150. Immersive Project-Based Learning Abroad with Joann McPike

Education Evolution

English - February 21, 2023 09:00 - 40 minutes - 55.9 MB
How To Education Courses Homepage Download Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed

Previous Episode: 149. Parenting Forward after Grief with Michele Benyo

Next Episode: 151. What Do You Want from Education with Lainie Liberti

If you’ve ever traveled to another country, you know how exciting it is to learn about other cultures. But as adults, many of us don’t have the opportunity to spend an extended period of time overseas. What if we were able to do that traveling in high school, learning by being immersed in culture, rather than sitting in a classroom eight hours a day?

That’s what this week’s guest, Joann McPike, wanted for her son. So she built it for him and invited other students along, too!

THINK Global School was founded on the idea that students should learn the things that matter in the grand scheme of things, rather than what we’ve “always” learned. The structure is so interesting and immersive, and it’s one that I hope gains some traction in the future.

Listen in!

About Joann McPike:

Joann McPike is the founder of THINK Global School and the chair of its board of directors. Her vision has created a global learning environment built on the foundation of empathy, diversity, resilience and self-reflection.

Joann McPike has dedicated her life to pursuing her passion for world travel. Joann grew up in New Zealand and developed a desire to explore the world at a young age. To date, she has traveled to over 73 countries. Over the course of her world travels, Joann has achieved a rare perspective on the multicultural aspects of our global society. As a photographer, she works to capture the diverse layers of meaning inherent in a given snapshot of life. In that regard, Joann considers her photography to demonstrate a documentary style of artistic expression. Her first book of photography, entitled THINK, was published in 2008.

Jump in the Conversation:

[1:40] - Where Joann’s story of school transformation began

[3:55] - One of the best ways to learn is by doing and making it relevant

[4:25] - More about Think Global schools

[6:15] - Learning should be relevant to what the kids are interested in

[7:19] - Helping students recognize many different perspectives

[10:06] - The challenges of going to the school

[11:45] - Adaptability is one of the most underrated skills

[13:55] - Joann’s favorite travel and learning experiences

[15:51] - It’s not just intellectual, it’s emotional, physical, spiritual too

[17:04] - Where students live during their travels

[17:35] - What happens after this amazing high school experience