No. 01
Coached by competitors, not just teachers
Our coaches have led, judged, and competed at the level your child is working toward. They bring real competition experience, not only classroom teaching, to every session.
1-on-1 Coaching & Competition Preparation · International School Students · Taipei
Where serious students go further.
Premium 1-on-1 coaching and competition preparation for Taipei's international school students. Custom pathways for the John Locke Essay Prize, Model UN, performance and speaking, robotics, science fair, and math olympiad, alongside academic coaching, AI for Education, independent research, and homeschooling support, all designed by the Head Teacher around the student's specific goal.
What We Coach
Custom pathways for students whose goals go beyond the standard curriculum.
Ten specialty programs across two branches: competition coaching (essay, MUN, performance and speaking, robotics, science fair, math olympiad) and coaching with independent study (academic coaching, AI for Education, independent research, and homeschooling support). Each program is built around the individual student's goal rather than a shared curriculum, with the Head Teacher designing and reviewing the pathway from start to finish.
Competitions
Essay Competitions
Coaching for the John Locke Institute Global Essay Prize across Philosophy, Politics, Economics, History, Psychology, Theology, Law, Public Policy, International Relations, and Science & Technology. We also coach for other major essay prizes, including the Cambridge Re:think Essay Prize. We work backwards from how examiners read essays, building research depth and analytical structure across the season.
Explore Essay Competitions →Model United Nations
Preparation for Model United Nations conferences across the regional circuit, including TASMUN, YMUNT, and THIMUN-affiliated events. We coach research, position paper drafting, public speaking, and the negotiation tactics competitive delegations rely on. Available for both new and experienced delegates.
Explore Model United Nations →Performance & Speaking Competitions
Coaching for performance and speaking competitions, with primary focus on the World Monologue Games. One of our coaches has served as a WMG judge. We also coach for local Taipei competitions including the Rotary English Speech Contest and Taiwan's National English Speech Competition for Senior High School Students. Pathways calibrate to the target competition rather than a single fixed structure.
Explore Performance & Speaking →Robotics Competitions
Coaching across the FIRST Robotics program ladder: FIRST LEGO League (FLL) for younger students, FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) for middle and early high school, and FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) for high school. We support both team-based competition preparation and individual skill development across mechanical design, programming, and project management.
Explore Robotics Competitions →Science Fair & STEM Competitions
Mentored research for the Taiwan International Science Fair (TISF), the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), and other major STEM competitions. From research question to final presentation, our coaches bring research credentials to every stage of project development.
Explore Science Fair & STEM →Math Olympiad
Olympiad-style mathematics preparation across AMC 8, AMC 10, AMC 12, AIME, and the Singapore and Asian Schools Math Olympiad (SASMO). USAMO and USAJMO-level coaching is available for qualified students by application. We focus on the problem-solving heuristics and mathematical maturity these competitions reward, not standardized curriculum content.
Explore Math Olympiad →Coaching & Independent Study
Academic Coaching
Active coaching focused on higher-order thinking, executive function, and project management. Coaches work alongside students through their current school priorities: long-term assignments, exam preparation cycles, study skills development, and the planning work that strengthens how students approach the academic load in front of them. A pathway built around your child's situation, paced to their level.
Explore Academic Coaching →AI for Education
1-on-1 AI fluency coaching for students using AI tools in their academic work. Ethics and academic integrity rooted at the foundation, then foundations, critical use, and integration into research, writing, and project work. We help students leverage AI as a thinking partner without abdicating their own thinking to it. Part of Harland's broader direction on AI fluency in education and business.
Explore AI for Education →Independent Research Projects
Mentored research for students pursuing original academic work outside a structured course. We coach students through the full research arc: question development, methodology, draft cycles, and final paper or presentation. The process strengthens research skills, academic writing, and the kind of intellectual independence universities look for in applicants.
Explore Independent Research →Homeschooling Support
Curriculum design and weekly instruction for families homeschooling in Taiwan under the non-school-based experimental education framework. We work with parents to design a year-long curriculum aligned with the family's goals, then deliver structured instruction and assessment across the chosen subjects.
Explore Homeschooling Support → Why Harland
Coaches who have competed, content-based teaching, and a focus on independence.
No. 02
Content-based learning
Harland's pedagogy is content-based learning. Argumentation, performance, and analytical skills develop through the substance students engage with, not through isolated drills. Students build real ability while preparing for competition.
No. 03
Mastery-based, working toward our own redundancy
We measure success by how soon a student no longer needs us. We coach each student to the point where they can prepare and compete with confidence on their own. We treat that independence as the right outcome.
Where Our Students Study
International school families across Taiwan, Asia, Oceania, and North America.
Taipei American School·Taipei European School·Kang Chiao International School·Fuhsing Bilingual Department·Dominican International School·Taipei Canadian School·Grace Christian Academy·Morrison Academy·VIS International School·British International School Shanghai Puxi·Canadian Academy Kobe·Yongsan International School Seoul·Singapore American School·Kristin School Auckland·St. Michael's University School Victoria·St. John's School Vancouver
Across all Harland programs.
From the Principal
A note from Mr. Harris.
Most families come to Harland looking for a third option. They want something distinct from a crowded classroom of thirty, yet far more structured and rigorous than a typical home tutor. They are looking for truly personalized learning with transparent, constant growth and a clear, defined end date.
When I founded Harland, my goal was to build the exact organization I would want for my own family. That meant bringing together subject-specialist faculty who embody the same growth mindset we aim to instill in our students. It meant designing a curriculum rooted in the actual academic courses students are navigating, rather than generic language exercises. Above all, it meant treating families as true educational partners, and students as the ultimate drivers of their own intellectual journeys.
We are intentionally honest about alignment during our admissions process because Harland is not the right fit for every family. But for the families we are right for, one of my greatest joys is receiving that phone call from a parent telling me their child no longer needs us. Independent success is the outcome we work toward from the very first lesson.
Mr. Harris
Founder & Principal, Harland Education
Faculty
Meet a few of the coaches behind our specialty programs.
Every Harland coach is hired for credentials in their coaching area: competition experience, research backgrounds, and the ability to keep students working at the level the goal requires. Below are a few of our Coaching & Competitions faculty.
Mr. Glen
BFA Drama, Calgary · 20+ years · Head of Competitions & Coaching
Leads Harland's competitions and coaching, drawing on two decades as an educator, coach, and performer.
Mr. Arnold
BA (Hons) English Literature, Stellenbosch · IB certified · Literature & Humanities
Specializes in English Literature, writing, and humanities, with international teaching experience across multiple countries.
Dr. Teachey
PhD Astronomy, Columbia · 14+ years · 14 peer-reviewed publications
Holds a PhD in Astronomy from Columbia and has mentored students through original research and competition-level science.
Common Questions
Common questions about Harland's Coaching & Competitions programs.
Honest answers to the questions parents and students ask most often before working with Harland.
Which competitions and coaching programs do you offer?
We coach for the major competitions our families pursue: essay competitions including the John Locke Institute Global Essay Prize, Model United Nations conferences, performance and speaking competitions including the World Monologue Games, FIRST Robotics (FLL, FTC, FRC), the Taiwan International Science Fair and ISEF, and mathematics olympiads (AMC, AIME, USAMO, SASMO). Alongside competitions, we offer Academic Coaching for higher-order thinking and executive function, AI for Education for students developing AI fluency in their academic work, mentored independent research projects, and homeschooling curriculum design and support. Each program is custom-built around the student's specific goal.
How is this different from Harland's structured courses like the SAT program or AP Calculus?
Structured courses like our SAT program or AP Calculus follow a Harland-designed curriculum that has been refined across many student intakes. Coaching and Competitions programs are different. There is no shared curriculum to begin from. The Head Teacher reads the student's diagnostic and learning history, then designs a unique pathway around their specific goal: a particular competition, a research project, a homeschooling year. The methodology is the same mastery-based work. The curriculum is built from scratch each time.
How are tutors matched, and what if it isn't right?
We match tutors based on the student's specific goal and personality fit, drawing on what we learn during the consultation and assessment class. Competition coaching, in particular, requires a tutor with relevant competition experience, and we are direct about which competitions we can credibly support. If the match isn't right after the first few sessions, you can request a switch with no fuss. Our priority is the relationship, not the assignment.
How will we know what's happening in lessons?
Parents receive structured updates throughout the term: post-lesson notes, unit reports, and direct communication with your child's coach and our team. Every Harland student is assigned a Student Coordinator who serves as your point of contact, ensuring you always know how your child is progressing. The Head Teacher reviews all performance data and adjusts the pathway after each unit assessment.
What if my child doesn't win the competition or get into the program they're aiming for?
Competition outcomes and admissions decisions are never guaranteed, and we are honest about that during consultation. What we can deliver is a structured pathway that gives your child their best honest preparation for the goal: deep content engagement, deliberate practice in the formats the assessment rewards, and skill development that serves them whether or not the specific outcome lands. The skills built in serious competition preparation (research, writing, problem-solving, project management) are valuable regardless of the result.
Can my child do homeschooling support if we are not currently a Harland family?
Yes. Homeschooling families do not need to be existing Harland students to enroll. We help families design a homeschool curriculum that aligns with their goals (whether that is preparing for international school re-entry, university admissions abroad, or completing the year at home for personal reasons), then deliver weekly instruction and assessment. Taiwan's non-school-based experimental education law makes this a legitimate pathway, and we work within its framework.
Can my child work with Harland on multiple programs at the same time?
Yes, and many students do. Many families combine a structured course (such as SAT preparation or an AP subject) with a Coaching and Competitions program (such as John Locke essay coaching or science fair preparation). Your Student Coordinator helps coordinate scheduling, share context across coaches and teachers, and keep you informed of progress in each area.
How much do lessons typically cost?
Fees vary by program and pathway complexity. During the consultation, your Student Coordinator helps you choose a program that fits both your goals and your family's situation. Most Harland families stay with us for years. Once you see how mastery-based learning works in practice, the cost difference from budget providers stops feeling like the right comparison.
How to Begin
How we begin.
Every Harland relationship starts the same way. Here is what to expect after you reach out.
- 01
The Conversation
A consultation about your child's current level, your goals, and whether Harland is the right fit. In person at our Taipei office, or over video.
Complimentary - 02
The Assessment
Your child sits a 1-on-1 assessment class with one of our teachers. This determines program suitability and the right entry point within that program.
Complimentary - 03
The Match
Based on the consultation and assessment, we recommend a program, an entry point within it, and a faculty member matched to your child.
- 04
The Coaching Begins
Sessions begin at our Taipei office or online. We review progress at regular intervals and adjust the plan as your child grows.
Take the next step
Start a conversation about your child's goal.
Every Harland relationship begins with a consultation, followed by an assessment class with a specialist teacher. Tell us about your child's goal, your timeline, and where they're starting from.
Start the conversation