I became interested in learning more about worldschooling after spending many hours perusing parent travel groups looking for travel tips. I was looking for specific insights from people who live in the places where I wanted to go (or who are very familiar with them). 

I was drawn to worldschooling because I love travel and cultural immersion but was curious about how families do it: How do you travel permanently/semi-permanently with children? How do you manage schooling while travelling? I had so many questions. Here’s some of what I found based on my research, asking questions in the group, and speaking privately with a few parents.

What is Worldschooling?

I would define worldschooling as an alternative way to live and raise children. Instead of having a fixed home in one location, families choose to travel on a permanent or semi-permanent basis. It’s an alternative way to raise children that is based on travel and exploring new places. The duration of stay in one country can vary between 2-6 months but then again - there are no hard or fast rules. It just really depends on each family’s needs, interests, budget, and more.

Why Worldschool?

Many people who worldschool say they felt stuck in their everyday routine and were craving a different kind of lifestyle. Worldschooling was an attractive option because of its many benefits - more adventure, flexibility, learning about new cultures, and (usually) living in a warmer climate. It’s an incredibly enriching experience for children.

Worldschooling Hubs

Since worldschoolers are usually switching countries every few months, children are homeschooled, unschooled or do online school. Many parents have gotten together and formed travel “hubs”. These hubs tend to be centred on education and learning by providing hands-on activities for children. They hire tutors, teachers (or other subject matter experts) for the kids to do specific activities and acquire particular skills.

Some are based on alternative teaching methods (Montessori, Steiner/Waldorf, Forest schools, etc.), focus on building specific skills or are project-focused.

But regardless of the teaching methods, what most hubs have in common is learning through doing and experiencing (usually outdoors) as opposed to sit-down classroom learning.

I would also say that hubs are centred on community, shared values and belief systems as well. They are an important source of community for parents as well. Some offer meetups, cultural activities, family activities, while others offer more extensive travel services that include accommodations, coworking spaces, travel packages, excursions, and more.

It’s important to note that there are many different types of hubs: Some are “travelling” hubs meaning that one to three months are spent in one country in one region (different countries in South America, Asia, and Africa), others go between continents (Europe and Asia), while others are based in one country. Families can opt to travel with the hub or not.   

How do you pay for it?

People who worldschool tend to have online businesses, work remotely, whereas some rely on their savings or investments. Some families rent or even sell their homes and all their belongings to fund their worldschooling experience.

What’s also common is people starting their online businesses in the travel industry by blogging, vlogging, coaching and consulting, founding hubs, creating educational resources for worldschoolers, lifestyle brands, and more.

Every family’s situation is different but the commonality is - they’ve found a way to finance their alternative lifestyle, oftentimes by creating service-based businesses. 

What makes worldschooling possible is that worldschoolers are being paid in the currency of their home country (not the local currency), which means they can stretch their money longer in some places than others, depending on the exchange rate.

Of course, other important considerations that make worldschooling financially easier (or harder) for some families than others, include family size, disability, health conditions, support needs, and other financial or family responsibilities or obligations. 

Who gets to worldschool?

It’s important to talk about the accessibility of worldschooling - who gets to do it. The vast majority of worldschooling families are from affluent countries, namely from the United States, different parts of Europe, Canada, Australia, New Zealand.

First, having the option to leave your home country and then choosing to move your family from one country to the next (and you get to choose which ones!) and living comfortably in your new country of choice is a ridiculously privileged thing to be able to do. I’m not saying that everyone who worldschools is affluent or living a luxurious lifestyle in another country - some are and some aren’t!

With the rising costs of housing, education and food in the Global North, some people are choosing to move abroad because it is easier financially and the quality of life is better for them. Still, being able to make a move does require a certain level of privilege, access, and ability. 

But besides having enough financial freedom, work flexibility, and the right immigration status - there are a ton of logistics involved! Booking flights, finding suitable accommodations, healthcare, education providers, kids activities - all this in a new country, every few months - is a lot to manage. It involves a ton of detailed planning, adaptability, time and stress management, and much more!

Who worldschools?  

Most families are two-parent households with one to six kids, where at least one parent works full-time remotely. What’s interesting is that there are more and more single/solo parents with more than one kid doing it as well! On average, worldschooling children tend to be under 12 years old. That being said, there are plenty of families with tweens and teens who worldschool. But it can be challenging to worldschool with teens as they usually want their independence and prefer spending time with friends (and don’t enjoy moving around as much and having to make new friends all over again).

Is the worldschooling community diverse?

On the surface, worldschooling communities appear very cis, heternormative, able-bodied, neurotypical, and white. I think most families do fall within this demographic, however, some people don’t. There are people of colour, single/solo moms, queer, trans, neurodivergent people (or parents with neurodivergent children) who have formed groups and founded online communities to share information, resources, and hacks. I’ve noticed that people don’t necessarily “out” themselves on public platforms but when they do - the reception is usually more positive and helpful than not.

I will be honest about the fact that I haven’t found much information about accessible worldschooling for people who are deaf, blind, cane or wheelchair users. To me, this speaks to the reality that travel continues to be very inaccessible for some people (and it’s also not a priority for able-bodied people because it doesn’t affect them…until they become disabled).

How do you manage work and kids?

Most people are honest about the challenges of travelling semi-permanently with kids, without family connections or friends to rely on when needed. It can be really hard, lonely, and frustrating but the tradeoff is more time to explore, travel, and work flexibility.

I was curious about how people manage their day-to-day. What I found was that tasks are usually split between two parents, where one person works while the other takes care of the kids, they take turns, or they do it together. Some single/solo parent families travel together in hubs, have roommates, or hire extra help. 

The majority of parents homeschool or unschool their children, while others do online school. Some children do online school for core subjects and then participate in local programs or worldschooling hubs. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach, but managing your child’s educational needs and making sure their learning needs are met can be challenging, especially with more than one child.

How do you manage with disabled, sick, or neurodivergent children (or if you are a sick, disabled, neurodivergent person)?

I was curious to know how people who are sick, neurodivergent, or disabled do it. So far, I’ve found that more thought and planning needs to be done in deciding where to live (and for how long), what to do, where to go, and what to eat. It also means that some cities, countries or regions will be a better fit than others. There are more things to consider because visiting for a week or two is very different than staying for a few months.

And finally….is worldschooling for you?

Worldschooling can be an amazing experience for some families—living in a new country, new culture, and getting to experience so many new sights and smells can be a really enriching experience! Besides the pure adventure of it all, it can also build important life skills for adults and children alike. Worldschooling is also not for everyone—not everyone can handle living far away from friends, family, and the familiar for long periods of time. 

I’m not convinced it would be the right fit for my son for various reasons. I also have many questions about the presence and impact of digital nomads on local communities and economies. I am very familiar with expats touting all the benefits of their presence - how they’ve helped revitalize neighbourhoods, employed people, and contributed to various initiatives, and made the city “safer” (all things I’ve heard). But I do think impacts are more complex in countries where there’s a significant wealth gap between expats and locals. It’s also a question that can only be fairly answered by those most affected - not by expats or worldschoolers.

How do you get started?

For anyone interested in worldschooling:

• Start by doing preliminary research on what places would work best for your family based on your specific situation, needs, and interests.

• Connect with worldschoolers, follow them on social media and ask questions.

• Most worldschoolers would tell you - stop mulling the idea over in your head and just DO IT.

• Try spending a month or so living in one location with your family. This could give you a taste of what it might (or could be like). You might realize that it’s right for your family or not. But either way, make a move and see!