We’re incredibly excited to share that THINK Global School has been recognized as an Apple Distinguished School for 2022-25 due to our innovative use of Apple technology during our travels across the world.

Since its inception in 2010, THINK Global School has been committed to integrating Apple products into its curriculum and coursework, providing each student with a MacBook Air, iPhone, and easy access to an iPad Pro. And with the introduction of the Changemaker Curriculum in 2017, Apple hardware and software have become even more tightly integrated into how THINK Global School students experience the world and learn.

You can find more details about this outstanding recognition below.

Our Story

THINK Global School (TGS) is the world’s first traveling high school, where students live and learn in four countries each year. Through these firsthand experiences of the world, students at TGS learn mastery, autonomy, and purpose and gain the skills necessary to create meaningful and lasting change.

Alex and Aarushi work on a VR module in Mexico

THINK Global School’s Changemaker Curriculum is built around the concept of project-based learning, and students work on projects relevant to their surroundings in each place they visit. These projects rely heavily on Apple hardware and software to ensure students stay nimble during their travels and that educators can deliver an education befitting of our innovative program.  

Facts and Figures

• 2:1 Device-to-Student/Staff Ratio: Each staff and student receives an iPhone and MacBook Air, with access to an iPad Pro
• Private and Co-educational
• 3:1 Student-to-Faculty ratio: THINK Global School employs 16 faculty members
• 30 Countries: THINK Global School sixty students hail from over thirty countries
• 100% Graduation Rate: THINK Global School has maintained a 100% graduation rate since 2015
• 94% Matriculation Rate: Almost all THINK Global School students have gone on to university
• Other Hardware Used: Projectors, drones, iPad Pro, digital cameras, fitness trackers, virtual reality headsets, GoPros
• Frequently Used Software: Apple School Manager, Keynote, Pages, Numbers, iMessage, FaceTime, Notes, Safari, Mail, XCode, iMovie, Logic Pro X, GarageBand 

Vision

CM2 students collaborate on a mythology project in Greece

At THINK Global School (TGS), our vision has evolved from simply learning in the world to becoming one of the most innovative schools in the world. Through generous funding from the McPike Foundation, TGS is uniquely positioned to lean into innovative practices and, most importantly, fail. We regularly try new devices, applications, and methods in our desire to provide the best possible education. We employ feedback cycles that allow us to adapt and evolve, acknowledging what works and needs to change. This commitment to growth through failure starts with our Leadership Team and is embraced throughout our entire community. Our vision provides for agency at all levels of our organization, especially in fostering a generation of digital pioneers.

Learning

What truly sets THINK Global School (TGS) apart are its Changemaker Curriculum and innovative approach to learning. Unlike most traditional schools, which are still dominated by teacher-led instruction, TGS takes advantage of the countries it visits through a combination of place- and project-based learning. There are two main types of projects: teacher-led modules, which our educators develop, and personal projects, which our students develop. In both instances, creators have tremendous agency over the design and scope of their projects, relying on a predetermined set of learning targets to guide them and ensure specific standards are attained.                  

Khanh takes notes on an iPad at Expo 2020 in Dubai

Technology, specifically Apple technology, plays a critical role in all aspects of these projects. All students at THINK Global School possess an iPhone SE2 and MacBook Air, which they use extensively throughout their project work. While on location, students regularly use apps like Apple Maps, FaceTime, and Voice Memos to guide themselves and keep track of their tasks and surroundings. In terms of actual schoolwork, their phones and laptops, and other devices like the iPad Pro, are used regularly in new and innovative ways as they engage in different technology-based projects with unique driving questions. During the 2021-22 school year alone, students collaborated in groups on projects related to cryptocurrencies, virtual reality, robotics, and documentary filmmaking. Each module leveraged their devices and accompanying software at each project stage, including their MacBook Air being used to present during their showcase.  

Success

At TGS, we utilize several tools to measure our success. One essential tool is The Hope Survey, which measures student autonomy, belongingness, goal orientation, engagement, and hope. This is perhaps the greatest indicator of our success and points to satisfaction with our curriculum and use of technology. After each term, we also utilize feedback circles to gauge our students on what worked and what didn’t work. These offer feedback on how future terms in locations and projects can be more effective.

Similarly, we gauge our parents’ satisfaction through an annual parent survey. This survey consists of questions about academics, communication, staff, social-emotional support, and COVID-19. The parent survey almost always provides positive results and valuable feedback on how TGS can improve.

What’s Next

CM1 students use their MacBooks in Malaysia

We’re very excited about the next stage of THINK Global School (TGS), which will allow us to scale up and share what works so well with the rest of the world. TGS recently received funding to launch the THINK Learning Studio, a professional development center aimed at teaching educators around the world concepts associated with The Changemaker Curriculum. The THINK Learning Studio will offer online professional development courses, in-person training, and opportunities to customize our offerings to work with existing curriculums. Given our small student body, it has been a long-held goal to provide a TGS education to all students, especially needy ones, worldwide. The THINK Learning Studio brings us one step closer to accomplishing that.

Links

• Student documentary created with Apple hardware and software
• Personal Project: Tracking birds’ behavior using Unity 3D Software
• Gallery: Technology Usage at THINK Global School
• What is a project module? A short doc created by students Niko and Dhruv
• THINK Global School Viewbook