As I write this, I'm waiting for our students to return from their weXplore, a five-day excursion that takes students beyond their host city for immersive cultural experiences. For the past two months, we as a school have called Maun, Botswana, our home. It's a small town on the edge of the Okavango Delta and, for many travelers, a doorway into Africa. But Maun is only one perspective, and it...
Read MoreGreetings from Beautiful Botswana!
The first term of the 2025-26 school year is officially in the books, and it took place in one of our favorite countries to explore: Botswana. One of the least densely populated countries in the world, the people here possess a friendliness that always makes us feel right at home. Their larger than life personalities are only rivaled by the magnificent creatures that also call Botswana home, and their coexistence was the focus of our learning this term.
My first term in Botswana was absolutely amazing. I learned so much about the incredible wildlife, from watching animals in their natural habitats to understanding how they survive and interact. Beyond that, I’ve also gained a deeper appreciation for the local community, their culture, and the way they live so closely connected to nature. It was such a unique and inspiring experience that I’ll never forget. -Class of 2027 Student Maimie B.
Mainane refers to traditional folktales told by the Setswana people, and they often mix humor, animals, and life lessons during cultural gatherings. Knowing how important storytelling is in local culture, we wove it into our module via the driving question: How might we combine storytelling traditions and scientific research to encapsulate the interactions between human and wildlife systems in Botswana?
While the storytelling techniques might be simple, the interactions here are complex, specifically between elephants and humans. While most of us romanticize these giants, living next to them comes at a cost for many Botswanans, as they often wander through villages, raid crops, and clash with farmers simply trying to make a living. To help us learn more about the relationship, we teamed with EcoExist, a local NGO dedicated to developing a peaceful coexistence between people and elephants. With the help of their staff, students learned how Ecoexist collects and uses data in the field to address human-wildlife conflicts and how geographic information systems help turn data into powerful conversation stories.
Another meaningful field experience occurred alongside Elephant Havens, a wildlife refuge that serves as a home for orphaned elephants. Thousands of elephants in Botswana are displaced due to fires, drought, and conflict, so it is worth noting just how vital Elephant Havens’ actions are as the country’s only elephant orphanage. During the visit, students learned how 30% of African elephants have been lost since 2007 and how Elephant Havens is looking to reverse that trend. While the session was highly informative, the best part was undoubtedly the opportunity to feed orphaned calves, pet their trunks, and see firsthand just how intelligent and majestic African elephants truly are.
Speaking on the term, which was her first officially as principal of THINK Global School, Jen Buchanan shared the following:
Maun became our classroom and home, where the rhythm of daily life was punctuated by encounters with wildlife and the vast, humbling landscapes of the Okavango Delta. Camping out on the Salt Pans was a moment I won’t forget! Sleeping under the stars, far from everything familiar. It was raw, transformative, and exactly the kind of experience that defines TGS. What struck me most was watching our students embrace every opportunity that came their way. Whether it was navigating a new culture, pushing past their comfort zones, or diving into experiential learning, they showed up with curiosity and courage. -Jen Buchanan, THINK Global School Principal
Value Lies Within Rites of Passage
As a traveling high school, especially in the age of artificial intelligence, we place extraordinary value on human context, culture, and the honoring of traditions. Rites of passage, which mark an important shift in a young person’s life, are practiced worldwide in many different forms, and for our new students, it’s a way to welcome them into our community. Over the course of a week, we were deliberate in helping them understand THINK Global School’s culture through meaningful activities and conversations, some of which spanned deep into the night under massive baobab trees and skies exploding with stars.
The Rite of Passage culminated with a show of sisu (our Finnish core value for grit) by our students, with them taking part in a 10-kilometer hike with their possessions strapped to their backs. Congrats to each young person who completed this feat, and welcome officially to the TGS community. ❤️
The Kgotla: Where Every Voice Matters
While much of our academic experience was focused on the coexistence of wildlife and humans in Botswana, we also spent significant time learning about what makes the country’s fabric so unique. No better place exists to do this in Botswana than the kgotla, a centralized meeting place where governmental decisions are made and the peace is kept.
Student Sula asks a question at the kgotla
The beauty of the kgotla is that every voice, regardless of age or gender, is heard, which was not lost on our students. While they might not have had conflicts to resolve, they had the opportunity to ask any question that sprang to mind, including about complex issues like polygamy, witchcraft, and environmental stewardship. A big thank you to everyone at the Maun kgotla we visited who made this such an enriching experience.
The Okavango Delta: An Academic Oasis
Students explore the Okavango Delta aboard mokoros
This term, Maun served as our host city, but it was the surrounding areas just to its north that provided a true look at what makes Botswana one of our most visited locations. The Okavango Delta is home to over 200 mammal species and nearly 500 bird species, drawn there by the floods during the country’s dry season. Crucial to our studies, the Delta is home to the world’s largest elephant population, and we had the opportunity to sight them from traditional canoes (mokoros), small planes, and rugged safari vehicles that provide excellent access to those looking for a closer glimpse. For our students who are more fans of the furry variety, lion sightings were a common occurrence, as well as giraffes and hyenas (true story: a hyena *actually* ate one of our students’ homework. A story he’ll be able to tell for the rest of his life).
Back to the academics, our time in the Delta allowed students to get hands-on with the tools necessary to track migratory patterns, including data collection, GIS mapping, and camera trapping. By tracking these patterns, students were connected to larger environmental issues like climate change, habitat loss, and, of course, human–wildlife coexistence.
Thank You, Botswana!
This was our fourth time having the privilege to visit this wonderful African country, and as always, local author and farmer Bonty Botumile took our students under her wing, informing them of Tswana traditions and why storytelling is as valuable here as the floods that make the Okavango Delta so fertile. It wasn’t just Bonty, though: a heartfelt thank you to everyone who made our time in Africa so rewarding!