up learning beyond four walls of a classroom.
My children have spent their childhoods learning on planes, trains, buses, automobiles, RVs, cable cars, and boats. They have explored nooks and crannies of major cities and rural towns.
They’ve learned languages. And they’ve learned about cultures, traditions and customs, and people first hand. They’ve climbed mountains, raced in ultra marathons, and hiked epic hiking routes. In addition, they have taken classes and workshops in communities around the world. I’ve lost count of the number of museums, attractions, or coffee shops they’ve visited.
How to Finance Traveling the World – How to Afford Homeschooling
There is no one right way to finance homeschooling or travel-based education. Some families choose to sell everything they own. Others save like mad. Still others design a digital nomad or work anywhere lifestyle that fits well with worldschooling.
Affording homeschooling or worldschooling really comes down to how you define afford. And the things you consider to be your needs or wants. In other words, your priorities.
My worldschooling and travel lifestyle blog, Wanderschool, offers ideas to create a freedom lifestyle that can help you finance family travel.
Pros and Cons of Family Travel-Based Education
There are advantages to worldschooling.
These advantages include lifestyle flexibility, world travel, and an opportunity to create a custom education that fits your child’s interests. For example, if your child is interested in learning about the Mona Lisa, there is nothing quite like standing in front of the painting at the Louvre and learning about it with your child.
The disadvantages are few. Cost seems like an obvious disadvantage, however, there are many families who live better and on less while they travel than they did back home. It boils down to your priorities, where you choose to go (some countries are much more economical than others), and how you choose to lead your travel educational life.
Some also mention concern over stable child friendships when you’re a family on the move. However, in my experience, and in an age with Zoom meet-ups, virtual clubs for tweens and teens, worldschooling conferences around the globe, and social media, meeting other kids and maintaining friendships is easier than ever.
Drop a comment. Share your thoughts on travel-based education or your concerns about how to worldschool.
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