Third Culture Kid Survival Handbook

The term “third culture kid”, or TCK, refers to a person who has ‘spent a significant part of his or her developmental years outside their parent’s culture’ (Pollock & Van Reken, 2001). They may be children of immigrants, refugees, bi-cultural parents or military personnel, diplomats, and missionaries. A TCK will form a uniquely multicultural identity that is an amalgamation of influences from their parents’ cultures and cultures they have experienced abroad. While third culture kids have the privilege of many amazing experiences that others do not, they do also face a range of complex challenges that many of their peers will never wrestle with. This can be confusing, isolating and disorienting. My project is a tool to help TCKs, aged 8-12, process their experiences and embrace the unique joys of their circumstances.