Karyn's children at the Jardín Botánico in Puerto Rico
It was zoologist Jack Hanna who said: “the world is the true classroom” – and we couldn’t agree more. Whether sampling beignets in New Orleans or exploring ruins in Sicily, there is no better learning experience than seeing the world. This mentality is gospel for Karyn Pavich, a native New Yorker and mom of three who participates in “worldschooling.”
Worldschooling is an educational movement that empowers families to travel globally, with community and educational resources to support homeschooled children.
“As worldschoolers, we view the world as a giant classroom that is full of learning opportunities,” said Karyn, who has been worldschooling her “trio of tweens” for several years.
“Curiosity guides us to unexpected places, fostering growth moments wherever we go,” Karyn added.
Karyn's children at Playa la Chiva, Vieques Island, Puerto Rico
Worldschooling as a concept varies from family to family. It may entail a group of families traveling together and hiring a teacher for a period of time. It can also entail an organized meetup of homeschooled families in a certain location, allowing the kids to play together and the parents to connect. There are also formal programs, similar to summer camps, geared toward homeschooled children traveling with their families.
“Some folks stay for a week or a month during the school year, but have a home base like us [in NYC],” explained Karyn. “Some take a gap year and travel continuously; others sell everything and travel with no end in sight.”
Karyn connects with members of the worldschooling community in a variety of ways, including Facebook groups.
“I just put the word out, like, ‘hey, I have kids aged eight and ten. I'm going to this place. Who's coming with us?’” Karyn said.
The path to worldschooling
Karyn's children on the NYC subway
Karyn’s journey with worldschooling began during Covid-19, when she formed a ‘pod’ to social distance with a core group limited to five other families in NYC.
“We rented a church three days a week, and would do activities for the kids while they all learned online. It was such a nice community,” she said.
When the kids went back to school in-person, Karyn felt they needed more resources and enrichment, which prompted her to consider homeschooling. Once she set them up with homeschooling, she and her family planned a trip to Puerto Rico.
“I went right to the library,” Karyn explained. “I took out all the books about Puerto Rico, about the naval occupation, the colonization and everything. The kids and I learned all the history.”
In addition to research, Karyn weaved educational experiences into the kids' homeschooling, pre-trip.
She reminisced on their experiences in New York City prior to their Puerto Rico trip, explaining that they did everything from visiting the Three Kings Parade in NYC to see a traditional dance performance to checking out post-Hurricane Maria art on display at the Whitney. They went to the American Museum of Natural History exhibit on bioluminescence where they mentioned Mosquito Bay in Vieques. Karyn and her family kayaked in Vieques the following week.
Karyn’s family fell in love with Puerto Rico and decided to return the next year — this time for a month.
“I like slow travel,” Karyn said. “Staying for longer periods of time means you get to meet people and really immerse yourself in a place. That’s where worldschooling comes in.”
Learning as a family
Karyn and her family at Playa Tamarindo, Culebra Island, Puerto Rico
Karyn’s family’s worldschooling adventures have taken her to France, Croatia, Italy, Portugal and beyond.
“I love worldschooling because I'm learning alongside my kids, which is the most amazing gift,” Karyn said. “I’m learning things I never would have, about all these amazing places and people. Why would you go to school when you can travel?”
Karyn’s longest and most recent trip was a three-month “European odyssey” spanning five countries. In Croatia, Karyn’s family met up with other homeschooled families and explored the country.
They visited Zagreb to see the world-famous Croatian National Football team, the Zagreb 80’s Museum, the chocolate museum, the archeological museum and the Tesla museum. On our drive north, they stopped for a hike around Plitvice Lakes National Park followed by dinner at an actual farm, where they learned how they've been harvesting salt since Roman times.
Karyn has already planned a trip to Croatia for three months this summer, where her children will participate in a formal program in Hvar. During the program, they’ll study art, folk music and dance, participate in the local harvest and learn about marine biology (the best way possible: by swimming in the ocean).
Worldschooling as a travel advisor
Karyn's children at the New York Botanical Garden
Karyn’s travels have enriched her work as a travel advisor (and vice versa).
Karyn became a Fora Advisor in 2022, and has since become a Pro advisor, booking trips from Morocco to Mexico.
“I like to help people have a better vacation,” she said. “My travel experiences have taught me so much about the best practices and better ways to do things.”
Karyn specializes in accessible travel, group travel and (you guessed it) educational family travel.
“My clients are mostly families who want to go on vacation, but they want to kick it up a notch,” Karyn explained. “They don't want to just sit in a hotel; they want an itinerary of cool stuff to do. And I think that that's where I differentiate myself, and where my experience [worldschooling] ties into being a travel advisor. I can recommend off-the-beaten-path, education opportunities and fun, cool things to do with your family that you wouldn't necessarily do otherwise.”
Karyn has planned a variety of educational trips, from Venice (including a family rowing class at sunset) to London (including “mudlarking” along the Thames River).
“You can go out and dig in the mud to find tons of artifacts, like coins and jewelry, of yester-year. It’s very cool,” she added.
Karyn says many of her clients reach out to her via social media, many of whom are apprehensive about taking their first international trip with kids.
“People see me traveling and are like, ‘oh my gosh, you do all this with your kids?’” Karyn explained. “I give them tips and show them that traveling all over the world with kids is doable. And I can help.”
An ongoing journey
Karyn's children viewing Puerto Rican art at The Whitney
Karyn hopes to continue to worldschool her children, and find more hubs to connect with other families. She also hopes to share the benefits of worldschooling with her community.
“One of my goals as a travel advisor is to help families embrace collaborative learning journeys, working within whatever timeframe or budget they may have,” Karyn said.
Giving back to the places she visits is a recurring theme in her family’s studies – one that she also hopes to continue.
“When we visit Puerto Rico, for instance, we take homeless puppies on the plane home with us, getting them one step closer to their forever homes,” she said.
Above all else, Karyn’s passion for worldschooling is about empowering her children.
“I want them to be able to understand that there are other places out there,” Karyn said. “I need to show my kids the world.”
