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Imagine learning history exploring the Colosseum in Rome, or deep-diving into marine biology scuba diving in The Philippines. For choosing to worldschool their children, this is their reality: connecting learning to the world around them, and combining rich cultural experiences with real-world projects and experiential learning.

With remote work on the rise globally, more families are opting for digital nomad lifestyles, traveling and working simultaneously. In fact, that global digital jobs are expected to rise by 2030 to around 92 million worldwide. Couple this with a , and it’s no surprise families are opting to ditch their textbooks and seek new adventures.

So, what does it mean to be a worldschooling family? And, how can you ensure your children receive a consistent high quality and meaningful education while traveling full time?

What is worldschooling?

Put simply, worldschooling is a form of education through travel, global experiences, and real-world learning. It is an educational approach which prioritizes learning from the world around you – like learning Math through currency exchanges, or History through visiting global historical sites.

While different families take different educational approaches, from fully self-directed learning to alternative online options, the worldschooling experience is designed for learners to deepen their curiosity and understanding of the world, and apply their learning to real-world contexts.

Why are families choosing worldschooling?

There are many benefits to worldschooling, with families citing a variety of key reasons for choosing the nomad life:

• 🏛️ Cultural Exposure: traveling the world facilitates increased cultural exposure and global citizenship, with learners connecting with people from a range of different backgrounds and cultures. It helps foster a global perspective and understanding of the world which is almost impossible to emulate in the traditional classroom.
• 🌎 Real-World Learning: worldschooling opens up a world (pun intended!) of opportunities for learners to connect their learning to real-world experiences. It helps avoid the age-old “Why am I learning this?” and instead connects learning as part of a day to day way of life.
• 🌱 Flexibility: learners can progress at their own pace and explore topics they are passionate about. Worldschooling enables families to choose and shape their child’s learning experience to suit their needs and lifestyle.

While worldschooling may not be the right fit for everyone, and certainly requires more active engagement in your child’s educational and social activities, it really can open up a whole new perspective and way of connecting with the world.

Worldschooling approaches & curriculum options

So, what types of educational options are there for families who are looking to worldschool their children? As with traditional school, there are plenty of different options, with no one-size-fits-all solution:

Unschooling

Unschooling gives families complete freedom over their child’s educational journey by designing all learning activities themselves. Focusing on curiosity-led topics and primarily facilitated by parents, this option is for those who don’t want to follow any type of structured program or curriculum. While this offers a lot of flexibility, this may have risks later down the line if learners are hoping to attend university or college, and places the sole responsibility on parents to facilitate their child’s education.

Traditional School Programs

Many families choose to enroll in traditional online programs, or follow the traditional curriculum through a self-paced course. This allows learners to continue with their traditional school education, and complete relevant qualifications for higher education. This option works well for families who want to continue within the traditional education system.

Hybrid Learning Communities

For families who want to connect with other worldschoolers, hybrid learning communities can be a great option. Organizations like bring together digital nomad families across a range of countries and provide inspiring hybrid learning experiences.

Alternative online programs

But what about families who want structure and an accredited education without simply following the traditional school curriculum? If you’re looking for project-based and hands-on curricula, alternative online programs may be a great fit. Online schools like ����APP provide accredited diplomas while offering a project-based education that aligns with the values of worldschoolers: namely, connecting learning to the real world.

Case Study: Meet Vanessa, a worldschooling learner at ����APP

Meet Vanessa, one of our worldschooling learners at ����APP. She joins ����APP while traveling the world with her family, and is able to incorporate her passion for exploring the world within her projects.

At our school, we combine live interactive workshops with self-paced learning journeys, enabling Vanessa to balance traveling with regular social interaction with her friends and educators online. Our school community spans 30+ countries and 6 continents, meaning Vanessa’s peers reflect the diverse cultures and backgrounds of her traveling experiences.

������’s about her experience worldschooling while at ����APP:

“Hi, I’m Vanessa and I travel the world while at ����APP…I love ����APP, I have a few set online sessions that I have to attend, but the rest is up to me, I could do my work at 1 am or 1 pm, and it wouldn’t matter, as long as I get it done on time. But my favorite thing is the chance it has given me to follow my dream, seeing the world.”

Vanessa even explored her experience as a digital in a recent flourishing project, “Finding Happiness Everyday”, where she documented her joy in the little things traveling the world. Check out her journey below:

Getting started with worldschooling

If you’re a family looking to get started with worldschooling, here’s a couple of quick recommendations to explore while planning your family’s adventure:

• Choosing an educational approach: Identify which educational approach aligns most with your values as a family. Whether you choose the fully unstructured unschooling route, or opt for an alternative online program like ����APP, it is helpful to explore a range of different options to identify which is the best fit for your child. If you’re choosing an online school, we recommend choosing which curriculum excites you, checking the school’s international accreditation, and also making sure the program is available across multiple time zones as you move around.
• Joining worldschooling communities: Traveling can feel quite daunting, especially if you don’t have a strong community in other parts of the world. Worldschooling community groups can be a wonderful way to make friends, get travel tips, and feel a sense of connection, especially as you start this new way of living.

Preparing for Takeoff…

To sum up, worldschooling gives families a unique opportunity to align a meaningful educational experience with traveling the world. It offers flexibility, experiential learning and enables learners to connect their learning journey with real-world experiences.

There are plenty of exciting educational opportunities for families to choose from, ranging from parent-led unschooling, to online alternative options which connect travel with a global community of friends.

So, I guess all that’s left to say is: where are you off to first? ✈️

Mae Dickinson

Passionate about generating change and shaping the future of education.