Elephant tracking in Botswana, temple explorations in India, and nuclear energy discussions in Japan are activities students might experience during the 2025-26 school year.
Botswana
Summer Term
Spot hippos and solve hypotheses amid unspoiled African scenery
Diamond-rich and conservation-friendly, Botswana has devoted over forty percent of its land to national parks, wildlife reserves, and nature preserves. During their time in-country, students have ample opportunities to engage in some truly unique project-based learning across all three.
Our Botswana term takes place in one of Africa’s last significant wildlife habitats, the Okavango Delta, where students track the density and movement of hippos, giraffes, elephants, lions, and rhinos, amongst other majestic beasts.
Local conservation experts demonstrate how to recognize animal tracks, sight predominant species, and identify vegetation in Northern Botswana, with the collected data submitted to a long-term conservation study sponsored by the government of Botswana.
During the term, students also discover the importance of storytelling customs in Botswana and apply the techniques to construct their own stories. It’s a one-of-a-kind term in Africa’s best-kept secret.
Julia Gwiozdzik’20
ON HER BOTSWANA TERM
“Botswana, the first country I visited with the school, introduced me to a new way of living — one I would never have imagined I’d like when I was back in my own cozy room in Poland.
Everything was new during that month, from the language I was speaking to the people I was living with. No matter how cheesy it sounds, we all cherished the little moments: standing in a circle around the fire, admiring the way the sky looks away from the city lights, watching sunsets and not caring about anything other than the mix of colors that was right before our eyes.”
How can students create and deliver a story in the oral tradition which reflects the changing social/cultural, environmental or political dynamics of Botswana?
India is a country known for its innumerable deities, mouth-searing dishes, elaborate weddings, and multicolored sarees. Once you venture past these cliches, however, you realize that few places offer as many bold and unique experiences to the travelers willing to seek them out.
In previous terms, we’ve called the cities of Hyderabad and Mumbai home, but moving forward students might find themselves conducting projects on Goa’s golden beaches. All of that will be determined in the near future, with our students’ best interests in mind.
Regardless of our host city, India promises plenty of opportunities to get out and explore, and in past terms students have learned about water potability by analyzing samples from the sacred River Ganges, observed extreme poverty during a tour of the Dharavi megaslum, interviewed survivors of the Bhopal industrial disaster, and picked tea during lessons on entrepreneurship in Kerala.
Projects during our India term are wide-ranging and community focused. In recent terms, students have gained an understanding of the sustainability issues linked to population distribution and density by exploring urban city planning in Mumbai, examined how mathematical thought processes have evolved from different ancient cultures, and helped local Warli artists make the transition to the online marketplace as opportunities in their rural villages dwindle.
Past Projects
Adapting Indian e-commerce, business, and economic solutions to benefit a charitable or non-profit organization in students’ home countries
Examining India’s contributions to the field of mathematics and comparing/contrasting them with the mathematical developments of Western countries
Studying sustainability issues linked to population distribution and densities in the world by exploring how urban planning is achieved in India
Lily-Wai Edwards’19
ON VISITING THE HOLY CITY OF VARANASI
“To say that I toured the holiest city in the world alongside some of my best friends and visited the tree under which Buddha was enlightened was something I never thought I’d be able to do.”
Following their time in Malaysia, our students head to another of the world’s most biodiverse countries: Ecuador.
The nature lovers among our ranks won’t want to go anywhere without their binoculars. Ecuador’s varied terrains are home to four major ecosystems and over 2,500 endangered animal species, including the Andean speckled bear and Eastern Santa Cruz Giant-Tortoise. Projects might include devising ways to help these animals once again flourish within their natural habitats.
Ecuador’s rich and varied cultures will play a prominent role in our learning. Hearing firsthand about the beliefs and concerns that impact everyday life will help our community form a clearer picture of Ecuador’s sociopolitical and socioeconomic structures. Conversations held during morning walks and over shared meals will also help our students forge meaningful connections with those who call Ecuador home.
These activities and many more will take place in the coastal province of Manabí, which will serve as our host location during the term. Students can take advantage of Manabi’s beaches during the day for science-based projects and again in the evening for taking in a tranquil sunset.
Best of all, Manabí is renowned for its seafood, chicken, and plantain dishes. So regardless of whether our students are vegetarians, pescetarians, or connoisseurs of meat, every meal should be Instagram-worthy.
Planned Projects
How can Ecuador utilize technology to change its reputation as a banana republic?
How can we use trigonometry to measure the height of the Ingapirca ruins?
How can we use the culinary arts to tell stories about Ecuador’s rich history?
How can the horticulture techniques used by the indigenous Chachi people be utilized in our home communities?
Greece
Spring Term
The birthplace of democracy is a beauty to behold
Each school year is concluded in a country renowned for its sun-kissed beaches and riveting landscapes: Greece.
Natural beauty is just one part of Greece’s charm. From an educator’s viewpoint, few countries offer as many opportunities for location-centric, project-based learning as Greece. Democracy, philosophy, and geometry are just a few of the ancient Greeks’ remarkable achievements, and projects this term consider those themes alongside more modern ones like the debt crisis and Greece’s continuing influx of migrants from the Middle East and beyond.
Greece is also special in that it is an opportunity for our two cohorts to come together, socialize, compare and contrast their experiences, and enjoy a set of end-of-year festivities. During the final weeks of each school year, we celebrate the culmination of personal projects and exemplary module work during an intercohort Student Symposium and honor our graduating students during their graduation.
Learn more about the 2015 TGS Odyssey
Planned Projects
Students use their experiences of Greece and mathematical knowledge to teach people about the country’s economic and refugee crises
Ready to embark on the educational journey of a lifetime?
A passion for travel. A strong academic record. And the desire to improve the world as you experience it. If this sounds like you, you just might be our ideal candidate! Start your application with a five-minute inquiry form - you never know where you might end up.
Ready to embark on the educational journey of a lifetime?
A passion for travel. A strong academic record. And the desire to improve the world as you experience it. If this sounds like you, you just might be our ideal candidate! Start your application with a five-minute inquiry form - you never know where you might end up.
