What Elephants Teach Us About Community

Picture this: Across the vast landscapes of Botswana, elephant families gather at watering holes after months of separate journeys. Some have traveled familiar paths, while others arrive for the first time, tentative but curious. In these moments of convergence, something beautiful happens. Individual stories merge into collective wisdom, creating bonds that will sustain them through the seasons ahead.

This month, we find ourselves in a remarkably similar moment as we welcome our global community back for another year of transformative learning. We begin in Maun, Botswana, a place of extraordinary landscapes, ecosystems, and cultures that will shape our learning in powerful ways.

Joining us will be 10 new students who will undoubtedly bring fresh energy, diverse experiences, and bold ideas to our shared journey, and for the first time, Rwanda will also be represented in our student body. At THINK Global School, each person and place adds something meaningful to the collective. Whether returning or beginning their journey with us, this term will be shaped by the curiosity, compassion, and creativity each student brings.

Learning from African Elephants

In preparation for the term ahead, our community has been sharing a TED talk by Stephen Gianotti titled Lessons from the African Elephant. At first glance, it’s a talk about wildlife. But beneath the surface, it’s really about community and about how we show up for one another, build trust, and grow into something stronger together.

Gianotti draws on elephant behavior to offer three powerful lessons that feel especially timely as we come together in a new place, with new people, and begin to co-create a shared culture of learning:

1. Build a Community of Trust

Elephants live in tightly-bonded herds. They grieve, protect, and support one another through change and challenge. In much the same way, we encourage everyone at THINK Global School to lead with empathy and openness. We ask our community to be someone others feel safe around. Recognize that each member of our community carries both anticipation and vulnerability into the term ahead. Trust is where meaningful growth begins.

2. Practice Deep Listening

Elephants don’t just communicate through sound. They use touch, posture, and even seismic vibrations through the earth. Their ability to connect runs deep. At THINK Global School, where many languages, backgrounds, and perspectives come together, this kind of listening is essential. We encourage our students to pay attention beyond words: to tone, energy, and presence. Some of the richest learning happens not in speaking, but in truly listening.

3. Honor Memory and Connection

Elephants remember not just events, but relationships to people, to landscapes, and to each other. Their memory is emotional and communal. In the same spirit, our learning at THINK Global School is rooted in connection: to place, to purpose, and to the people around us. Our returning students carry the stories and rhythms of past terms, while our new students arrive with fresh perspectives that will shape who we become next. Both are essential. We are stronger together.

As Gianotti reminds us, elephants teach us that strong communities are grounded in empathy, emotional safety, and deep connection. At THINK Global School, these are the foundation of everything we do.

Here’s to creating something extraordinary together.