Green School - Bali, Indonesia

John & Cynthia Hardy

Green School Founders

John Hardy, a Canadian art student who was as creative as he was intuitive, made his way to Bali in 1975. Intrigued by the Balinese craft traditions, he settled there and began producing jewelry with local artisans. Cynthia, an American who would years later become his wife, muse and business partner, arrived in Bali in 1982, as a stopover on a round-the-world trip while she was considering attending law school at Berkeley. She stayed in Bali and started a small jewelry business of her own, which, owing to her talents in analysis and logistics, became successful in its own right. This right-brain, left-brain pair was destined for one another, and in 1989, their professional collaboration turned out to be magical.

One of the keys to their success is that they have done well by doing good: From the beginning, John and Cynthia's approach to business has been about making jewelry while being respectful to Bali's land, its environment, its people and its culture.

Like everything else in John and Cynthia’s life, it became their mission to share with others the educational benefits that they were fortunate enough to provide their children, and Green School is the realization of that vision.

“We are building Green School to create a new paradigm for learning. We want children to cultivate physical sensibilities that will enable them to adapt and be capable in the world. We want children to develop spiritual awareness and emotional intuition, and to encourage them to be in awe of life's possibilities. This will be our legacy."