Published On:Monday, February 08, 2010

THINK GLOBAL SCHOOL (TGS) announced today that it will become the world's first global mobile high school when it opens to welcome its first ninth grade class in September 2010.

Based in a different international city each of its twelve trimesters, TGS' revolutionary educational model integrates the best classroom practices with immersive, experiential learning on a global scale, preparing a select number of international students not just for university, but for leadership in an increasingly complex, inter-connected and multicultural world.

The school is the brainchild of Mrs. Joann McPike of Paradise Island, who is its executive chair and founder. Its opening was announced from Los Angeles on Friday.

THINK Global School is a private, non-profit high school that adheres to the International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme and US curriculum and accreditation, and will be taught in English. Fifteen students from across the globe will be admitted into the first TGS class, with fifteen or more international students being admitted each subsequent year as the proceeding class advances to the next grade.

The 2010-2011 school year will be based in Stockholm, Sydney and Beijing/Hong Kong, with all of the students living and studying in Kuala Lumpur, Berlin and Santiago the following year. While THINK Global School will employ its own dedicated teaching staff who will live and travel with the school, host schools in each city will provide TGS with the use of their school library, science labs for biology, physics and chemistry experimental work, and classroom space for certain academic courses and guest speakers. They will also welcome TGS students to participate in exercise, sport, arts and music activities with their own students.

THINK Global School said it was proud to announce that their host schools for the first year will be Young Business Creatives in Stockholm and MLC School in Sydney, with a school in Beijing/Hong Kong to be selected shortly.

"The vision for THINK Global School is to take the wonders of the world and make them our classroom," said Mrs McPike, who is also a photographer, world traveller and mother. "We will offer children an alternative to a customary deskbound education and the chance to experience the varied cultures, beliefs, languages and histories of twelve remarkable countries in all their splendour and complexities. Our world-class instructors and local guides and experts will pique students' curiosity and nurture their ingenuity. THINK Global School will help our students develop the wisdom, tolerance, understanding and respect needed to create, question and eventually lead as outstanding, globally committed citizens."

Aron Solomon, a top independent school administrator and teacher in the U.S. and Canada for more than 20 years, is THINK Global School's CEO and Head of School. "The world is rapidly evolving, making international dialogue and understanding more crucial than ever before," Mr Solomon said. "THINK Global School will prepare students for twenty-first century living and leading by taking global perspectives as the foundation of its curriculum and recognizing that we all, particularly children, learn best through doing."

Integral to the TGS learning experience is the cycle of theory, action and reflection which is woven into all curricular areas of study. Each country TGS travels to becomes a classroom, and "experiential learning" takes on a whole new meaning: students will tackle the physics of a sinking ship at the Viking Vasa Museum in Stockholm, practice their Mandarin skills at MaLianDao Tea City in Beijing, and discuss contemporary literature with Australian author Danielle Wood in Sydney. Learning at TGS means students working in teams to shoot and upload photos of local art, blogging about their experience, and then sitting with their peers and teachers to lead a Socratic discussion on how "culture" defines what art is or is not. All in a day's learning at TGS, where, in fact, no two days are ever alike.

The students of TGS will come from all over the globe and all walks of life, but will share a sincere desire to experience and contribute to the larger world around them. Working with their host schools and local charitable agencies, they will participate in a unique philanthropic project each trimester, performing meaningful service work and giving back to the city in which they are living.

TGS students and teachers will also use cutting-edge technology to capture and share their journeys with students at other schools -- from their host countries to their hometowns and around the world. Students and teachers will blog on the TGS website, lesson plans will be posted online and videos of field trips will stream live on the Web.

"An experience that in our first year will be limited to fifteen students will inspire innumerable children to get up from their desks and learn about the world outside of their classrooms," said Mr Solomon.

THINK Global School is committed to creating the most progressive, expansive and agile learning environment possible. All students and staff will receive an Apple iPhone and MacBook along with other technologies that will provide them a complete digital platform on which to learn, synthesize, collaborate and share -- key tenets of the TGS experience. "How we teach at THINK Global School is just as important as what we teach," said Mrs McPike.

"We are creating a mobile community of exceptional educators and students who will connect with, engage and impact the world around us."

Applications for the ninth grade class of 2010-2011 are currently being accepted.

For more information visit: http://www.thinkglobalschool.com