How are laws made in Sweden? Where do legislative debates take place? Where is the central government budget determined? TGS students learned the answers to these questions and more on a recent visit to the Swedish Parliament, Sveriges Riksdag. Experiential learning at The Riksdag The Riksdag is Sweden's principal decision-making body, and the government carries out the Riksdag's decisions. The Prime Minister is chosen by the Riksdag, and every four...
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The collective energy that the fifteen students at TGS possess is remarkable. Somehow, the more places they go and things they do, the more energy they have! This has been proven many times, and one of them was this last weekend. After returning from a four day trip that was both busy and educational, the level of energy of the group had somehow increased! They spent an incredible, activity-filled weekend...
Read MoreOne of our founders, Harald McPike, recently accomplished a childhood dream: climbing to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa. Happy to share his experience with TGS students, Harry also expressed his views on setting personal goals and ultimately achieving success. Climbing Kilimanjaro is a significant challenge, requiring a great deal of preparation and planning. Harry began a regimen of physical training to build his endurance. Harry...
Read MoreI WAS BROUGHT UP in a school system when every day was more or less routine. Morning assemblies where the Principal talked and talked without bothering to even find out if we were listening. Classes were no different - teachers talked, we listened passively and everything was so predictable. But coming to TGS was like entering another world all together. Each hour, day and week was different and I cannot...
Read MoreI think often about the person I am, and the person I want to become. My biggest hope is that as an old man I'll look back on my life and find not an absence of mistakes and regrets, but rather a life filled with passion, discovery, failures, love, beautiful people, and that I'll laugh heartily at the whole thing before kicking the bucket. Recently, I've watched, satisfied, as my...
Read MoreTGS Students take turns journaling their weekly activities and experiences with their classmates. Read all journal posts here. This school week was truly TGS-tastic (a made up word, but a descriptive one)! We did so many things that were just...TGS experiences, and this week really sets the standard for the so-called "average" TGS week. On Monday, I went to the Aftonbladet Newspaper HQ in the morning. It was magnificent compared...
Read MoreA parallel can be found in education: rather than start off with a "must see" (or rather, "must learn") list, I asked them: what would you like to do in creative arts? Answers ranged from visual arts and theater to creative writing, but the most enthusiasm was shown for music! In collaboration with the director at a nearby professional recording studio, we put together a unit introducing the students to...
Read MoreTGS Creative Arts Teacher Sherry Zhang shared the poem, "Life Just Isn't," and asked the students to write a mirror piece, "Art Just Isn't," to give them the opportunity to think, reflect, and (re)define to what art is and isn't to them. Below is the poem that inspired the students' words, followed by the original lyrics each student composed. Note: the students have selected nicknames for themselves for security and...
Read MoreAs Hans Rosling came to the end of his speech, all 15 of us just sat there. In an awed trance, as a glaze of silence settled around us. A few seconds later, we become clear-headed enough to remember that we were to meet Hans Rosling backstage. And then a bubble of chatter stats again. We're all eager to meet him. Everyone was preparing their questions and trying to pass...
Read MoreAfter Hans Rosling's lecture to TGS students and guests, TGS Teacher Marta Guevara wrote some of her reflections on the evening. Yes, Hans Rosling is funny. But he talks about serious topics; I wondered how a group of young teenagers would respond to a view of the world presented via graphs and numbers. Would they get it? Would it be too distracting for them? Would they lose their concentration after...
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