A Directory of Worldschool hubs for nomad families and life-long learners

The life of a digital nomad can be huge fun. And if you’re wandering the world with children in tow, you’ll soon see that the excitement never ends. Always stimulating, always educational. But don’t kid yourself: it can also be unthinkably difficult at times.

Humble beginnings

Our family set off on a yearlong worldschooling quest when our kids were 3 and 6 years old. We hardly had any idea what to expect, and I’d never even heard the term “worldschool”. We just put our trust in our children’s resilience and own our parental instincts.

You can read all about our amazing worldschool adventures in these articles:

• WWOOFing With Children
• A Year Without a Principal
• Out of the Classroom and into the Wild
• Finding a Sensible School in a Non-Sensical World
• Fundamentals of Community Building

From the central coast of California, we eventually wound up in the Spanish Pyrenees, and actually enrolled our kids in a local elementary school. It’s almost two years since we settled here, so I’m not sure if we can still call ourselves worldschoolers. My wife is German and both of our California-born kids now speak fluent Catalan, so whatever you call what we’re doing, it definitely has an international flavor to it.

Illustrious visions

Part of what convinced us to settle down here in this remote mountain village was the fantastic school that our kids attend. It’s a very free and democratic schooling model, influenced by Montessori, Reggio Emilia, and the theory of multiple intelligences. (See also, Class Action: 11 Models of Alternative Education.)

And now we’ve come to enjoy the area and the local community so much, that we are working to establish a secondary school that follows the same philosophy as their primary school. Not only that, we want to open the school to worldschool families as well.

We know that when you’re living nomadically, you sometimes need a place to stop over and slow down. And wouldn’t it be perfect if you could do that in a place where you could also connect with other like-minded families and give your children a chance to engage and participate with a larger community of self-directed learners?

I’ve written more about our vision here, The Future of Education: Location-Independent Schooling, and I’ve been a bit overwhelmed by the positive and supportive response to the article. As I continue to write and speak with more and more worldschool families, two things have become very clear.

First, there is an enormous demand for an alternative schooling system that has adapted to the modern world and recognizes the value of active creativity and innovation over the passive absorption of facts. And secondly, thousands of families are now living the digital nomad lifestyle and seeking similar communities where they can drop in for a short stay and take part in some slightly larger and more structured worldschooling activities.

Not surprisingly, I wasn’t the first one to have this idea. But because our family believes it’s so important and that it’s something we want to be a part of—as parents, travelers, and life-long learners—we decided it was necessary to put together this directory. And we’ll be adding to it as we go, so please notify us in the comments if you know of a worldschooling hub or community that we overlooked.

The Directory of Worldschool Hubs and Communities

Organized by continent. All communities are linked to their websites where you can find additional details and contact info. In most cases, the school descriptions below are taken directly from their websites, with minor editing.

Europe

Worldschooling Andalusia

Launched in September 2017, in southern Spain, to provide a space for our kids to meet, create, explore and adventure, learn and play with likeminded friends from all over the world and parents need to exhale, rest, catch up on work and meet up with other families of like-minds. Offering a selection of workshops, classes, cultural adventures and regular meet ups all over the region.

Cost: 30€/year membership.

Porto Grana Worldschool Hub

We created Porto Grana Worldschoolers Hub in order to cater to the special needs of homeschooled kids and their families who follow a nomadic lifestyle by roadschooling and worldschooling. We offer a place to nurture the innate curiosity of all children who enjoy learning through traveling. This is a studio space which is available for recreational purposes with free wifi access, library, basic gym equipment, musical instruments, audiovisual lab, mini cinema and free bicycle rentals.

The space is available exclusively for worldschoolers and homeschooling/ unschooling families on the road.

CADÍ Community for Real Life Learning

This is a work in progress in the Spanish Pyrenees. We are actively involved in this project. I have written a number of articles about our concept and vision, which includes a democratic type school for local children attending full-time, along with opportunities for worldschoolers to visit and participate in ongoing programs and activities.

Status: Guest accommodations are available, but plans for the school are still coming together. I will continue to post regular updates as we move forward.

A Cielo Aperto

A community in the making in southern Italy. A place for like-minded families to come together in a supportive environment for free-learning and unschooling. They are currently accepting applications. (Website is all in German.)

Mitananda H.O.F.

In the gorgeous rolling hills of the Styria region in Austria, this family is on the forefront of the unschooling / Freilerner movement in central Europe. They periodically host workshops, language immersion courses and other gatherings. They also have guest accommodations for two families. Check their website for upcoming events and availability.

Unter den Kiwis

“Under the Kiwis” is the brainchild of a German-speaking family based in Portugal, offering a piece of rural paradise for digital nomads, worldschoolers, and travelers of all types. They embrace the free learner lifestyle and believe in living life to the fullest. The have guest accommodations for short-term visits and long-term stays.

Cost: Guest rooms starting at 30€/night.

Tribodar

An up-and-coming eco-village community near Nisa, Portalegre, in Portugal. They invite unschoolers and home schoolers to join them in an intentional community that centers around permaculture gardening, music, yoga, meditation and living freely. Guests and volunteers are invited to participate in ongoing workshops and events.

Die Lernwerkstatt Berlin

The Learning Workshop is an inter-age learning venue for learners in school, out of school or beside the school. Courses and communal workspaces cater to those who are keen to pursue their own interests while interacting with others to exchange knowledge and ideas. Support comes in the form of voluntary membership fees, starting at 5 euros a month.

North America

Manitoulin Worldschooling Community

Based outside of Toronto, Canada, and hosting travelers and volunteers during the warmer months. They have formed a stable group of regulars over the past 6 years. With a learning environment friendly to unschoolers, the ad hoc community emphasizes harmony with nature and stewardship of the earth. The also offer a huge variety of outdoor sports and recreation activities for the whole family.

Contact info: ManitoulinWorldschooling@gmail.com

Cost: $400 a month includes lodging (tents and trailers) and communal dinners. Sliding scale applies to volunteers who contribute to the community.

Camp Stomping Ground

Summer camp programs in the Catskill Mountains outside of Binghamton New York for free thinking and radically empathetic children. Their philosophy of non-violent communication not only resolves but even embraces conflict through restorative practices.

Latin America

Abraxas Fun

Beyondschool in San José Tzal, 12 miles from Mérida, Mexico, on the Yucatan Peninsula. Families from all around the world are welcome to be together with other worldschoolers to have company for your children and yourself from the very first day of your stay at the place in Mexico.

Actively seeking members and participants for the pilot program, launching in May 2019 and running through April 2020. A long list of academic, cultural and playful activities are planned, but details are still evolving.

Cost: Make an offer!

Anahata Worldschooling

Experiencing the world through a community focused environment, in the Yucatan, Mexico.

Inviting families to join this inclusive community which values intentional living, cultural exchange, exploration, and adventure. Hosted June through August, this is the perfect opportunity to learn Spanish and immerse in the Maya culture. Living in Ek Balam for 1-3 months at a time, you will find time to nurture and nourish with a slowed pace and few modern distractions in this small and quaint rural village.

The community is open to people from all walks of life: first time travelers, experienced explorers, single parents, or digital nomads.

Sembrando Vida Eco-Village

A visionary group of four adults, one child and one dog, in the initial phases of establishing an international eco-village that is a healing sanctuary and learning center for ourselves and others.  We intend to co-exist, harmoniously and co-operatively with kindred spirits, nature, (the elements, spirits and our cosmic relatives.)  Our foundation is based on the four pillars of community, spirituality, environment and education.

Currently offering undeveloped lots for sale, starting at $15,000.

Altos Eco Village

Welcome to Altos Eco Village, our stunning farm estate near Colonia del Sacramento in the rolling hills of Uruguay. Our 12 rooms range from single rooms to family rooms and all have private bathrooms. Set on 5 hectares of land, our farm features big communal kitchen, games room, fireplace, solar water heating, a football field, children’s play area, a swimming pool (from October to April), and a lot of animals. We are a fun-loving Australian family of 7 who run this place to host other families, couples, groups, and solo travellers to escape from the busy life and enjoy the outdoors with us. We speak English and Spanish and love to share stories and experiences with others travellers.

Cost: For example, a room for a family with three children, the price would be US$ 367 per week or US$ 1050 per month. This includes breakfast daily, wifi, well equipped common kitchen, access to large common room, sun room with toys and library, gym and yoga room, kids playground, football field BBQ area etc. We also have two pools which operate through the summer months.

Devela World School

Based in Guanajuato, Mexico, with a special theatrical event taking place for Dia de los Muertos. During the two month preparatory period leading up to our annual Dia de los Muertos (Halloween) event, we offer a comprehensive schedule of classes including art, music, theater, language, and math classes that constitutes a seasonal world school academy focused on learning through the arts. Students can participate in one or many classes based on their interests and schedules.

Sign up early for classes, they are very affordable.

Asia

Green School Bali

Operating since 2008, the Green School has drawn worldwide attention for its innovative methods and curriculum. Rather than a worldschool hub, this is a full-time private school, but it is of great interest to many worldschool families.

The school’s primary goal is to train future leaders in global citizenship. The curriculum places a strong emphasis on environmental science, entrepreneurship, arts and ethics. Equally important to academics, students come to value the virtues of responsibility, integrity, sustainability, equality and community.

Cost: $6,280 – $13,630 per year.

Lombok Learning Village

A lot of worldschoolers are talking about this learning village, but it’s not clear whether the school is open to short-term students and visitors. It sounds wonderful though. The following description comes from their Facebook page:

Lombok Learning Village is an innovative school model designed specifically to accommodate the unique needs and wants of children, adolescents, and adults living and learning on a small tropical island in Indonesia.

We provide learners with a holistic education which places equal importance on academics, skills, values, and wisdom- with an emphasis on instilling a respect for nature and an appreciation of all beliefs, cultures, and faiths.

Lombok Learning Village strives to provide a safe yet challenging environment which offers opportunities to explore, experiment, create, discover, practice, and reflect. Through positive engagement we strive for living and learning excellence.

Location-Independent

Project World School

Teens and young adults are invited to participate in Project World School‘s immersive learning events around the world. Designed for homeschoolers, unschoolers and democratic learners alike, we offer immersive multi-day retreats formed as Temporary Learning Communities. Each retreat utilizes the enigmatic landscape of our host country as the canvas for exploration and discovery.

Each retreat focuses on specific themes related to each of our host countries. Our learning communities merge immersive hands on experiences with personal and social development focusing on global citizenship, cultural sensitivity and developing relationships through exploring ethics and conflict resolution.

The World School

A location-independent nature-based democratic school, inspired by Forest Schools, Reggio-Emilia, and free-democratic schools. (See, Class Action: 11 Models of Alternative Education.) We don’t have a building, we don’t have classrooms, we don’t have walls.  Our classes are outdoors and our students can be anywhere in the world!

We support traveling families in two ways: With a network of pre-selected local schools that accept traveling students, and with traveling teachers that offer year-long, individual trimesters, and short-term programs in various locations worldwide.

Cost: tuition starts at $500 USD/ month.

Be Wild and Free

They describe themselves as an emerging group of mothers and homeschoolers who want their children to not only receive a quality education, but also to experience the adventure, freedom, and wonder of childhood. They’re mostly a homeschooling community, but they have inspiring meet-ups and support resources for moms.

Festivals and Meet-ups

Schulfreifestival

The German Free School festival takes place every September, this year in Damelack, near Breddin, Brandenburg, from Sept. 5-9.

Cost: Tickets for the 4-day event are available in advance, adults 45€ / children 25€.

European Unschooling Conference

Spring 2020 in the Netherlands. Details forthcoming.

Life is Good Unschooling Conference

May 21-25, 2020 at the Heathman Lodge in Vancouver, Washington, USA.

I hope this directory proves useful. Please let us know in the comments if there are any great worldschool hubs or communities that we’ve overlooked.