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 MoreWhat happens when we gather our students around a microphone and ask them to reflect on their first term of immersive learning? Pure magic.
As the first term of the 2025–26 school year came to a close in Botswana, we found ourselves listening closely to our students as they reflected on what they had discovered about themselves, each other, and the world. What started as a simple conversation became a window into the deeper journey they are already on. Read on to learn more about these reflections and the growth that unfolded this term.
The Universal Thread: We’re All More Similar Than Different
One of the most striking patterns in our students’ reflections was their discovery of human universality. As one returning student, Kenzo W., beautifully put it: “Traveling has taught me that the world is actually smaller than I thought. Even though people live in different places and have different cultures, we’re all humans at the end of the day.”
This revelation—that connection transcends geography—emerged again and again. Students spoke of finding the familiar within the foreign: Indian restaurants in Vietnam, Italian spots in every country, and most importantly, the consistent threads of human experience that bind us all together. They’ve discovered what we’ve long believed: that immersing ourselves in the unfamiliar doesn’t just teach us about others—it reveals the fundamental connections we share.
Courage in the Uncomfortable
Perhaps no reflection captured our core philosophy better than this line from Muthu S.:
“The bravest thing you can do is follow your dreams. Coming to TGS, even when you’re doing something completely different from what everyone else expects, you can still be great at it as long as you put your heart and mind to it.”
Our students are living proof that growth happens in the space between comfort and chaos. They’re learning that adaptation isn’t just about surviving change, it’s about thriving in it. As Astin C. noted, “This school is definitely not for people who need a regular schedule, because things will change and shift constantly.” They’ve embraced the beautiful uncertainty that comes with learning without walls.
The Art of Present-Moment Learning
What struck us most was how naturally students have woven academics and exploration into a single, living process. When asked how they balance learning with discovery, Gema P. offered a reflection that felt true to the TGS experience:
“Most of what we do is part of both. It doesn’t feel like ‘I have class right now and then I need to go explore.’ You explore while learning.”
This seamless integration speaks to something deeper. We’re witnessing the dissolution of artificial boundaries between “school” and “life.” Our students aren’t compartmentalizing their education; they’re living it. They’ve discovered that learning happens everywhere, all the time, when you’re curious enough to notice.
The Profound in the Personal
Through these conversations, we heard our students wrestling with profound questions about identity, belonging, and purpose. They spoke about learning to ask for help, appreciating small moments with people, and discovering their own learning styles and goal-setting abilities. One new student, Bernice M., captured this beautifully:
“I’m curious about discovering other cultures while balancing it with my own culture and finding myself.”
This isn’t just cultural immersion, it’s identity formation in real time. Our students are learning that self-discovery and global exploration aren’t separate journeys; they’re the same journey viewed from different angles.
Home Changes Too
In one of the most poignant moments, returning student Kenzo D. reflected on returning home to find that “your place back home also changes, like whether with you or without you.” They described coming back to find a corner shop transformed into “an entire building with attractive paint and signs everywhere.”
This observation reveals a deeper truth: transformation isn’t unidirectional. As our students change through their travels, they’re also learning that home continues to evolve in their absence. They’re grappling with the reality that growth is universal, not just personal but communal, not just individual but collective.
Looking Forward: Questions That Drive Us
Our new students, Maimie B. and Hanne S., came with beautiful questions: “How will different cultures and countries affect our learning styles?” and “How does learning while traveling affect students’ ability to implement new information compared to traditional curriculum?” These aren’t just logistical concerns, they’re philosophical inquiries about the nature of education itself.
Their questions reveal an intuitive understanding that education should be transformative, not transactional. They’re asking the right questions because they’re living the answers.
The Thread That Binds
As we listened to these reflections, one thing became crystal clear: our students are experiencing exactly what we hoped they would. They’re discovering that curiosity truly is the spark that ignites transformation. They’re finding that when learners are immersed in the unfamiliar and exposed to perspectives beyond their own, they don’t just learn about the world – they uncover who they truly are.
This first term has been a testament to the power of immersive, relational learning. Our students haven’t just collected passport stamps or completed assignments; they’ve embarked on the most important journey of all, the one that leads both outward to the world and inward to themselves.
The journey continues on in Mexico, and we couldn’t be more excited to see where their brave curiosity takes them next.