Exposing Students to Different Cultures Expands Thinking with Joann McPike

Ever wonder what it would be like to travel the world as a nomad in high school? You’re about to find out! In this episode of Fueling Creativity in Education, Dr. Cyndi Burnett and Dr. Matthew Worwood welcome Joann McPike, the Founder of THINK Global School, a not-for-profit, project-based, student-led traveling boarding school. THINK Global School is based on the foundation of empathy, diversity, resilience, and self-reflection. Enrolled students travel to four different countries each year for the last three years of high school.

Tune in to learn how this nomadic school works, the changes they see in students as they progress through the program, and the power of infusing a global perspective into high school-level education.

“When you learn in an unconventional way like that, the learning sticks because the memory is stronger.” – Joann McPike

Joann sheds light on how THINK Global School enables students to trust their own creativity and build their creative skills. She walks you through an example of their educational projects, explains why they don’t do exams, and details how project-based learning fosters a deeper connection with the communities they live and travel in.

“What does a TG student look like? Curious, creative, adaptable, resilient, caring, intelligent, fun, enthusiastic. They want to be there. They’re not there because they have to come, they come because they want to. They want to take charge of their own education. They want to see what’s different out there.” – Joann McPike

Plus, she shares how educators can get involved in teaching at THINK Global School!

Joann’s Tips for Teachers and Parents:

Asking kids what they’re curious about will spark creativity.
Mindset is really important. Understand that creativity lies in each one of us and it’s our job as adults and educators to support that.
Let kids know that you believe in them because their creativity is their power, it’s where their energy lies.

Recommended Resources:

THINK Global School

Career opportunities at THINK Global School

Listen to the episode with Genein Letford

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Eager to bring more creativity into your home or classroom?

Access various creativity resources and tools & listen to more episodes of The Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast by visiting www.CreativityandEducation.com.

What to learn more about Design Thinking in Education?

Do you want to build a sustained culture of innovation and creativity at your school? Visit WorwoodClassroom.com to learn how Design Thinking can promote teacher creativity and support professional growth in the classroom.

Have a question? Email Dr. Burnett and Dr. Worwood at questions@fuelingcreativitypodcast.com!

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About Joann McPike:

A deeply rooted passion for education has been the driving force behind most of Joann’s visionary work. Her conviction that there is no “one size fits all” in education, led her to create THINK Global School in 2010. The school is a not-for-profit project-based traveling boarding school, in which students from every continent, race, and religion travel with their teachers through 12 different countries during a three-year high school experience. Joann also founded the Re-Imagining Education conference together with Big Change, connecting global education innovators and thought-leaders on the feasibility and scalability of various reform initiatives in classrooms around the world. The conference inspired her to executive-produce the documentary “A Cure For The Common Classroom”. Joann is a founding member of The B-Team, exploring business as a force for good, 100% Percent Human At Work, and she supports education innovators HundrEd, as well as Brookings Institute’s work around parental engagement.

Exposing Students to Different Cultures Expands Thinking with Joann McPike

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