There really was nothing to do except shake his head, re-pack what was left in his bag, and have a slight giggle, for how many people can say truthfully,“A hyena ate my homework?” For the students of THINK Global School like Huxley, the scenario is not so far-fetched. Especially this year, when the semester began with students landing in Botswana, working on conservation, collecting wildlife data, and camping out in the wild, under a canopy of stars.

The average school, this is not. But if you are looking for a place that tickles curiosity, triggers empathy, and teaches analytic action to affect change, it may be the one you are looking for.

Claimed to be the only travelling school in the world, THINK Global School is an endeavour to foster real change-makers, on the ground, through what one might call exposure therapy.

“We're really working on getting back to our roots...embracing curiosity. Artificial intelligence is everywhere now, like it's just impossible to get around. So, having that human context these days is much more important than ever,” says Lee Carlton, marketing director at THINK Global School.

The international project began in 2010 when the founder, Joann McPike, and her husband were looking for a place their son, Alex, could study and be exposed to the happenings around the world. And so, they began their search for a school that taught empathy, that took students to wild shores and steel cities, and explained why things worked the way they worked.

It wasn't an easy task. Travelling to multiple countries required extra visas, and students had to leave everything they knew behind as they embarked on a formative rite of passage into adulthood.

“When we started THINK Global School, there was this underlying scepticism-like, we might be putting these kids' futures at academic risk. Then there's the practical side-when you're in a new country every few months, where do you start? There are so many incredible opportunities for exposure and ways to spark curiosity, but how do you choose which ones will actually matter for the kids? You have to follow your instincts and stay open to those unexpected moments that change everything,” she says.

Some experiences were light and surprising, like a hyena bursting into camp at night and going through a student's bag. Others were serious: students spent a semester in Bosnia contributing to projects that helped families seek closure after the conflict in the Balkans.

The school, which was launched in 2010, can be demanding – the students must not only do group lessons and take on personal projects to affect change and learn about real-world problems but also manage their finances (they are given a stipend that they use to buy food, etc.).

There's also cultural immersion, especially through language.“There is an expectation by the time our students leave the country, they will have a working knowledge of at least the basic terms that allow them to kind of get around,” explains Carlton.

The admissions process itself is a doozy – only three per cent of applicants are accepted at a given time.“We can be very picky about who we bring in, and we make sure that we bring in students who want to see the world, who are acclimated, whose parents aren't pushing them this way or that,” Carlton adds.

The classes are small – 20-30 people – the teacher: student ratio is 4:1, and for those with the homesickness bug or ones who let reality obscure their perception, there are councillors to help with any second-hand trauma.“We have eight weeks on and five weeks off. There are four terms per year,” he adds. The school decides where the terms will take place about a year in advance, but leaves room for some manoeuvring.“Like we were supposed to go to Turkey, but we made the decision not to, because of conflict in the region. So that will always be priority – safety. Educational opportunities come in second. And then, of course, there's the ease with which visas are obtained,” adds Carlton.

All three goals were aligned when the company decided to head to Dubai in 2021 just in time to explore Expo 2020 Dubai.“That was the first place we went after Covid; it is very visa friendly. We really appreciated what they did, like, in terms of masking and all that. It was a wonderful place to restart the school,” he adds.

While these expeditions help develop personality and resilience, the teachers are well aware that they need conventional report cards too, if they want to get into a mainstream field.“Ninety-two per cent of our graduates have gone on to university, and they go to universities around the world. We are accredited through US Western Association of Schools and Colleges. We've had that accreditation for years, but they know if they want to go to a school in the US, they're going to need to take the SAT, etc.. During those times at home, when they're in their home country, they're focused on learning and working towards that goal,” says Carlton.

The school counsellor works with each student to figure out their personalised pathway. For instance, says Carlton:“We had a Peruvian student named Andrea recently, who'll be going to school at Wesleyan College in Atlanta.”

There are no grades at this school. Instead, there are learning targets.“At the end of each term, a student will receive a report, and the educator will break down how they did, and they can level up. We have three ranks, so there's novice specialist in the master so by the time they graduate, they're expected to have mastered a handful of skills. They have to do a mastery project, which is a deep dive, and that's also something that they can present to universities to show you,” explains Carlton.

Attending this school is expensive; tuition, room and board, excursions, and equipment come to about $94,050 (Dh345,445 approximately) a year (students typically attend for two years). However, explains Carlton, this isn't about rich kids getting a rich education.“It is very, very important to us that we just have as much diversity as we can, not just ethnic diversity, but socioeconomic,” he says.

Therefore, to keep things accessible, the school issues financial aid to about 68 per cent of the students who attend.

For 19-year-old Dhruv Goel, who shuttles between Madrid and Dubai, THINK Global School built plenty of memories.“It is hard to choose a single best experience, because every country, every project, and every day felt unique. Some moments stand out: learning to scuba dive for the first time in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, and spending a week camping in the Kalahari, Botswana,” he explains.

He urges people wanting to enrol to think about why they want the experience.“What counts is a clear reason for wanting this kind of learning, evidence that you can drive your own projects, and a willingness to work well with people from different backgrounds. Bring a small portfolio that shows how you start, iterate, and reflect. Be ready to travel with care and respect. Show how you manage time, look after your health, and contribute to the group. Most of all, be authentic about why you want to join and how you hope to help the community grow,” he says.

The future is being engineered as we speak, and these are the minds that hope to change it for the better. Through babysitting children in rural areas. Through seeing the world for what it is – and finding a way to navigate success. This is the school of the curious. Will you be attending?

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