Maya, a class of 2015 student from Sweden, reflects on a recent weXplore opportunity to visit the Palong hill tribe in Chiang Dao, Thailand.
THE FIRST THING WE SAW of the community was a bridge. A home-built, rough bridge made of thick trunks and tree planks. It was one of those bridges you don’t really know what to expect from, but as you walk on it is surprisingly stable. I feel like this bridge mirrored the village and its inhabitants well. I didn’t know what to expect from them at first, but when we started working, they helped and made the day so much better- especially the kids. It was amazing to see how these small 6-year-olds would just grab a hoe from one of us and start digging, or join our chain and pass heavy buckets of cement or dirt to the next person. I felt like they were truly grateful for our help, and they wanted to thank us with more than words. It might not be true, but that is how they made me feel.
I don’t know how I’d feel about the visit without the kids there. I would’ve gotten a great experience, but I’d probably not remember it as fun, and as a place I’d want to go back to. Working with smiles and laughter surrounding you makes any labor a thousand times better. When two kids come running towards you and start tickling you with broad grins on their faces, it enchants your day. The language barrier didn’t matter, but lucky as I am, we had Yada in our group. She could pass on information like the fact that I apparently have ‘a giant’s teeth.’
I have not only learned how to build a bathroom, make a barbwire-bamboo fence, or how to make concrete (I still remember the proportions of one sack of cement, fourteen buckets of sand, twenty buckets of gravel etc.), but I’ve learned a lot about my fellow TGS friends. I though that after three months with them, I’d know almost everything about them. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Now I’ve seen people I never would have imagined being the center of attention, and it was due to the children being involved. I’ve also seen people I never envisioned doing dirty jobs build a barbwire fence while stepping in ‘human waste’. Also, I’ve learned more about myself. Apparently, I’m deadly scared of a Swedish lullaby as Alice kindly reminded me about. I’m also awfully bad at remembering Thai names, and I can actually sleep on rock-hard pillows.
This is a trip I’ll remember forever. At first I didn’t think it would top the Chimborazo visit. I thought it would be the same, hard work with TGS and fun nights. I was right about the hard work and the fun nights, but it was so much more than that. Instead of working in the Hill Tribe, we worked with them.
The THINK Global School Leadership Team is delighted to announce the July 2022 launch of the THINK Learning Studio, a global innovation, consulting, and professional training center focused on interdisciplinary real-world learning. The launch of this initiative is a statement from both the Board and Leadership Team of TGS's commitment to spreading the methodology of the Changemakers® Program and our continued faith in the project-based learning format. The Studio team hopes...
Hi Amethyst, tell us a bit about yourself. I am a passionate educator with three years of experience, and I’ve just finished my first year with TGS. I specialize in the humanities, particularly history and writing. Before joining TGS, I completed a Master's degree where I researched contextual learning and focused on adolescent psychology during my undergraduate education. Outside of the educational space, I enjoy music, dancing, yoga, card games,...
Where and how do you learn? How do you develop a passion for curiosity? How do you keep your mind open to new people, ideas, and possibilities? These are all questions being faced by educators and students as our world gains a more global context. For a rare few who are lucky enough to have talented and equally curious teachers, this might happen in the confines of the classroom. But...
Hi Shasta, tell us a bit about yourself. Hi, my name is Shasta Gray, and this is my first year teaching at THINK Global School. I received my master's in teaching from the University of Alaska and have been teaching since 2012. I consider Alaska home, but I spent three years living and teaching in Thailand before joining TGS. I've always had an affinity for the great outdoors, and love...
Hi Andy, tell us a bit about yourself. I grew up in the beautiful industrial city of Birmingham, and after a career in mental health work and various bits and bobs, I qualified to become a teacher. After a few years in the UK, I moved to the British Virgin Islands (which many viewed as an improvement even on Birmingham!) and from there on to Switzerland, my first stint at...
After spending their first two terms of the 2021-22 school year in the United Arab Emirates, our CM2 students had the opportunity to travel to one of Mexico's most colorful states, Oaxaca, for Term Three. Renowned for its cultural, artistic, and culinary legacies, Oaxaca has become one of Mexico's most visited states for those looking to experience indigenous cultures. This focus on culture was a primary factor in our selecting...
Following terms in Botswana and Oaxaca, Mexico, our Changemaker Cohort 1 students had the opportunity to live and learn in a decidedly more cosmopolitan country for Term 3: The United Arab Emirates. Dubai, their host city and where they spent most of their time, holds the distinction of being the first Middle Eastern city recognized as a UNESCO City of Design. As part of this network, Dubai is committed to...
Hi Effie, can you tell us a bit about yourself? I was born in China during the one-child policy and adopted into a Finnish-English family. I spent a lot of my childhood traveling between South America and Europe before settling in Finland to complete my primary education. I have a particular interest in literature and studying cultures. However, nothing beats a good time with a few good friends having a...
At TGS, we approach education with an innovator's mindset, constantly exploring new ways to bolster our students' ability to wonder and learn. This approach is possible due to our unwavering commitment to our eight core values. These philosophies are drawn from countries across the world and inform every aspect of a TGS education. A key consideration to understanding core values at THINK Global School is our belief that they are not...
With the first term of the 2021-22 school year officially in the books, we asked our CM1 students to share their thoughts regarding their time in Botswana. You can find their reflections below and a comprehensive overview of our Botswana term here. Rite of Passage "So many things happened here in Botswana, and so many more things were learned from the people and the places around us. Personally, I was...
1. Hi Maxim. It's been two years now since you graduated from THINK Global School. What have you been up to in that time? Since graduating from TGS, I have been attending the University of Toronto studying mineral (mining) engineering. I know you might be asking why, out of all engineering, I chose mineral engineering? It's because I want to throw myself into the space mining industry. I figured it...
Another school year is coming to a close at THINK Global School, which means graduation is right around the corner for the Class of 2021. And while their academic experience was different than previous classes due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all of our graduates continually demonstrated the characteristics we value so much as a community: perseverance, continual improvement, a thirst for knowledge, and the practicing of environmentalism, to name a...
Tattooing is the most misunderstood art form in Japan today. Looked down upon for centuries and rarely discussed in social circles, people with tattoos are outcasts in this country, banned from most public spaces such as beaches, bathhouses, and even gyms. Tattoos have an extensive history in Japan, and to truly understand the stigma behind them it is essential to be aware of their significance. The first records of tattoos...
With THINK Global School’s term in Bosnia and Herzegovina recently concluded, we thought we’d share a few interesting facts about the heart-shaped country with you. Whether you are working on a school project or planning a trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina yourself, we hope you find these seven facts useful!! Fact #1) Sarajevo was the first city in Europe with a full-time electric tram Trams have a long history in...
Greetings TGS, Long time reader, first time blogger here. Some of you may have noticed that I can be a little patriotic... My friends in Abu Dhabi used to joke that New Zealand has "small country" syndrome because it is always determined to be the best. I think like the Canadians, we are determined not to be seen as the same as our more populated neighbours. With that in mind...
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.
