At first glance, it’s easy to mistake Green School for something other than a school. It serves as an incubator for student social enterprises, a hub for activists and innovators, and a community space among other things. Unless you look closely, you might miss one of the most impactful aspects of the school. Symbolized by our Millennium bridge, and manifesting itself through 300+ Indonesian students, Green School is grounds for a revolution in community sustainability that connects the local, national and global communities through learning.
While most international schools cater to students who are not from the host country, Green School’s Kul Kul Connection (KKC) programme, founded in 2012, builds relationships between the school and local families to create a truly sustainable community starting with each individual. KKC achieves this through three initiatives: An After School Programme; The Local Scholars Programme; and The Green Educator Course. KKC Director Pak Tim Fijal explains that each area explores “how we can make this place [Green School] relevant to the local people around us and how we can make them relevant to us.” KKC kids comprise nearly as big of a group as our daily international school students, and they participate in many of the extra-curricular GS activities including sports, after school activities, overseas conferences, and more!
Pak Tim says KKC began by walking around the village asking two simple questions “What can we do for you and how can we learn from each other?” There was an obvious interest in English classes, but how would that contribute to the cultural, environmental and social well-being of the community? Enter “Trash For Class,” which enrols 300 students (ages 6-18 years old) in an After School English Language programme that students pay for with 5 kilograms of recyclable waste per semester. The recycled waste is then delivered to Green School’s Kembali Recycling Facility. Through this exchange, KKC involves both sides in learning and extends the sustainability mission of Green School beyond its bamboo classrooms, blurring the boundaries between students and teachers, and campus and community.
In the “wall-less” way of Green School, KKC recently made an agreement with Saraswati University to engage education majors as co-teachers for KKC’s After School Programme. In exchange for their teaching practice, they receive practicum credit over the year. Also, through the Green Education Programme, KKC gives Indonesian educators the tools and skills to incorporate sustainability into local schools’ curriculums. Through both of these initiatives and many others, KKC fosters meaningful interaction between the local Balinese and International communities to transform education and grow a new generation of green leaders. By starting within our own community, we hope to show other schools across the world how they can make an impact in their own locale.
You can help us grow our program and reach more Indonesian students by learning more here.