The largest educational research study ever conducted, synthesizing data from over 50,000 studies and millions of students worldwide, revealed that mobility is the single factor with the most negative impact on a child's education. (Hattie, J., 2009) Changing schools disrupts learning so severely that newly relocated students are often unable to listen and process information as effectively until their emotional state regulates. Despite how frequently international families relocate, parents and guardians often struggle to know how to support a child through a major international move or even a local transition between schools. (Schore, A.N., 2000; 2009) Parents may underestimate the emotional strain, keep relocation plans secret to prevent early worrying, or rely on bribes and deceptive distractions to ease the pain of leaving.
At Munich International School (MIS), students are empowered to create a meaningful impact and discover what truly inspires them. Frequently, MIS students turn their own life experiences into actionable support that makes another student's journey easier, smoother, and more comforting. For Grade 10 student Chiara, transforming her personal history as a Third Culture Kid (TCK) into a practical resource for younger children became the driving focus of her International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme (MYP) Personal Project.
The IB MYP Grade 10 Personal Project serves as a major curriculum milestone completed during the final year of the Middle Years Programme. It offers students an extended independent opportunity to consolidate their learning and develop crucial skills required for further education and lifelong success. The project formally evaluates students' Approaches to Learning (ATL) skills across self-management, research, communication, critical and creative thinking, and collaboration. Rather than relying solely on traditional testing, every Personal Project is built around a documented process of research and planning, a tangible or intangible product or outcome, and a structured reflective report evaluating the project's impact. The final report is assessed locally by school supervisors and externally moderated by the IB to ensure a globally consistent standard of academic excellence.
Chiara anchored her project in a vivid childhood memory from when her family moved from Cairo, Egypt, where she attended Cairo American College. In fourth grade, she received a student transition workbook that left a lasting impression and remained in her personal keepsakes across every subsequent move. For her Personal Project product, Chiara adapted and modernized that concept using Canva to design an interactive transition journal specifically tailored for primary school students in Grades 1 through 5. The journal is hosted by a friendly wildcat mascot named Wolly, who guides young children through emotional check-ins where they can circle their feelings, record special memories, design their new bedroom layout, map out their new school, and complete weekly planner charts to establish new daily routines. Chiara also included an introductory letter and guided prompts for parents to encourage families to complete the activities together. As Chiara explains, the journal provides holistic guidance from one home to the next by helping children explore how their new school looks, how to make new friends, and how to let go of their old environment.
Chiara's preparation went far beyond personal reflection, incorporating formal research into relocation grief, library literature, and interviews with parents of TCKs regarding how different age groups handle mobility. Through her research and lived experience, Chiara observed that older siblings often carry a heavier emotional weight during relocation because friendships become increasingly central to their identity. Reflecting on her move to Germany, Chiara noted that older children form closer bonds and realize how difficult it is to let go, sharing that the hardest part was leaving her friends behind and watching their lives continue from afar without her. Her primary message to parents navigating a move centers on open communication and continuous check-ins, emphasizing that relocating is mentally and emotionally challenging for students of any age.
Allowing children to experience a genuine, proper goodbye is essential for emotional closure and healthy adaptation. Chiara offers words of encouragement, describing transition as “a continuous process where students should never give up, maintain open communication with loved ones and contact with pets, stay connected with old friends, and actively pursue familiar hobbies or local clubs to build new community connections”.
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