Third Culture Kids (TCK's)
RNG International Educational Consultants LLC
has worked with students in all of the countries
shown in dark blue and more!
"A Third Culture Kid (TCK) is a person who has spent a significant part of his or her developmental years outside the parents’ culture. The TCK builds relationships to all of the cultures, while not having full ownership in any. Although elements from each culture are assimilated into the TCK’s life experience, a sense of belonging is in relationship to others of similar background."
-David Pollack and Ruth Van Reken, authors of The Third Culture Kid Experience: Growing Up Among Worlds.
These are the questions we ask kids when talking to them about their backgrounds as a TCK.
- Are you someone who has moved a lot?
- Are you living in a country outside of what your passport says you are?
- Do you think or know that someday you’ll be going back to your home country?
- Where is home? Do you have an answer for this, or does it depend on who does the asking?
Many TCKs have positive attributes such as:
- Resilience - ability to bounce back quickly
- Flexibility - can get used to new situations
- Appreciation for cultural differences and diversity
- Ability to make friends easily
- A 3-Dimensional view of the world
- Curiosity about the world
- Passion for global causes
- Thirst for adventure and travel
But the down side is that the life of a TCK, or Global Nomad, is not always easy. Some of the negative features include:
- Frequent moves - even if the TCK doesn't move, others around him/her do, and they are often left behind
- Rootlessness and wondering where the TCK belongs
- Restlessness and the urge to pick up and move on
- Lots of goodbyes and loss in life
- Wondering where home is
- Fitting in when returning to the country of passport
Growing up in an internationally mobile family profoundly affects many facets of a young person's life. Awareness of the issues is paramount in order to be able to navigate the sometimes choppy waters.
Rebecca Grappo, founder of RNG International Educational Consultants, LLC, understands these issues on a very personal level. Her own three children are young adult Third Culture Kids. The students she taught are TCKs. Most of the students she guides in her practice are TCKs. When working as Education and Youth officer at the United States Department of State, she was the leading spokesperson for the diplomatic service about the issues of TCKs, and presented about global nomads to State Department personnel, the World Bank, national conferences, and school workshops.
Awareness is also key in school placements, whether it be a boarding, therapeutic, or college. When working with a TCK, RNG also weaves these themes into the discussions. Maybe the world won't to be more receptive to TCK needs, but TCKs can learn better how to cope and adapt to the world. You can read more about TCKs and Universities/Colleges in one of Rebecca's articles.
Rebecca Grappo also gives presentations for parents, students, schools, civic, and professional groups about Third Culture Kids and has written several articles about "Building Resiliency in Global Nomads", and about college and university for TCK students. She was also interviewed for a special television presentation about TCKs for Dubai One which was broadcast around the Middle East. The TCK Resource page also has suggested book lists, links, and videos to learn more about Third Culture Kids.
Contact us if you would like further information about how to understand your TCK identity, or if you would like Rebecca can speak to your group.
Videos of interest about Third Culture Kids:
