Miro Shares: “My Worldschooling Experience”

This  post is  written by 15 year old Miro Siegel

So, the topic of World-schooling has been a controversial one for a while now, and I would like to clear that up, (or at least attempt it) so here we go.

World-schooling is the term used to describe learning through travel, and cultural immersion, while completely omitting traditional education for real life experience.
While this seems like a sketchy idea to most, I can assure you that World-schooling is one of the more sane educational options, and I’ll tell you why.

World-schooling puts the choice into the hands of the child, while also influencing them through cultural experiences. And it works. Well. By mixing these two ideas, World-schoolers are able to soar above the rest when it comes to independence and open-mindedness.

By taking kids out of a conventional school environment where the only social interaction is with other children, World-schoolers are able to socialize with people in other age groups with ease (including people in their own age group). In life, there are many people of many different ages, so it is essential for growing humans to be able to handle this.

So how is this different than unschooling? Well, it’s pretty damn close actually, with the only difference being it takes place in multiple different locations of the world. As a World-schooler myself, I would say the key is cultural immersion. Not to view yourself as tourists, but as visiting locals, coming back home to a new culture. So think of me as an unschooler, who is simply influenced by the knowledge available in the world.

World-schoolers also have an innate sense of safety in the world, free from the blatant fear that plagues many, as we can see (with our own eyes) that it’s just not true. World-schoolers are almost always fear-free, and the fear of the unknown becomes what fuels us in our learning.

I’d like to share a few things that have inspired me in my personal experience during my travels, such as learning about Mayan mythology, Guatemalan perma-culture, Andean mysticism and U.S. political involvement in all of Central America. Now, let me say that not all of these things I have had particular interests in, but all of these things have sparked interests in other subjects and topics.

And you might say “What about math, or science?” and to that I say look around, if you don’t see the math and science around you, you might be blind. These things are always present in life, just by living in this world I am learning about science, and just by living my day to day life I am learning math. Even if it’s unintentional, the learning never stops, and never will.

I remember being on an Andean farm, with a traditional Andean family, learning about growing their own sustainable food, about killing a guinea pig, praying to the mountains over it’s body, dissecting it, cleaning the organs, preparing the meat, making Chicha (traditional corn beer), measuring the ingredients, and so on. Now, you tell me that life is broken down into subjects.

Also, make sure to read :

Why “worldschooling” and not just “unschooling”?