After spending time with worldschooling communities in Italy, Costa Rica, and Greece, we realized something was missing for our family. Our daughter made wonderful friends — then the month ended. She joined incredible programs — then everyone moved on.

The experiences were genuinely valuable, but the friendships were temporary and the pace was often too fast. When she asked to return home early, we stopped searching for existing programs and started asking a different question:

The Best Semester was founded by Dr. Jill White, entrepreneur, pharmacist, homeschool parent, and member of a full-time traveling family.

After years of building businesses, leading programs, and traveling with her own family, Jill set out to create the learning community she wished existed for her daughter. As both a scientist and entrepreneur, she wanted an experience that valued strong academics while developing critical thinking, curiosity, independence, and the ability to engage thoughtfully with the world beyond a textbook.

The Best Semester is the result of that vision. It was built intentionally to combine meaningful academics, real-world learning, and a consistent community of peers in an international setting.

Perhaps most importantly, Jill's own daughter will be part of the cohort.

The program is backed by a founder with an established professional career, a public track record, and a long-term commitment to the families who choose to join the journey. This program was created intentionally, transparently, and with a vision that extends well beyond a single semester.

This community isn't a travel camp, a gap year, or a 2-week drop-in hub. It's a thoughtfully structured semester program built around three principles that set it apart from anything we have found.

The inaugural semester runs from January 25 through May 21, 2027. Two world-class cities. Seven weeks each. A carefully designed transition period in between. Every stop chosen to bring our educational themes to life in the most vivid way possible.

Buenos Aires and Vienna aren't random choices. Each city was intentionally selected because it brings our semester themes to life in a way no textbook can replicate. Students will explore the following themes through coursework, field experiences, and independent inquiry.

Tuition for the Spring 2027 semester (January 25 - May 21, 2027) is $8,200 per student with a sibling discount available. Tuition is divided into four payments.

Reserve your teen's place in the cohort. This deposit is fully refundable until the cohort reaches the minimum enrollment of nine students.

Due at the time the cohort reaches the minimum enrollment of 9 students. At this point, the original deposit becomes non-refundable and both are applied toward tuition. The cohort will be confirmed no later than November 15, 2026. If minimum enrollment is not reached by November 15, 2026, all Founding Student Deposits will be refunded in full and the Spring Cohort will be canceled.

Due by January 29, 2027. After Welcome Week, once families have arrived, met the educator, and connected with the cohort.

Due by March 5, 2027.

We recognize that joining a founding cohort requires trust. This payment structure allows families to reserve their place while limiting upfront financial risk. A significant portion of tuition is not due until after the program has been confirmed, with families have had the opportunity to experience the community firsthand before the final payments.

For families who prefer a simpler payment option, tuition may also be paid in full at the time of enrollment for $7,800.

We're inviting a small founding cohort of families to be a part of the community we built for our own teen.

Congrats! Send us an email at info@thebestsemester.com and let us know. We'll schedule a Zoom call to learn more about your family, answer your questions, discuss the academic and community experience, and determine whether The Best Semester and your family are a good fit.

This is an international learning community but not a school. Families remain responsible for ensuring compliance with any homeschooling or educational requirements in their home jurisdiction. We provide a structured academic experience, dedicated educator, and semester-long learning framework. The Lead Educator will provide a detailed week-to-week learning plan for your home records.

The founding cohort is designed for teens ages 13-17.

Possibly. If a student has an older sibling participating in the program, we may consider a younger sibling on a case-by-case basis. Because the program is designed for teens ages 13-17, acceptance for younger students cannot be guaranteed.

Our goal is a small academic cohort of approximately 9-12 students. We believe a smaller group allows for more individualized attention.

Yes! One of the core principles behind this program is maintaining a consistent peer group throughout the semester so friendships have time to develop and deepen.

*Due to a large response of families with 10-12 year olds we have opened a waitlist for a tween cohort. The tweens would have their own group and their own educator. We would all be in the same location and share a community but all academics would be separated for the 2 groups. Please express your interest on the form to help us understand if the demand warrants a group. All the details you see here for the teens would apply to the tweens (academics, educator, tuition, dates etc).

The Spring 2027 semester runs from January 25 through May 21, 2027.

The semester includes:

Students receive approximately 14 weeks of instruction within a 17-week semester experience.

Welcome Week takes place before formal instruction begins. Families have time to settle into their new city, explore the neighborhood, meet other families, and begin building the relationships that will shape the semester. We will have multiple community activities planned for the week.

The Spring 2027 semester includes two primary locations:

Students will spend approximately eight weeks in each location with seven of those being academic. A transition period between cities is also included.

The transition period gives families time to relocate between cities, travel independently, visit family, or explore new destinations before rejoining the cohort. The educator also uses this time for planning and preparation before the next phase of the semester begins.

Students will participate in four drop-off, educator-led learning days each week (Monday-Thursday). Times are still being finalized but will not be less than six hours per learning day. Learning days will include academics, discussions, and field experiences connected to the educational themes of the semester.

Friday serves as an educator planning day and a flexible day for families to explore independently or participate in optional community activities.

No. Our intention is for The Best Semester to serve as a student's full educational experience during the semester rather than something families need to layer on top of an existing academic program.

Students will participate in educator-led learning, individualized mathematics, reading, writing, discussion, research, field experiences, and inquiry-based learning connected to the themes of the semester.

Families are always welcome to supplement the experience if they choose, but maintaining a separate curriculum is not required.

Students will learn together as a cohort whenever possible. While the themes and discussions may be shared, expectations, assignments, and outputs will be adjusted based on age, experience, and readiness.

We are currently recruiting a dedicated educator who is passionate about meaningful learning, international living, and working with teens. This is a multi-step process that includes interviews, reference checks, and background screening.

Families who reserve a place in the Spring 2027 Founding Cohort early will receive behind-the-scenes updates as the semester comes together.

As we move through the planning process, founding families may have opportunities to meet educator finalists, ask questions, and provide feedback on key aspects of the experience. While final decisions remain with The Best Semester team, we believe the strongest communities are built with families, not simply for them.

The Spring 2027 cohort will be confirmed as soon as minimum enrollment of 9 students is reached and no later than November 15, 2026.

If minimum enrollment is not reached by November 15, 2026, all deposits will be refunded in full.

Tuition covers the educational program itself, including the lead educator's compensation, a private learning space, group and individual curriculum, learning resources, projects, all required museum and historical site entrance fees and access to community activities throughout the semester.

Housing, transportation, flights, food, visas, insurance, and other personal expenses including a laptop are not included.

We recognize that $8,200 is a meaningful investment for most families, which is one reason tuition is spread across multiple payments throughout the semester.

As we evaluated worldschooling options for our daughter, we found that many programs charge several hundred dollars per week while offering only a few hours of instruction, without a qualified educator, often with no classroom or academics, and as short-term experiences.

The Best Semester provides approximately 14 weeks of educator-led learning (over 330 educator-led hours), a private learning environment in two international cities, curriculum and learning resources, projects, field experiences, and a consistent peer community throughout the semester.

Yes we offer a sibling discount of $500 off tuition. First teen: $8200, second teen: $7700. The deposit and payment schedule remains the same except the final payment is $1500.

Yes. We have a limited number of Community Member spaces for families who would like to participate in The Best Semester community while maintaining their own educational path. Community Members may participate in Welcome Week activities, all community gatherings, select museum days, historical sites, and other designated group experiences throughout the semester; certain activities that are closely tied to the academic program may be reserved for academic students.

Community Members do not have access to the academic program, educator-led instruction, curriculum, learning resources, learning environment, or drop-off program days. They must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all activities and are responsible for their own admission fees for paid attractions and experiences.

Enrollment for Community Members is $2000 per teen with a deposit of $1000 due at time of enrollment (fully refundable until the cohort is confirmed) and the other half due November 15, 2026. If you would like to secure a Community Member spot, please email us at info@thebestsemester.com to express interest and set up a Zoom call.

Families are responsible for arranging and paying for their own housing. We will provide guidance regarding neighborhoods and areas that support the community experience and daily program participation.

No, families are free to choose accommodations that best fit their needs and budget. We will provide recommended neighborhoods so students can easily participate in the program and families can remain connected to the community.

Younger siblings are welcome to participate in community events and family activities when appropriate. Because the program is designed specifically for teens, younger children are not able to attend the regular program days. (Note: we are exploring a tween cohort).

Parent participation is not required. That said, we hope parents will occasionally join the group for museum visits, historical sites, special activities, or field experiences when additional adult support is helpful.

We also believe teens benefit from seeing their parents take an interest in what they are learning. Those shared experiences often lead to deeper conversations and stronger engagement outside the classroom.

Of course. Students will bring their own lunch each day, allowing families to manage dietary needs according to their preferences.

Necessary medications may be provided in their original prescription containers. We also have allergies within our own family and understand the importance of creating a safe environment for every student.

A full supply list will be provided before the semester. Students will need a laptop or tablet for the math program (cell phones will not be sufficient).

No, we are already planning a second semester, Cohort 2, for Fall 2027. Each semester will be intentionally designed to stand on its own while following the same core philosophy of meaningful academics, international living, and lasting friendships.

Absolutely! We would love to welcome returning families semester after semester whenever schedules and locations align.

We intentionally designed The Best Semester around independent semesters rather than requiring a full-year commitment. Similar to a university model, each semester stands on its own while providing core academic instruction in mathematics, English, humanities, and science. Families may participate in a single semester or continue into future semesters as additional locations and experiences are offered.

You can email us at info@thebestsemester.com and/or we can schedule a Zoom call to discuss your family's questions and determine whether The Best Semester is the right fit.