Knowledge
Welcome to the most eco-friendly school of the world
The Green School Bali is a nonprofit independent international P-12 school whose goal is to be the benchmark of sustainability education in the world. The curriculum and the teaching methodologies at Green School help cultivate creative and deep thinking, expressing and collaboration, knowledgeable
The next time you are in Bali, limit your time at the beach, be a little bit less touristy, try and walk by the every enticing flea market and do what the Balinese do. Visit the densely forested middle ground which sacred to the locals in Denpasar.
Simply hop on a local scooter and head north towards the mountains about halfway to Ubud and a kilometer off the main road in the village of Sibang Kaja and you will come face to face with the greenest, most eco-friendly school in the world – The Green School Bali, a nonprofit independent international P-12 school whose goal is to be the benchmark of sustainability education in the world.
The school is the baby of John and Cynthia Hardy who conceived the school after exiting the jewelry business in 2006. The Green School opened its doors in 2008 with 90 students. The Green School is driven by 3 simple rules – be local; let your environment be your guide; and envisage how the future generation will be affected by your actions.
The curriculum and the teaching methodologies at Green School help cultivate creative and deep thinking, expressing and collaboration, knowledgeable and reflective, resourceful and self-directed, green and sustainable.
A typical day at the Green School includes:
1. Integral frame: thematic lessons used to introduce complex topics through four lenses: physical, intellectual, emotional and intra-personal.
2. Instructional frame: Stand alone proficiency lessons woven into most thematic lessons
3. Experiential frame: practical lessons include gardening, creating art, building with bamboo.
Wednesdays are reserved for high school students for jalan jalan (Go Traveling) in experiential and service learning. Every student participates in Environmental Studies and Enterprise Studies.
As the name suggests the Green School is powered by solar and water. The 20 acre campus is powered by these natural sources of energy and serves nearly 385 students from 40 countries. The high school holds the record for being located in the largest bamboo building in the world. The school also includes a dozen innovative buildings including a makerspace (below), a recycling center and covered bridge.
Green School holds the honour of being the inaugural winner of the Greenest School on Earth award from the Center for Green School at the U.S. Green Building Council.
Besides the schooling program offered, the Green School also serves more than 230 local students through its after school program. The school also attracts a lot of tourists who witness the green revolution first hand.
