Six Reasons We’re Different
Is The Traveling School right for me? How is it different from regular school, other semester schools or experiential education programs? Here are six reasons a TTS semester is unique. If these excite you, you might just be a future TTS student!
1. We cultivate collaborative learning spaces where students can express their opinions freely. We’re passionate about inclusive all-girls education, which research shows increases students’ cultural competency, civic and political engagement, leadership skills, self-confidence and more. In a male dominated society, we feel maintaining such a non-male space is essential.
2. Our school is boundless and global. We aren’t confined to one campus. Your campus is a red-walled canyon, a grassy riverbank, public park or museum. It’s the cityscape of La Paz, the expanse of the Grand Canyon, and the sands of Namib deserts. If we can make a circle, we can make it a classroom. Home is your backpack or duffel bag, sleeping bag, friends and teachers.
3. Your expedition is the whole semester. TTS isn’t a four-walled experience broken up by outdoor trips. Your semester will be a 15-week, evolving adventure with different phases––some in cities, some in the backcountry––all part of one epic journey.
4. We craft our own progressive curriculum around the places we travel. TTS isn’t about learning for the sake of an AP test. By teaching a unique honors-level curriculum, we guide our students to learn through the themes and voices of the people and places we’re experiencing as we move.
5. You’ll live authentically unplugged. TTS students leave behind phones and we hand write by headlamp and take notes from visiting speakers, not Wikipedia. During the pandemic, screen time for teens increased to 8 hours per day. What would you do with eight hours a day?
6. We’re intentionally small. A TTS semester typically includes 16 students and 4 teachers, selected to create a diverse and cohesive cohort. By maintaining a 4:1 student to teacher ratio, we prioritize academic differentiation, mentorship and community-building. You’ll forge one-of-a-kind connections with teachers and peers.
