UWCSEA’s Centre for International Education hosted an exciting and relevant weekend workshop in September with Diana Smit and Dr Lisa Pittman, authors of
Expat Teens Talk. Diana and Lisa ran the sessions along with other guest presenters including some of the biggest names in the field of ‘expatriate children’ or ‘Third Culture Kids (TCK).’ Some of the presenters joined the workshop via Skype while others flew in to Singapore join in the discussion.
Each of the sessions delivered researched thoughts and recommendations on this hot topic, accompanied by fervent discussion between the participants and presenters. The workshops covered a variety of areas relevant to TCK including sessions on When Expat Kids Transition for College/University: What are the unique challenges and how to cope with them; Going From One International Assignment to the Next International Assignment; The challenges that teens are faced with when growing up as Expats; Why do some kids thrive while others struggle?; How does being a TCK and part of an internationally mobile community either help or hinder a child’s or teen’s development?; What are the effects of a globally nomadic childhood? Can these students become true cultural bridges?; Supporting Individual and Cultural Identity for Teens in Transition; A personal account from an expatriate mother whose teenage daughter developed severe depression and bulimia; Why the Growing Cultural Complexity of Students in the Classroom Matters to Educators.
While the majority of participants were from a counselling background, those who attended from other subject areas as well as parents claimed to have benefitted from the workshop. Participants enjoyed having access to so many experts with different takes on the subject as well as such a rich variety of resources.
Two UWCSEA East parents share their perspective on the sessions below:
“I initially thought that I would only attend a session or two but ended up staying for the whole day. The sessions were informative however I've read a couple of books about TCKs & I'm one myself so the information wasn't new to me - it did serve as positive affirmation of the life we've chosen. The technology used was great in the sense of being able to have speakers from across the world but … it's also nice to have a physical presenter when you are attending physically… I'm happy I had the opportunity to attend, I think it's great that this was offered to UWCSEA parents.” -- Lydia Abbey, parent
“As a parent of two teenagers, it was a fantastic opportunity to learn more about the challenges that lie ahead after graduating from school. It was amazing to have a Skype connection and discussion with such a wide range of presenters. I found the sessions very informative and helpful for third culture parents and their kids. Thanks to Diana Smit and her team to offer this very interesting workshop about third culture kids to UWCSEA parents.” Aleid Rijks, parent
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