think global school

What think global school does

THINK Global School (TGS) is a U.S. 501(c)(3) non-profit operating the world's first traveling high school, founded in 2010 by Joann McPike and headquartered in New York (incorporated in Illinois). Students aged 15–18 attend for two to three years, living and learning in four countries per year and rotating through a cumulative 30+ country footprint. Core academic product is the Changemaker Curriculum, a project-based and place-based learning framework combining 60% teacher-led, location-tailored projects with 40% student-driven competency-based work, culminating in a WASC-accredited U.S. high school diploma with optional AP exam preparation and university counseling.

The technology stack is built around the Apple ecosystem — each student receives a MacBook Air, iPhone, and shared iPad Pro (2:1 device-to-person ratio), managed via Apple School Manager and used with native productivity and creative tools (Keynote, Pages, Numbers, iMovie, GarageBand, Logic Pro X). Supporting infrastructure includes OpenApply for admissions, HubSpot for newsletter capture, Google Analytics for web analytics, and a partnership with International SOS for medical and travel security risk across host countries. The school operates with a 4:1 student-to-teacher ratio, an average class size of 11, and faculty where 70% hold advanced degrees.

Revenue is generated primarily through a sliding-scale tuition model billed annually, with 85% of students receiving need-based financial aid, supplemented by charitable donations as a registered non-profit and foundation grants — most notably from the McPike Foundation, which funded the 2022 launch of THINK Learning Studio. The school is highly selective at a 3% acceptance rate and has graduated 212 students since 2010, maintaining a 100% graduation rate since 2015 and a 92–94% university matriculation rate. The customer base is global — current students hail from approximately 20 countries and speak 17 languages — with prospective families recruited through a multilingual digital marketing presence and selective admissions counseling.

Name

think global school

Legal name

THINK Global School, Inc.

Website

https://thinkglobalschool.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

THINK Global School is a U.S. 501(c)(3) non-profit operating the world's first traveling high school, serving students aged 15-18 through a two- to three-year program across four countries per year via its Changemaker Curriculum and WASC-accredited diploma. It generates revenue from sliding-scale tuition (with 85% receiving financial aid) and philanthropic foundation support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Secondary Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

International/Global Curriculum Schools (IB, Cambridge, etc.) (EDAJABAG)

Keywords

• Traveling high school
• International secondary education
• Project-based learning
• Global education program
• Experiential high school

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Tuition Revenue: Sliding-scale tuition model where fees adjust according to family financial capacity. The school states 'A global education is within your reach' and emphasizes financial accessibility through need-based aid. 85% of students receive financial aid.
2. Donations and Scholarships: As a U.S. 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, the school relies on charitable contributions. The Jawed Legacy Scholarship is specifically mentioned as a named scholarship program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

THINK Global School operates a four-country-per-year traveling high school where students ages 15-18 live and study abroad for two to three years while completing a WASC-accredited U.S. high school diploma. The school delivers its proprietary Changemaker Curriculum, blending experiential travel with project-based, student-led learning, supported by a 4:1 student-teacher ratio, comprehensive Apple device integration, and university preparation including AP exam readiness.

Product overview

THINK Global School is a traveling high school operating as a single, unified educational product. The core offering is the Changemaker Curriculum, an award-winning project-based learning program combined with experiential travel across four countries annually. Students receive a WASC-accredited high school diploma and can prepare for AP exams. Additional components include the InsideOut wellness program, university preparation services, social-emotional learning, and comprehensive Apple technology integration (MacBook Air, iPhone, iPad Pro). The recently launched THINK Learning Studio extends the school's methodology to educators worldwide through professional development courses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Changemaker Curriculum: The school's award-winning curriculum that combines experiential and project-based learning with rigorous academic standards.
• InsideOut
• THINK Learning Studio

Products and services

• Traveling High School Program (Changemaker Curriculum) A two-to-three year secondary education program in which students ages 15-18 live and study in four countries each year, completing a WASC-accredited U.S. high school diploma through a project-based, place-based curriculum. Designed for globally mobile, college-bound teens and their families; tuition is sliding-scale with 85% of students receiving financial aid.
• Changemaker Curriculum Award-winning project-based learning framework that blends experiential learning with place-based projects tailored to each country visited. Combines approximately 60% teacher-led projects crafted for location and 40% student-driven projects tied to competencies, delivered within the traveling high school program.
• WASC-Accredited U.S. High School Diploma Program Fully accredited U.S. high school diploma awarded by THINK Global School through the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), recognized by universities worldwide for college admission. Includes preparation for AP exams (AP Research, AP Seminar, AP English Language, AP Spanish Language, AP Statistics) and optional AP Capstone project.
• THINK Learning Studio Professional development offering for educators and schools worldwide based on the Changemaker Curriculum. Includes online professional development courses, in-person training, and customization opportunities for schools to integrate the methodology with their existing curricula.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% graduation rate since 2015
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• International SOScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTHINK Global School partners with International SOS, the worldwide leader in medical and travel security assistance, to ensure up-to-date safety research in host countries and first-class support for evacuation measures in case of emergency.
• Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)coreOthersTHINK Global School is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, ensuring graduates receive a fully accredited U.S. high school diploma recognized by universities worldwide.
• Apple Inc.coreTechnology or IntegrationTHINK Global School is recognized as an Apple Distinguished School for 2022-2025 due to innovative use of Apple technology. Every student receives MacBook Air, iPhone, and access to iPad Pro. Uses Apple School Manager for device management.
• Host Institutions and Partner OrganizationsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTHINK Global School works with local institutions and organizations in each country visited, including host families, local educational institutions, and community partners who facilitate authentic learning experiences.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• United World Colleges (UWC): Global network of international boarding schools focused on experiential, mission-driven secondary education across multiple countries. Comparable to TGS in serving globally mobile teens, emphasizing intercultural understanding, and operating across geographies.
• School Year Abroad (SYA): U.S. non-profit that sends high school students to live and study for a full academic year in countries like Italy, France, Spain, China, and Japan. Directly comparable in targeting American teens for immersive international high school experiences.
• Where There Be Dragons: Experiential education provider running multi-country student programs combining travel, cultural immersion, and place-based learning. Comparable in project-based, travel-embedded pedagogy for high-school-aged students.

Broad incumbents

• EF Academy: International boarding schools operated by EF Education First, offering high school programs across multiple campuses worldwide. Comparable international secondary target market with greater scale and broader program portfolio than TGS.
• Institut auf dem Rosenberg: Swiss premium international boarding school with a global student body and tailored, individualized learning approach. Comparable in premium positioning and personalization, though rooted in a single campus model.
• The Experiment in International Living (World Learning): Long-running intercultural exchange and experiential education organization, including high school summer and semester programs abroad. Comparable in mission-driven international education for teens.

Emerging players

• Rustic Pathways: Student travel organization offering service-learning and cultural immersion programs in many countries. Comparable in combining travel with experiential learning for high school students, though programs are shorter-duration.
• National Geographic Student Expeditions: High school travel programs tied to National Geographic's brand and content. Comparable in combining travel, place-based learning, and project work for motivated high school students.

Others

• Summit Public Schools: Network of project-based, personalized-learning public charter schools. Comparable in pedagogy (project-based, competency-based, mentor-guided) but differs as a public charter network rather than private international school.
• Outward Bound: Experiential education organization offering outdoor and expedition-based learning programs for youth. Comparable in experiential, place-based learning philosophy for teens, though less academic-diploma focused.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ThinkGlobalSchool
• Facebookfacebook.com/THINKGlobalSchool
• Instagraminstagram.com/thinkglobalschool
• TikToktiktok.com/@thinkglobalschool

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about think global school