Category: Faculty

During our spring term in Florence, Italy, four of my IB Visual Arts students (Galek, Lisa, Samaya, and Natascha) volunteered to create portraits of disadvantaged youth for the non-profit organization Memory Project. Founded in 2004 and based out of Wisconsin, Memory Project invites teachers and art students from around the world to create portraits of children who have faced or are currently facing substantial challenges, such as abuse and poverty. Besides...

At TGS, like at most high schools, there is no shortage of students with the capacity to understand mathematical concepts when the conditions are ideal -- trust me here. But what about when the conditions for learning aren't particularly conducive? As a traveling school, we find ourselves in unique locations on a regular basis, and classrooms in Peru pose a completely different learning environment than a classroom in Sweden. Not all teachers...

As THINK Global School returns for another year of place-based learning and travel, our first semester begins in Peru's Urubamba Valley, also known as the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Before we ascend to the peak of our term by completing the Inca Trek, we wanted to share seven interesting facts about Peru with you. So whether you’re working on a school project or just looking to learn a little bit about this amazing...

During our time in Biancavilla, we stayed with a family who work together to create a safe space for newcomers and locals to Italy escaping a troubled time in their life. The family's hearts are open and giving, and our weXplore Sicily group got the chance to experience their hospitality, hear their humbling stories, and contribute to their countryside farm and space. Our group took care of their therapy donkeys,...

With our time in Italy winding to a close, the grade 10 and 11 students have embarked on their final weXplore of the school year. Some of the students elected to join teachers Adam Sturman, Chung Man Chan, and Tessa Siebrits and explore Italy's city on water, Venice. Activities here have included a glassblowing demonstration with master Venetian glass blower Dino Rosin, a scavenger hunt at the Doge's Palace, and...

After honing their culinary skills during the Emilia-Romagna weXplore, our ten young chefs returned to Florence ready to mince, peel, and puree a spectacular six-course meal for their classmates and the TGS staff. The community-building exercise also closed out a day filled with place-based learning presentations, where our students displayed a wide variety of lessons and skills they learned while exploring Italy. Photos from the meal All photos courtesy of Jarret...

This week, ten of our students (accompanied by supervisors and fellow culinary enthusiasts Jarret Voytilla and Lindsay Clark) departed Florence for Emilia-Romagna, the region north of Tuscany that is home to some of the most famous ingredients in Italian cooking. After a week-long sensory exploration, the ten students will return to Florence and prepare an authentic Italian gastronomic exposition for the students and staff of TGS. The purpose of the Emilia-Romagna weXplore is to explore the...

This week, Nick Martino and his Grade 11 social and cultural anthropology students welcomed Alfonso Bonafede, a member of Italy’s Parliament, into their classroom to discuss the rise of populism and technology within Italian politics. During the conversation, Mr. Bonafede explained how political awareness is paramount in every society while indifference is deadly for democracy -- arguably never truer than right now. Alfonso Bonafede Is a member of the anti-establishment,...

Recently, during our Rome weXplore, our grade 10 students had the opportunity to participate in a particularly fulfilling place-based learning lesson by teaming up with the non-profit organization Project Rome for an afternoon. Project Rome, founded by British expats Mary Stuart-Miller and Steven Barnes, is “an initiative to encourage and inspire kindness, love, compassion and caring, worldwide, and bring human warmth to those who need it most.” The initiative took...

This week, THINK Global School kicked off its term in Florence, Italy. To celebrate, we’ve put together a list of seven interesting facts about our new host city. So whether you’re working on a school project or planning a trip to Florence yourself, we hope these interesting facts shine a little light on the “city of lilies." Now on to the facts! 1) Florence Nightingale was born here Florence is known for...