Third Culture Kids and the Power of Experiences Beyond the Classroom
How JUMP! Experiences Help Global Learners Build Identity, Connection, and Belonging
This season, JUMP! partnered with Stamford American International School Singapore and other leading international schools across Southeast Asia to co-design experiential programs that bring learning to life, connecting students with local communities, cultures, and the natural world.
For many students, especially Third Culture Kids (TCKs) who grow up between multiple cultures, these experiences become much more than field trips. They are opportunities to explore identity, practice leadership, and find belonging in the places they temporarily call home.
Understanding Third Culture Kids
Coined by sociologist Ruth Hill Useem and later developed by David Pollock and Ruth Van Reken, the term Third Culture Kids refers to children who spend their formative years outside their parents’ home culture. They often develop strong adaptability, empathy, and cultural awareness, yet may also experience feelings of rootlessness or disconnection.
JUMP! Experiences are designed to help these students make sense of their multicultural lives by grounding learning in real, human connection, through storytelling, service, and shared exploration.
Connecting Learning with Culture
Across Southeast Asia, JUMP! Experiences have worked alongside schools to integrate meaningful learning journeys into the academic calendar from sustainability-focused expeditions in Thailand and heritage exploration in Indonesia, to service learning projects in Vietnam and Malaysia.
During Stamford’s Curriculum Week, JUMP! collaborated with educators to align activities directly with subject areas, allowing students to experience how academic concepts link to culture, community, and environment.
As Shannon Fox, JUMP! Program Director, shared:
“When students connect what they learn with the local culture, they start seeing themselves not just as global citizens… but as part of something larger than themselves.”
The Transformative Power of Experiential Learning
Through hands-on learning, reflection, and collaboration, JUMP! Experiences help students build confidence, resilience, and leadership. Each journey is designed to cultivate the social-emotional and intercultural competencies essential for success in today’s interconnected world.
For Third Culture Kids, these experiences offer something rare. A space to belong, to bridge worlds, and to understand that identity is not tied to one place, but shaped by every place they touch.
Closing Reflection
In a fast-changing world, international schools play a vital role in helping globally mobile youth find purpose and connection. JUMP! Experiences empowers schools to transform learning beyond the classroom — nurturing leaders who are compassionate, adaptable, and deeply rooted in understanding of self and others.
Explore how JUMP! Experiences can help your students connect global learning with local impact.
Take a look at: JUMP Experiences Catalog