FAQ

THINK Global School is a path-breaking high school that offers teenagers a once-in-a-lifetime international experience. TGS students don't simply "study abroad." They immerse themselves in 12 world cities over 12 trimesters, undertaking a challenging curriculum administered by top-notch teachers, experts, and local guides. Throughout their studies, TGS students will visit significant historical, cultural, and scientific sites, all while building new skills and relationships with those around them.

Due to our unique academic requirements, the priority we place on safety, and a variety of other logistical factors, the process of securing our host cities and host schools is a complex one. Things can change unexpectedly; we always maintain a working list of alternates. So yes, TGS can change the itinerary at our discretion. It’s important for families to recognize that students are signing on for a global educational experience, not for the experience of any specific city or region. Learn more about our locations.

TGS students, faculty, and staff are pioneering a new way of global thinking that suits the diverse global community of today and tomorrow. THINK Global is a new model for education, a 21st century curriculum for a rapidly changing and rapidly shrinking planet that emphasizes experiential learning, hands-on research, and active exchanges with international peers and real-world experts. By nurturing applied critical thinking and a strong sense of engaged citizenship, we prepare students to be leaders and difference-makers in their university studies and their future careers. Learn more about our mission and history.

Students are assigned to one teacher as their main advisor, but all TGS teachers provide individualized academic support as well as the general supervision and mentoring necessary to smooth the occasional turbulence that accompanies adolescence and world travel.

TGS has its own highly qualified faculty that is a part of the school in every way a traditional teacher would be, and then some. They teach, supervise, mentor, and travel with the students. In addition to our own teaching staff, TGS facilitate opportunities for students to interact with classes at host and partner schools, and to learn from local experts in the cities of residence. Learn more about our teaching faculty.

The whole world is our classroom! We’ve studied biology in a rainforest, music in a recording studio, and history in a museum. But we do spend most days in a traditional school facility. In each host city, TGS works with a local host school that will provide us with classrooms, science labs, art studios, and so on. Host schools also offer many opportunities for TGS students to interact and share with local peers through joint classes, workshops, and athletic events.

THINK Global School’s mission is to develop true citizens of the word, young people whose unique skills, values, knowledge, and experience will make them leaders and advocates in the multiethnic, multicultural, multilingual world of the 21st century.

Beyond stamps in their passports, trinkets and souvenirs, colorful stories, exotic food, lasting memories, and incredible experiences to write about in their university admission essays, our students create lifelong relationships with their peers both inside and outside the classroom. They build cultural literacy and the courage to think critically and challenge existing assumptions. When they graduate, they have mastered a collaborative and resilient approach to problem-solving and risk-taking that will help them thrive in a competitive and connected world.

Like any boarding school, we provide tasty, nutritious food to our students so they can perform their best in the classroom. Dining with teachers and classmates creates the convivial social atmosphere of a home away from home. We also believe cuisine is an integral part of learning and understanding a culture. Students are exposed to a variety of food experiences during their time in each city, and periodically take cooking lessons that give them a chance to experiment hands-on with local ingredients and flavors. Special dietary needs should be discussed with school staff prior to enrolling at TGS.

While students are permitted to attend the school for one year, the hope and expectation is that they will stay and graduate from the school. It is not possible for an applicant to join TGS for a period of less than one year. TGS is not a short-term semester abroad program. The academic and social continuity from term to term is very important to us in carrying out our educational mission and building our school community.

No. Families are responsible for the punctual and safe arrival of their children to each of the three TGS locations during the academic year. However, we can arrange for airline staff to accompany students during the entire flight and release them only to authorized TGS staff members.

Each student is given a THINK Global School email address, and their MacBooks are pre-loaded with Skype. Parents are encouraged to communicate regularly with their child and his/her teachers via Skype audio or video. And of course students are free to communicate with their friends however they wish. Finally, parents are given access to THINK Spot, our online community, where they can observe and comment on much of their child’s learning activities.

Families can rest assured that security is an essential consideration for TGS. However, one of the requirements of maintaining a good security program is to not discuss its details on a public website.

We arrange specific times during each trimester for family reunions, and will inform parents with appropriate notice. It’s best if parents visit at the beginning and/or end of each term so as not to interrupt the students’ regular academic routine.

TGS has an extensive global insurance policy. In addition to this coverage, we pre-arrange local health care coverage for students in the event of illnesses and accidents.

No. Technology is part of our academic curriculum and our daily lives at TGS. All needed hardware and software will be supplied to students by the school, and is included as part of their tuition. Learn more about our learning technologies.

Students are encouraged to help us identify useful learning software, and can install any other programs they wish provided they follow our acceptable use policy. These rules and guidelines ensure a safe, respectful, and legal online experience for everyone at the school. TGS retains ownership of all equipment, so it does need to be returned when a student leaves the school.

We expect a wide range of abilities and prior experience. Students will be provided with the training and support they need for success at TGS, and we also emphasize digital literacy skills that will be useful to them later in life.