Humans are learners. We do it naturally – even before we are born, we are learning. Our species is defined by its ability to learn. We are all also communal animals – we build relationships and we share. When we share learning, and learn collectively, we create systems that have inputs and outputs – and these systems, these education systems, have been the driving force of our continued evolution and the generator of the cultures we live in and create for the future.

Education Systems, throughout history, have been ‘Indicator Systems’ – reflective of our human cultures in the present and the future. Just like ‘Indicator Species’ point to the health of an ecosystem (i.e. amphibians in an ecosystem signaling less pollution).

The Australian Indigenous peoples had systems to pass on learning for 60,000-plus years. Their Golden Age, through the 8th to 14th centuries, brought advancements in the fields of algebra, calculus, geometry, chemistry, biology, medicine, astronomy and the Arts. Unsurprisingly, it was also a golden age of education. The emphasis on democratizing education from the mid-17th to 18th century, including encouraging free debate and expanding literacy, resulted in the Age of Enlightenment. And, most recently, the education system born during the Industrial Revolution – with its mechanisation of agriculture and mass-production – moved us out of agrarian-centered societies and into ones which allowed capitalism, nationalism and consumerism to flourish. This system still lingers in schools today, but it is no longer serving the needs of our present or future.

Think about the world we live in … The technology explosion, the access to and rapid sharing of both information and misinformation through the Net. We also have hunger, poverty, chronic disease, mental illness, war, exploitation, pollution, species extinction, resource depletion and biodiversity loss …the list goes on. What does our current world tell us about the education system that created it?

Education, as it entered the new millennium, had lost focus on its purpose. And an Education System without a purpose needs a rethink. But there is hope. Passionate educators around the world are reflecting on the needs of now and the future, sharing those ideas, and helping schools evolve.

As school leaders, teachers, students and parents continue to build culture in their schools, we have become eyes-wide-open of the long-term implications. The learning that happens in schools has always been more impactful than students passing exams. What we teach and learn in schools, across generations of human civilisation, has always had far greater outcomes – the knowledge that we share, the skills that we develop, and the values that we demonstrate – create generational change. And I can see that change happening. Perhaps one day this age will be known as part of The Great Transition.

In your school, what is the culture you are building? Are you teaching only about the past – or learning for the future? Are learning programs reflective of the needs of today and of tomorrow? Whether we like it or not, what we do at school, what we learn, who we become as individuals and communities directly impacts the world we want to create.

Green School Foundation’s Executive Director, Kania Maniasa, shares how her organization has evolved to expand the Green School mission to ignite passion in learners and community to create positive, sustainable change. Support their efforts by donating here or buying tickets to GSF’s annual IGNITE fundraising gala in September.

In today’s complex world, we must admit the future seems challenging for our children. As a parent, I’ve simplified my aspirations for them – I want them to enjoy nature’s beauty, breathe fresh air, and experience the same green landscapes we cherish. But there’s always that worry, “Will they get to see and experience the same vibrant nature we have now?” This year for International Youth Day, I hope we all consider how taking care of our world isn’t for us, but for the next generation. 

Part of ensuring a brighter future for our youth is through delivering a quality education grounded in sustainability and biocentric, rather than egocentric, values. In my own life, leaving my home island of Bali to receive an education abroad really shaped who I am and opened my eyes to endless possibilities across the globe. Now, I want to bring this same opportunity to as many youth in Indonesia as I can. 

The Green School Foundation firmly believes that education can address big challenges facing our environment. We see it every day at Green School Bali, where students and teachers work on projects that deliver a real, positive impact. Whether it’s a small effort like learning to cook delicious plant-based meals, or a grand initiative like developing a school bus that runs on used cooking oil, our community is committed to finding solutions.

Green School Bali boards the Bio Bus, which runs on used cooking oil diverted from landfill

At Green School, my role extends beyond our school community. As a Bali local leading the Green School Foundation, I’m driven to ensure our school’s ideas and education mission reach far and wide, touching as many local youth as possible. We’re a group of learners eager to make positive changes and invite others to join us. 

Now is the time for collaboration – a chance to build a strong community that protects our planet. 

– Kania Maniasa, Executive Director of the Green School Foundation 

I envision a future where Indonesian children grow into young leaders, making positive changes for themselves, their communities and their country. I hope they ask questions, explore the world, and find new ways to solve problems. It’s not too late to nurture these young leaders; the time is now. 

This is why the Green School Foundation’s new programs are so important. We have two main ways of making an impact through education: 

Environmental School Projects 

We teach children in local schools about nature care through fun projects and workshops, often in collaboration with students from Green School Bali. We’re also aligned with the Indonesian Government’s progressive curriculum, Merdeka Belajar. Public schools are embracing a more dynamic way of teaching, focusing on hands-on projects and discussing environmental issues. The Green School Foundation wants to contribute to this effort, helping Indonesian students gain important insights about the current climate challenges. 

Through the Green School Foundation, we work directly with kids from various schools and backgrounds. Our programs teach them about caring for the Earth and collaborate with others to drive significant changes. We aspire to reach hundreds and thousands of children and families through our programs.

Students from Green School Bali learn alongside Balinese school students about sustainability

Agricultural University Scholarships 

We help children from farming families receive education about sustainable agriculture. In a land where the rhythm of life is intertwined with the soil and the seasons, Indonesia’s reliance on agriculture is both a cultural tradition and a lifeline. Yet, beneath the surface, a disheartening trend emerges – the next generation of farmers seems to be drifting away from their roots. 

Our focus turns to the children of farmers, those eager to carry forward their family’s agrarian legacy. The Agricultural University Scholarships, a cornerstone of our mission, extend a welcoming hand to these young souls. In a nation where farming sustains and nurtures, these scholarships offer a beacon of hope and opportunity. The goal is simple yet profound – to inspire and empower these budding farmers through education. Our intention is clear: to ignite enthusiasm and provide a pathway for these aspiring farmers to explore new horizons through education. 

 Imagine a future where a new generation of young farmers emerge, armed not only with traditional wisdom but also with modern knowledge and a focus on regenerative practices. The Green School Foundation is working towards a comprehensive program that not only offers full-ride university education but also extends mentorship opportunities. Our commitment goes beyond financial support; it’s about nurturing these farmers-to-be, equipping them with the skills and insights needed to cultivate success.

Supporting modern, regenerative and more appealing approaches to agriculture can support livelihoods while protecting culture and traditions

I firmly believe that investing in the education of Indonesian youth lays the foundation for a brighter tomorrow that spans generations. Our ambition is to foster a vibrant learning community, igniting ripples of change that spread far and wide. 

 Every student is entitled to an education that involves them in the world’s challenges while empowering them to become architects of change. Guided and armed with the right tools, these young minds hold the potential to become the change they – and really, all of us – want to see in the world. 

Former Green School parent and student mentor, Sally Lewis, with her mentees in 2022

I’m Sally – an alumni parent and student mentor of Green School, Bali. Our children attended Grades 3 and 7 at Green School in 2012 and after 7 years back in Australia, we unexpectedly returned to Bali in 2020 at my son’s request, to join this unique ‘community of learners’ once again. Despite good grades and a great bunch of friends, our son wasn’t enjoying school, was unchallenged and couldn’t see the relevance in rote learning and regurgitating what the traditional curriculum in Australia had to offer. Having attended Green School in Grade 3, he somehow knew there was a different way.

Our previous experience in 2012 gave us the belief that Green School would provide a different approach to learning, equip him with a more relevant, enjoyable experience and make his final years of High School more worthwhile, somehow preparing him for his future. The graduates we knew had a sense of readiness, maturity and confidence about them. Was it the natural environment and architecture, the inspiring teachers or the student-centred approach and focus on applicable learning that contributed to this? With no standardised testing and without the seemingly all-important SAT or GSCE number to define graduating students, we were curious about the outcome. And so began another adventure…

 As a parent of 2 young adults (now aged 19 and 22) I had been having conversations about ‘next steps’ for the past 10 years. The common thread running through these conversations is an underlying fear of making the wrong decision, of making fatal mistakes along with an increasingly deep-seated anxiety about the future and “what if it doesn’t all work out?”

As a Student Mentor in Pathways and Wellbeing at Green School, I found myself having very similar conversations. Many of the high school students told me they felt pressure to do something they didn’t think they would enjoy, expressed fears they would not be meeting their parents’ expectations, felt unprepared for ‘real life’ and often worried about choosing the ‘wrong’ pathway post-graduation.

It was these frank conversations with the High School students that led me to create the following Pathways and Well-being programmes: Now What? Seeds of Greatness; Ripples of Impact; Critical Conversations.

 Getting to the heart of the students’ issues largely informed the direction and content of the programmes, which later became the subject of my book: Figuring Out Your Future: A Guide to Life Beyond the School Gates, written to equip both students and their parents at this often-tricky crossroads with what is needed to step confidently into their future and build a life they will never want to escape from.

Figuring Out Your Future, by Sally Lewis

The world looks very different for our children now and life is changing at a pace many of us never imagined. Technology is advancing faster than universities can keep up with. Many courses are now simply outdated. Our kids will be doing jobs we haven’t even thought of. The Institute for The Future predicts that 85% of the jobs that will exist in 2030 haven’t even been invented yet. How do we prepare for career paths that don’t yet exist?

My previous experience as a Human Behaviour Specialist in the field of mental and emotional health taught me much about how we humans are wired, what is needed for us to thrive and what makes us flourish. Ultimately, what you DO is inseparable from WHO you are – we are human beings, not human doings. Identifying our own individual compass in life is key to a fulfilling journey ahead.

People are set up to fail if they envision what they want to do before they figure out who they are.” – Ruth Barton

As the world becomes ever more mechanised and robotic – we are being challenged to double-down on what it really means to be human. Exploring our own humanity, our place within the world and relationship with it, is critical if we are to continue to thrive, or even survive, as a species. 

Of course, each student is a unique individual. There is no one size fits all. Each one of us is on our own version of the path less-traveled. Green School graduates go on to study, travel, work, volunteer and contribute in a myriad of different ways. There’s no such thing as a ‘typical Green School graduate’ and not all graduates become nature nerds or green warriors – but during my time at Green School as both a parent and a student mentor, I observed certain traits amongst the students that are becoming increasingly valuable in our changing world. These observations are from my own experience with the students I had the privilege of getting to know but hold true for many others I speak with.

Sally’s son giving his senior year greenstone presentation

With agency in their own learning journey, students design their own school day with the High School elective-based curriculum. Classes and projects are often student-led and the student-centred approach creates an engaging learning environment, encouraging enquiring minds and providing ample opportunity to explore individual passions. Academic pursuits are balanced with social-emotional programs. Self-expression is celebrated and individuality embraced alongside a service mentality of contribution with numerous community engagement opportunities. An awareness for their environment is fostered and students gain an understanding of their own and their collective responsibilities and impact.

Immersed in nature and surrounded by a supportive, engaged parent and local community, the students learn by observing, discussing and doing. The natural world permeates into the classroom with the understanding that when children are given the right conditions and immersed in an appropriate environment they will naturally thrive. 

Observations from visiting friends were particularly heart-warming: they showed surprise at how genuinely happy, friendly and engaged the students were: “They really seem to be having fun!”

Inter-generational communication is normal for Green School students as they interact with parents and teachers in shared activities and incidental meetings at the school coffee shop. There is always space for the student voice to be heard…and students’ ideas and initiatives are fostered at all levels of the learning programme. I had the great privilege of mentoring the students on their Greenstone journeys, where over the course of their final year they choose a passion project to explore. This experience is incredibly meaningful for each Grade 12 student as they get time to ‘play’, along the way solving real problems, engaging with local communities and discovering how they can actually make a difference.

Through scholarships and inclusive hiring practices, international students at Green School are always learning from and alongside local Balinese. Being surrounded by the traditional Balinese culture has a profound effect that no one anticipates when they first arrive on this magical island.   

Students leave Green School with a strong sense of self and their place in the world. They have a heightened sense of adventure, curiosity and a willingness to explore options outside the box. They often have an expanded self-awareness from regular self-reflection as part of the reporting process each term.

But rather than focussing purely on the outcome – they are also reminded to enjoy the journey.  Feedback from my students gives me confidence that they are indeed ‘future-ready’:

“I can now see the value in making mistakes.”

“I am less afraid of failing as I now see how one thing can lead to another.”

“Life feels more like an exciting adventure now rather than a set path I was somehow meant to follow.”

 Receiving the many heart-warming notes from parents thanking me for the great conversations they were now having with their children or the improvement in their relationships after they took my classes was profound. These are the things that matter.

Sally’s son, Dan, at his Green School graduation ceremony

Green School students graduate as life-long learners taking with them a curious mind and a love of learning. They are open to embracing possibility and change – vital attributes in our current environment of uncertainty and volatility. Unlikely friendships are forged and norms are questioned. It seems that everyone leaves Green School with a little more belief that anything is possible.

Sally Lewis
Author of Figuring Out Your Future: A Guide to Life Beyond the School Gates
Student and Parent Mentor – creating safe spaces for greatness to emerge
Link to more of Sally’s stuff: https://sallylewis.com/
Contact Sally on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/sally-lewis-b247071a/

Head of School, Sal Gordon

At this time of year, with our senior students fast-approaching their graduation and their next steps into the world as young adults, there is a glow of excitement and positivity in our school community. Of course, we want our graduates to celebrate their achievements as students and to be recognised for their efforts. However, my message to our Graduates has a slightly different theme.

Dear Graduates – I hope you are challenged.

In the immortal words of Franklin D. Roosevelt, “A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.” We learn most when times are tough. We grow through challenges. We build skills and values when things don’t go our way. We only know who we really are when life isn’t easy. So, Graduates, I hope you have some tough times.

Graduates – I hope there are times when you get lost in a big foreign city. I hope there are times when money is tight. I hope there are times when you are in situations that challenge your values and you stand up for what is right against an ‘angry mob’ – either in person or online. I hope you sit in rooms with people you can’t understand and who can’t understand you. I hope your heart gets broken. I hope your passport gets stolen. I hope you find yourself exhausted and cold halfway up a mountain in some stormy weather. I hope there are times when your body wants to give up as you’re sailing across an ocean. I hope your car breaks down in the middle of nowhere. I hope you’re forced to take a job you hate because there’s nothing else going.

2022 Graduates Presenting Their Greenstone

These are some of the experiences and memories that I treasure the most. These challenges have been more impactful than any of my ‘easy wins’.

The path of least resistance tends to lead us away from the risk of failure. We are educated in systems that reward getting it right – and ‘punish’ us when we fail. We are labeled by our success stories, when, in reality, it is what we do with failure that defines who we are. We are never taught to run towards challenges. Unfortunately, we have created cultures of ‘easy existence’ – instant information and communication, online shopping, …..

Let me be clear, dear Graduates – I want you to be safe and I want you to be happy. 

But I don’t hope that your life is easy. 

I hope your lives are full of challenges – where you are tested, where you are out of your comfort-zone, when the road is tough – because these are the moments that you will eventually appreciate the most. These are the times that will provide opportunities for you to reach your potential. And, as you step into challenges and step up your growth, the impact of overcoming these challenges will not only make you stronger, but make the world around you a better place.

Green School Students Planting in the Rice Paddy

In this fast-changing world and your increasingly complex and challenging future, my advice to you is to run towards challenges. Don’t be fearful of failure. Trust your skills and values. The smooth journey and the easy wins won’t help you, or our planet, make the changes we need to make to create a sustainable future. Whether it is personal, cultural, or environmental we are only just realizing the challenges ahead. 

Graduates – please embrace the challenges in your life.

Happy Earth Day everyone!  I guess it’s a bit like wishing everyone a happy, annual birthday celebration for the planet they live on.

While it’s wonderful to dedicate this annual celebration of gratitude and respect for our one, beautiful home, it’s also important to find small ways to celebrate, or at least give gratitude for the Earth everyday. We would not be here without all that it offers.  It is only in this place, within about the first 3,000 meters of atmosphere on a rock which happens to be in the perfect position from the sun to sustain life, that we and all living beings can exist in this universe. 

“Having an Earth day each year gives us the pause we need to measure how we are treating the Earth now, and reflect on how we might change to sustain it into the future.”

In 1983 the United Nations defined sustainability as ‘meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.’ This doesn’t mean that we must stop all use of resources on this planet, but that our use of those resources must not impact the ability of any future generations to also live a healthy and meaningful life here on Earth. It is a forward-looking, generous and holistic view that considers not only the environment, but also economic development and societal equity. It is a way of life that has inspired the formation of Green Schools around the world.

So, how do we support this definition of sustainability and sustainable living at Green School New Zealand? First and foremost, we live every day in balance and in contact with the natural world around us. By connecting with the Earth, our students, parents, teachers and entire community are reminded each day of its abundant gifts and the need for its protection. We experience the weather. We enjoy the sunshine or listen mindfully to the rain. We forage for food, or plant and harvest and cook it. We dig in the dirt to see all the bugs that purify and process our soil to grow and support plant life. We swim in the awa (rivers) and drink from their waters to see the impact we have on that most precious resource.

In so many ways, we spend time exploring and understanding all the intricacies of our local ecosystem, both big and small. Our Taiao Rumaki, or environmental immersion experience, introduces our youngest learners to develop a natural wonder at the planet they live on.

As we move into the Middle School, students begin to understand how we have taken for granted the resiliency of our planet.  We explore how some human activities have long and far-reaching impacts that compromise the health of both planet and the future generations who will inherit it.  Identifying what must change allows these students to begin to take action locally, and entrepreneurially, to demonstrate that there are better ways to meet our economic needs through environmental action.  They also identify the social inequities that have existed, and continue to exist, to better understand how we can help all individuals meet their needs and live a fulfilled existence here.

The High School journey focuses on solutions. If we are to have a long-lasting impact as a school, we must build the leaders of tomorrow – academically prepared, socially aware, environmentally conscious, and sustainably driven – to build a way of living within the balances and tolerances of the Earth and all its living entities. In other words, a life that can be sustained. This requires our oldest students to develop a strong understanding of the sciences, the arts, maths (STEAM), business and the social sciences. At the same time, they form a strong foundation of personal wellbeing and community values based on respect for others, tolerance, understanding and, most importantly, the ability to communicate to others in a meaningful way. At the end of this academic year we will send our very first graduating cohort out into the world, and we can’t wait to see what solutions they have to offer us.

The Green Schools, both here, in Bali and in South Africa, have taken on a huge challenge, and I am in the privileged position to witness everyday the tireless mahi, or work, of our teachers, staff, parents and learners to help restore the balance our Earth so desperately  needs. This Earth Day, I hope we all take a moment to show proper gratitude, respect and reverence for this planet. I leave you with a Māori proverb:

Te toto o te tangata, he kai; te oranga o te tangata, he whenua – while food provides the blood in our veins, our health is drawn from the land

HAPPY EARTH DAY!

Ngā mihi

As this little rock in space begins a new lap around our star, it is a common practice to talk about New Year’s resolutions and goal-setting. In fact, of all the goals we set this year, ones that center on evolving our schools and education systems to deliver a sustainable future might be the most important of all.

For schools to successfully design an education system that fosters the type of solutions-oriented thinking and innovation we need to tackle 21st century challenges, it’s essential not to shy away from lofty aspirations – aim high and think BIG!

With that in mind, I’ve outlined five meaningful and, importantly, achievable resolutions to help schools and their communities move towards educating for sustainability and environmental action in 2023.

1. Redefine the purpose of your school

The purpose of education should go beyond simply preparing students for the future as if they have no say in it. Rather, approaches to education should be born from a desire to create a different, better and, critically, a more sustainable future. We should teach students about the world, yes, but also show them their role in that world, their connection to their world and environment and the impact they can have on it. By doing this, education becomes the center for solution-based innovation and environmental action.

2. Establish your school as a culture-setting hub in its community

Connecting schools to their surrounding communities, and communities to their schools, not only enriches learning experiences by facilitating real-world learning opportunities, but positions schools as culture-setting hubs – where the values the school teaches and lives by also become the values of the communities of which they are apart – expanding positive influence outward into the world.

3. Create learning experiences, with real outcomes, to have a positive impact on the environment.

The problems caused by climate change are going to continue whether we prepare students for them or not. The best way to prepare them for these problems – and prevent the feelings of overwhelm these problems can cause – is to joyfully engage students in solution-based learning experiences to tackle real world problems. When you demonstrate to a student, or really a student demonstrates for themselves, the positive impact they can have on their world no matter their age or experience level, you empower them with both the confidence and agency to continue taking positive action long after graduation.

4. Think more than ‘Educating ABOUT sustainability’

The future needs schools to be educating FOR sustainability, where environmental action across all sustainability issues is an outcome for individual students and the ambition of the whole school community. This doesn’t begin and end with a bamboo building or school garden – it means continuing to evolve the curriculum, learning environment and student projects to be in line with the current global understanding of what this planet needs to thrive.

5. Create a globally relevant curriculum inside your local culture and context

It is difficult for learners of all ages – myself included – to grasp environmental and societal issues on a global scale, but when you ground these issues in a local context we don’t just understand them, we feel able to take action on them.

While some people may be setting goals to go to the gym, eat healthier, take more walks, or spend more time with family and friends, I am hopeful that schools are also setting goals that move their communities towards educating for a sustainable future. Education is a change-mechanism we need to access and innovate for our youth and this beautiful planet. In 12-months time, after another lap around the Sun, let us look back at this year celebrating the changes we have made to education.