Innovation in education sees students study online while adventuring abroad – East Midlands Business Link

An adventurous group of Global Grad students are travelling out to South East Asia this week to spend 15 weeks combining their online study with volunteering and cultural experiences.

This is part of an exciting innovation in education created by father and daughter Georgia and Steff Wright, the CEO of Collingham based Gusto Group – of which Global Grad is a part.

Past and future Global Grad students and their parents all met up last week at an event in Gusto Group’s ‘Home of the Future’ which also functions as the headquarters of Global Grad.

An important aspect of the presentations at the meet up event was about the action Global Grad students will proactively be taking to understand the implications of the climate emergency, through enabling students to access responsible volunteering opportunities in conservation during their travels.

When asked at the event what they are most looking forward to from the experience, the Global Grads gave examples such as “understanding new cultures, meeting new people and enjoying new experiences,” “growing in confidence, improving their communication skills and decisiveness.” They also described excitement about volunteering at an elephant sanctuary during the first weeks of their Global Grad experience.

Some students who have chosen to study full online degree courses recognised what an exciting experience this will be in comparison with the experience of their friends studying more traditionally at university.

Parents said they are looking forward to their sons and daughters “having fun and getting life experience with a safety net” in combination with “the opportunity to explore their interests through online study.”

Global Grad is an exciting option for anybody aged 18 or above wanting to develop as a global citizen through travel and responsible volunteering whilst studying their chosen online courses. Current students include those taking a gap year before university; students taking full online qualifications and others who wish to work on a business idea or build a portfolio for the future.

Steff Wright emphasised that Global Grad is a viable alternative for people around the world who wish to choose a different route to gaining their education, alongside the much sought-after soft skills required in life and work.

The pre departure event combined presentations showcasing students’ past experiences of Global Grad, travel planning for the semester, student support to get the best out of online learning and an interactive Family Learning life coaching session.

The Global Grad team are happy to accommodate visits at their headquarters in Collingham from anybody interested in finding out more about the opportunity in-person by emailing [email protected]. Alternatively, information is also available on the Global Grad website at www.globalgrad.com and you can follow the progress of the students over the next 15 weeks via Instagram @globalgradhq