Last updated: June 20 2025
1. A Worldschooling family for Worldschooling families
ArcticTerns has been built by a Worldschooling family for other Worldschooling families. We are operating as a non-profit and have put an incredible amount of time, effort and all our love into creating the program. Constantly juggling between our vision, the sustainability of the program, and the needs of all the participants.
We are not a travel agency, nor a service provider. We as a family are participants in the program we designed and aim to build friendships for life while enjoying all the fun activities the program has to offer. To keep this sustainable, the program needs to work for us as well. This also applies to the rest of the team who invest a lot in the program and likes to have a good time while enjoying good company and nice activities. When we say we want all the participants of the program to be able to have an amazing time, we literally mean everybody.
2. We create community
ArcticTerns was created to connect Worldschooling families. As a Worldschooling family we know how important it is to find community during our travels. Our programs are not touristic or consumer based. Every aspect of the program is designed with the purpose of creating community only: creating deep, long lasting connections. This is the core of our offering.
To make community work, an investment from every participant is needed. The more you join with the right mindset, participate and bring in positive energy, the more value of our program and the community you will experience and create for yourself and the rest of the community. We try to carefully select families who wish to put the community needs before their own personal preferences, and who will add to the positive energy of the community. We do it together, and together we create a vibe that none of us will ever forget.
3. We offer educational, connecting activities
ArcticTerns organizes self directed learning activities for all ages, aimed to create social connections, through exploration of our environment. We are not a school. What we offer are fun, educational, extracurricular activities.
All our activities are accompanied by a facilitator, who coordinates the activity and the community. Our facilitators are not teachers. We work with a (mostly young) enthusiastic, likeminded team, who joined as community members, not as staff, and who guide our program as animators.
We do not only offer a kids program, we offer a full family program, with activities for all family members. The activities are partly divided into age groups, and partly designed for the whole family to join, where we expect a parent to accompany the children.
4. A large range of activities to choose from
What we create is community. This is the core of our offering. We work hard, year round, to develop a community with likeminded international families and/or teens, where participants
can create deep, long lasting connections. All the activities we offer have been designed to build and strengthen this community.
We have created a large diversity of activities in order to offer an interesting program for our diverse community. For the community to thrive, active participation by all family members is key. The program is not designed so that all participants join all the activities, but for everybody to choose the activities that fit their family. Participation in all activities can be exhausting. It is possible when it fits your family, but then we ask you to please guard your energy.
In our program we might offer certain outside activities that come with an extra cost. We have not included these activities to keep the program accessible for people with different kinds of budgets. If you plan to participate in these outside activities, please budget accordingly.
The program does consist of certain mandatory activities. We expect all participants during the opening, the closing and during all feedback meetings. As these moments are seen as an investment in the community, we ask everybody to be there and actively participate.
5. We respect the locals
ArcticTerns gained knowledge and connections in the towns where we host our programs, which allows us to build our unique assortment of activities while always keeping the price affordable. We have built partnerships that guarantee a certain level of quality and liability, which allows us to keep the program sustainable. Therefore we will not always go with the cheapest offer, but we arrange group offers where we can.
As we build long term relationships, we have set up certain regulations for the community, to ensure the locals are being treated respectfully. As a community we treat the locals respectfully during our whole stay in the hosting country.
6. We do this together
We put our full effort into creating the program and strive to give all the participants the ingredients to build community together and have an amazing time. We try to communicate the details of our offering as clearly as possible to create realistic expectations, so every family can see if it fits them.
We expect participants to take responsibility for their own experience by immersing themselves in all information we provide, doing sufficient research about the hosting country and it’s cultural differences, and be openminded when things turn out differently than they imagined.
We do everything in our power to make your participation as pleasant as possible, and we are very willing to see where we can work together to solve any issues in a way that works for everybody. We do this always with the boundaries of the program, the best interest of the community, and the sustainability of the program in both our minds.
>>> Also see here what we expect from you and your family >>>
We organise a program in which all participants should be able to find connections and have a fun time. For this program to run smoothly certain behavior of the participants is expected. We have set up a code of conduct that we expect every participant to follow. Non compliance
with the code of conduct can lead to termination of the program for you and your family.
1. Follow instructions of the team
The team is there to organise the program in your behalf. The team members constantly juggle between the needs and the safety of all participants as well as the sustainability of the program. Any instructions or regulations given by the team are to be followed, including any instructions regarding self organized activities. Make sure also your children follow up instructions and regulations when joining the activities and during their stay in the complex. When you receive conflicting or unclear instructions from different team members, please address this to the team members involved or contact the program’s manager.
2. Treat every participant with respect
Every participant, including the team, should be able to have a good time. You are expected to treat all participants with respect and keep others’ needs into consideration. At all times show appropriate behavior that is not disturbing to other participants or the program and make sure your kids do the same. Discussions of political, religious, or other sensitive topics are not allowed. Please respect that other families might have different opinions about matters including different parenting styles. Any form of aggression, violence and threats are reason for immediate termination of the program for you and your family, without any kind of refund. Please address others when needed in a respectful way, and reach out to the team for support.
3. Treat all property respectfully
We appreciate being able to use the complex/park, the general spaces, the means of transport, the facilities of third parties, and the equipment and supplies for the activities. We have rules in place to ensure that our group causes no disturbance to the complex/park and follows local norms and safety standards. These rules need to be followed strictly. Non compliance with these rules might result in termination of the program for you and your family. You are to make sure you and your children treat all property respectfully. Make sure supplies, games etc are kept orderly. Ask permission if you want to use any materials or supplies outside of the activities. Help clean up after activities and after any other kind of use of the facilities. Keep spaces and belongings enjoyable.
4. Treat the locals with respect
We are visitors to a foreign country. Therefore we expect all participants to do their research about the country and culture in advance and set expectations accordingly. Go along with the flow when things go differently than expected and welcome differences with an open mind. Behave in an appropriate way at all time to locals and local businesses, and keep local norms and safety standards in mind. It is important that all reservations and other agreements with local businesses are met. Whether you book an activity through us or directly with the business, people are relying on you, and we expect you to meet your agreements. Respect their time, make sure to always be on time, we do not want to keep the locals waiting. Any complaints with our partners or other businesses are taken up in a respectful way. We have selected local partners that guarantee a certain level of quality and liability, and that can serve the whole group. For us to remain an interesting partner for them, all participants will respect the agreements we made with these businesses. No promotion of competitive businesses are allowed in the group.
5. Invest in the community
To make community work, an investment from every participant is needed. You are expected to give your best to the community and see where you can contribute. You participate, join activities and meet other participants. You put the shared needs of the group above your individual preferences. You put in your best effort to make it work for every person in the community, because you appreciate being part of the program and the community and you appreciate the presence of every other participant. You make it your personal responsibility to make it fun for yourself, your family, and others.
6. Mind your family and the community
It is important that all participants can feel safe and comfortable in the community and add to the safety and comfort of others. For this, it is needed that everyone cooperates with the team and other participants, and behaves in a pleasant way. Our environment is loose and participants are given lots of freedom but at the same time do have certain responsibilities. Please inform us at registration if one of your family members experiences anything that makes it hard to participate in activities or to adhere to the code of conduct, so we can see together if the program or particular activities are right for your family. Any special needs, behavioral problems or any other issues that might interfere with the harmony of the community, that are not reported at sign up, might lead to determination of the program for your family. Parents are required to make a good consideration which activities their children can attend in a safe and responsible way and if needed join the activity after consultation with the program manager. Parents remain responsible for their children and their behavior at all times.
7. Inform yourselves well
We try to provide as much information about the program as possible to make sure that participants join with realistic expectation. It is expected from all participants to read and understand all information provided before booking, and set expectations accordingly.
Usually the program is held in a country and culture that are different to what the participants are familiar with. Therefore participants are expected to do their own research about the differences, the standards, the customs, etc of the visiting country. Be open to cultural differences, appreciate that in a different country things might go different than expected, and be prepared for unexpected changes. Any issues that arise due to a lack of research, are left to the participant themselves to solve. In case the participant can not settle with the situation in a pleasurable way for everybody, the program might be cancelled or terminated for your family, without a refund option. During the program additional information will be shared during the opening, during feedback meetings and during group meetings. These meetings are mandatory and all participants are expected to participate in these meetings.
8. Use our feedback protocol
Receiving feedback is very important. Both positive and negative feedback are very welcome tools towards excellence and seen as an investment in the
community. We appreciate hearing all feedback about the program and also personal feedback between the participants is highly appreciated. We have developed certain tools and protocols to organise the feedback in a constructive way. Any feedback given will follow these tools and protocols. It is important to be actively present during the (mandatory) feedback meetings and address all your feedback in the instructed way. Consider how you can add to solve any issues, give suggestions for solutions, and accept no if the suggestion is not followed up. Use the feedback tools also to actively address your personal appreciation to the program and to other participants. Always feel welcome to take any concerns up with the programs manager. It is not allowed to use the group chat or any of the activities for this purpose, nor is it allowed to complain, criticize or gossip. Always bring in positive energy with your focus on what is instead of what is not.
9. Protect the exclusivity of the program
Our programs have developed into programs that create a large community of likeminded Worldschoolers. This, through years of experience, adjustments to the needs of the community, a careful selection of participants, and hard work year round from our end. Participation in the community is offered exclusively to people joining the program, people who seemed willing to invest in the community and give more than they take. Only this way we will be able to guard the quality and sustainability of the community we offer. All participants are expected to respect and guard the exclusive characteristic of the community. We encourage all participants to organise activities for the community, while keeping the program regulations and the exclusivity in mind. Organizing activities, or inviting participants to (outside) activities, that mingle participants with non-participants is not permitted, unless discussed with us in advance. Also any visits to the community should be discussed with us in advance. It is not allowed to invite anyone into the community, to the park or complex without our permission.
