His Vision: Allowing the vision to continually evolve alongside his own passions and interests.

When we approached Chayton to share his Green School journey, he hesitated. “I’m still figuring out what I want to do with my life,” he told us. Perfect. These are exactly the stories we need to share. 

It’s an all too common misconception among graduates that they must have their life’s purpose figured out before they walk on stage to receive their diplomas. At Green School, we love when our students, like Chayton, graduate with an open mind. When they continue to follow their curiosities and interests. Those interests become the seeds that grow into a life of meaning and purpose and – in Chayton’s case – even an actual forest. 

Chayton recently co-founded Junglo, a company focused on reforestation and recovering native ecosystems in Indonesia, with his friend and former teacher at Green School, Pak Mo. “Planting a tree is so rewarding,” he says. “I really appreciate nature and trees and it’s cool to build forests knowing that in 20 years there will be giant trees there for someone else to enjoy, and that I had a hand in bringing back a little bit of biodiversity somewhere.”

While he enjoys his work with Junglo, he continues to keep his options open in terms of what career path he might explore next. “For me, it’s not like I woke up one day and knew my life purpose was to restore all the forests in the world. Working on Junglo came from a random opportunity that sounded interesting and fun, so I said yes.” 

“I’ve now known Chayton for close to a decade. Ever since he was a kid, all the way until today,” explains his co-founder.  “He is one of the most curiosity-driven persons I’ve ever met. It seems like he never lost that sense of wonder that is so present in all young children – he is still that kid that’s constantly asking, ‘Why?’ It’s his super power.”

At Green School, our extraordinary teachers, like Pak Mo, lead by example when instilling a life-long love of learning in their students. “So many of our teachers weren’t always educators, but did a lot of different jobs before coming to Green School,” explains Chayton. “They have all of this cool experience to share, so you can learn a lot from just talking with them about life.” 

This philosophy of seeing every new experience and challenge as an opportunity to learn something new – about yourself as much as about the subject at hand – is something Chayton really took to heart. During his 12 years at school, he took every opportunity to get his hands dirty and try something new. His school projects included building an artificial coral reef, learning to refine used cooking oil into biofuel, experimenting with insects as a sustainable food source, exploring soil microbiology and regenerative farming practices, and deep-diving into the uses and benefits of fermentation, which was the focus of his senior year Greenstone presentation.

Chayton working on his fermentation – or “FermenChaytion” – project in the Green School iHub

One of the most impactful memories from his time at Green School took place during a student service trip to Raja Ampat. Chayton remembers sitting around with his teachers at night and talking about life, asking the big questions and sharing each other’s perspectives. 

“That moment really left an impression on me,” he says, reflecting on how his teachers – during the trip and in day-to-day interactions at school – always spoke with students as equals. It’s a dynamic that intentionally empowers students to take responsibility for their learning – one of Green School’s iRespect values. It also creates an environment where deep discussions about life, goals and purpose take place more naturally. 

Today, Chayton is excited to be working with Mo on Junglo, which has already planted four native forests in Indonesia using the Miyawaki Method. Eventually, he hopes the project can help restore more natural beauty and biodiversity to the country he’s called home for most of his life.

Pak Mo and Chayton present to Green School students about the Miyawaki Method of reforestation

His advice to students everywhere is to do the same. “It might sound cliche, but you should really just do whatever you enjoy, or even just think you would enjoy. Try it out – even when it might be more tempting to go to the beach. You might do it, and it really sucks, but you will learn something in the process, and that alone is so valuable.” 

“Being open to learn and experience just about anything, has opened up countless opportunities for Chayton,” emphasizes Mo. “It’s been such a privilege to see his growth and I can’t wait to see where else his curiosity will take him in the years to come.”

The post Alumni Stories: Sowing the seeds of curiosity at Green School appeared first on Green School Bali.

Imagine spending two years in a research facility meant to replicate our Earth’s biomes. A wave-machine powered ocean, savannah grasslands, and a 20,000 square foot rainforest, and thousands of animal and plant species bundled into a three hectare space, and your job is to attend to them everyday. This was the reality for eight individuals who led the Biosphere 2 mission thirty years ago. 

Present day, three of the Biospherians have come together to create the Biosphere Foundation here in Bali, which us Middle School students had the chance to visit as part of our Integrated Study Unit (ISU): Finding the Balance, Becoming Better Biosphere Stewards. This ISU course offered by our teachers, Ibu Laura and Ibu Angie, centered around researching and learning about our Earth’s interconnecting natural systems.

One of the original Biospherians, Abigail (Gaie) hosting a Q&A session with our class.

Situated in the Northwest of Bali, the Biosphere Foundation is a property built in proximity to tons of different ecosystems. As soon as we arrived it was clear just how attentive to detail they were, as every environmental consideration had been thought about. There was a wastewater garden that used the roots of plants to clean all of the Foundation’s dirty water. Their electricity was made through solar and, due to having more than enough for themselves, they are able to give some of that electricity back to the community! Even the pavements we walked on were spaced out, so grass could continue growing around them. 

During these three days, our class, the Biosphere Stewards in training, had the opportunity to trek through mangroves, snorkel to observe coral, and hike up the mountains. We got to see first-hand how the ‘Ridge to Reef’ concept took place, observing how soil from the top of hills would bring sedimentation into mangroves, which then filtered everything out to reach the ocean.

Students collecting trash during our mangrove walk near the Biosphere Foundation.

Time and time again, it would be clear to us just how much trash there was. Our group found all forms of plastic attached to the roots of the many mangroves we encountered. In the sea, we weren’t even able to swim a couple meters before seeing (or bumping into) wrappers and bags. So our group participated in trashwalks and managed to collect copious amounts of the trash! 

From meeting Gaie (one of the eight Biospherians), to having the chance to meet local pioneers dedicated to this sustainability cause, we’re all so grateful to have had the opportunity to create memories and officially become Biosphere Stewards. Thank you to Ibu Laura and Ibu Angie who organized this ISU and Rosarmy, Sequoia, Ezequiel, Regia and the rest of the amazing team at the foundation that we got to meet during our stay there. 

If you’re interested in visiting the Biosphere Foundation and participating in any of their programs visit: https://biospherefoundation.org/

The post Becoming Stewards to our Biosphere appeared first on Green School Bali.

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In recent decades, the world has made so much progress toward elevating the voices of women in business, in politics and in activist movements. While we are moving toward a world where women and female-identifying peoples are valued and supported, there is still much progress to be made. 

Here in Bali, Indonesia, women have played a crucial role in society for generations – raising children, working jobs and acting as glue for their family and their community. They nurture balance and harmony across our beautiful island. While their value is understood and appreciated, why are their voices so often not being heard?

As a Balinese-American woman, I am fortunate to see the world through two different cultural lenses. I see how important a Balinese woman’s role is in their home and community. At the same time, I have appreciated seeing more and more Balinese women become successful business owners and leaders in their fields. They are an inspiration to me and to so many women on my island. Part of the reason why I am so devoted to my role and the work that I do for the Green School Bali Foundation is that I get to witness the evolution of Balinese girls to empowered young women who are able to redefine their role in communities. 

Two examples that come to mind immediately, of the many I have seen are of Tirta and Ni Luh.

Tirta advocating for climate justice during Green School’s Sustainable Solutions event

Tirta, High School student in Grade 11, has been at Green School for more than 8 years. She recently wrote and illustrated a children’s book – What is a Safe Touch? – to teach young people about how to protect themselves from sexual abuse. Explaining her motivation for this project, Tirta explained how she realised that most young kids don’t yet know what their boundaries are when it comes to their space and privacy, let alone how to communicate those boundaries. For Tirta, education is an extremely important tool for children, giving them crucial knowledge to identify and avoid sexual violence. Her book will be available in both Bahasa and in English so it can help as many young people as possible.

Ni Luh, a recent Green School Alumni, did her final capstone – or “Greenstone” – project about her healing journey as a victim of sexual assault. A perfect example of what our Green School Voices movement is all about, Ni Luh shared “In Grade 10 I was finally able to remember what happened. I was drowning in anger, the only option I could think of was to talk to my friends. I knew they would be there for me no matter what, but there were Voices in my head that were saying that maybe they would not believe me or take me seriously. I felt the shame like many women feel when they are harassed. But I did not want those Voices to hold me back any longer, because I was tired. My friends showed me so much support and validation, and from that I felt brave enough to embark on my healing journey. 

There have been many steps in my healing journey. One of my first experience of coming to terms of being objectified was my Voices performance when I was in Grade 8.”

The Voices movement created a safe environment where she started feeling more comfortable sharing her feelings and, gradually, experience. She spoke about the rising cases of violence against women in Indonesia, and the importance of protecting women, girls and female-identifying peoples under the country’s legal system. Through this platform, and by allowing her voice and story to be heard, Ni Luh was able to provide support and inspiration to others who have experienced similar trauma, creating a positive ripple effect of support out into her community. She was further encouraged by the recent #MeToo movement to realise she’s not alone.

Ni Luh presenting her Greenstone, Let Me Hold Your Hands, speaking out against gender-based violence

When I see Tirta and Ni Luh, and how much they have grown to become such wise and confident young women, I also see the gift they are giving to Bali and to the world, one that will count for generations to come. They have opened a path, and have given space for other girls to feel they are supported and heard. 

Tirta and Ni Luh are proof that individual voices and impact can lead to cumulative change. The Green School Local Scholarship Program nurtures young Indonesian children like Tirta and Ni Luh to become the future changemakers for their community and beyond. Each child at Green School receives an education that allows them to see the world not only as it is, but as it can be, and to rise in action for that future world. Our community supports each child in pursuing their own pathway to become powerful, remarkable, and confident young women. And, most importantly, for their voices to be heard.

“Being a part of the V-Day event and activism on campus has empowered me to speak up about my journey. It has allowed my voice to go further and further.”
– Ni Luh, Green School graduate

Kania mentoring session with Local Scholarship students

Written by Kania, Executive Director of the Green School Bali Foundation

The post Empowering the Voices of Our Local Scholars appeared first on Green School Bali.

Saving a life doesn’t seem easy. And in some cases, it’s not. But imagine saving a life using nothing but the simple power of a pen. Believe it or not, it’s possible. I am proud to say that I have saved several lives this way through Write For Rights [Amnesty International]. This is my third year participating in the program], and my first year of leading it with the rest of my Grade 8 classmates. 

Every year, Amnesty International runs Write For Rights, a campaign that takes place during November and December,  encouraging millions of people to write letters to protect the rights of others who have suffered injustice, and show people how to support their campaigns for human rights. Participating in Write for Rights has become a Middle School tradition here at Green School. Realizing the impact that students can make with just a piece of paper and a pen is empowering. Being a part of this campaign shows all the students how, even at such a young age, we can still create change for a better world.

Grade 8 students set up a ‘Write for Rights’ booth in the Peace Garden, a gathering space for our campus community

Amnesty International Indonesia selected specific cases for us to work on. These were the cases that we invested ourselves in. Ciham in Eritrea was taken at 15 years old and never seen again. Janna in Palestine/Israel, was harassed for exposing Israeli violence. Rung in Thailand is facing a life sentence for peaceful protests. Zhang in China is in prison for reporting on COVID-19. 

We showed our support, as Grade 8, by writing appeal letters to the authorities and writing messages of solidarity to Ciham, Janna, Rung, and Zhang as part of our Thematics class. Then we opened up a booth for the rest of the school to write letters. In addition to that, we got the chance to talk to a representative of Amnesty International Indonesia, to get a deeper explanation. They helped us answer our questions and form our letters, whether it was for the individuals or the authorities. We used our Green School “persuasive communication skills” to help individuals whose rights are under threat. We put our learning into action. In the midst of the bamboo forest that surrounds the Heart of School (HOS), Middle School students wrote for rights! We gathered more than 140 Write for Rights letters from students, teachers, and parents in our community, for all of these four cases.

Eva and her friends proudly display their Write for Rights letters, advocating on behalf of mistreated women and girls around the world

We as Grade 8 are so grateful that we had the opportunity to take action to uphold human rights. Getting help directly from Amnesty made us feel like what we were doing would have an actual impact. We shared the campaign with the rest of the community as much as possible by organizing a letter writing booth in our Peace Garden, while still following the COVID-19 protocols. We can’t wait for next year, to learn about the new cases and the progress that has been made on past cases. 

– Eva, Grade 8 student.

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His Vision: To design a more sustainable and inspiring world through architecture.

When Harry first enrolled in high school at Green School, he didn’t know that saying “yes” would take him on a journey that involved learning in its nature-immersed classrooms to presenting at the International Monetary Fund’s annual conference in Europe, to carrying bamboo across the campus for building a roof, and today, to living in the United Kingdom, studying architecture and environmental engineering at the University of West England. How he got there was a pathway all his own, unique to his interests and passions, as is the case with all our high school students. What he knew – with the encouragement of his teachers – was to nurture his passions and curiosity and allow this to guide his learning journey. 

 “At Green School, I learned to say yes to every opportunity that came my way, because those are the opportunities that show you what lights you up, and it’s that light that continues to light my own personal path to the future,” Harry reflects. “I think if I hadn’t attended Green School Bali I would have been very set on a well-trod path to the future – go to University, get a Bachelor’s degree, then a Master’s, and then work for the rest of my life. Green School definitely opened a wider range of opportunities for me in terms of potential careers. I always knew I wanted to go to University, but now I’m considering opportunities I wouldn’t have seen before, and understanding how the best opportunities are those that feel meaningful to me.”

Harry and his fellow students work on building the roof of the OROS dome, made from sustainable materials including bamboo

One of these opportunities included joining the student team at Operation Rain or Shine, or OROS, halfway through his freshman year in high school. Like its name implies OROS is a project to provide renewable energy for the school in both the rainy and sunny seasons in Bali, using a combination of hydro power and solar power. During his time with OROS, Harry learned all about renewable energy, the energy grid, how different energy systems can work together, and how to design and construct buildings that support these systems – all while growing close friendships with the other students involved.

“We built the OROS dome on the Green School campus – also known as “The Igloo” – and almost every single student and teacher on campus played a role in its construction. Whether it was ferrying wheel barrows across the field or filling rice bags with dirt. By the time it was built, the field was destroyed! But this became a whole school project, one that most students will remember for a long time to come.”

Being a part of the construction had a massive effect on Harry. The project encompassed everything from earthbag construction to designing and building the bamboo roof. By Grade 10, Harry had gained fundamental construction and design skills as well as a basic knowledge of electricity and renewable energy.

That same year, Harry and his fellow students traveled to Abu Dhabi to represent Green School at the Zayed Sustainability Prize, interacting with other schools and sustainable companies that were taking place in Abu Dhabi for Sustainability Week that year. The experience showed him how powerful even young students can be when it comes to enacting change. 

A year later, in grade 11, Harry again said “yes” to representing Green School on an international stage, this time at the Annual International Monetary Fund (IMF) Conference. While there, he was offered an internship at a bank in Amsterdam. He said yes again, and spent a month interning there. But he quickly realized that banking and finance wasn’t where he wanted to be. When he got back to Bali, he was even more clear that architecture and design was what he wanted to do. 

“The main reason I wanted to become an architect was to make the world a more sustainable place, to put it simply. Architecture is one of those art forms that – unlike a painting that sits in a museum – is out in the real world for maybe hundreds of years, interacting with and inspiring people across generations. I’d love to design carbon-neutral buildings or buildings that have a positive impact on our environment.”

Harry explained Green School’s own award-winning architecture played into his decision. “Walking around campus, you’re constantly being inspired by all the unique buildings and the innovative, bamboo design.”

The Arc, Green School’s space that supports wellbeing, sport, the arts, community gatherings, and more

Now at University, Harry appreciates how saying yes to so many amazing opportunities at school helped to nurture his confidence when it comes to having more mature and meaningful conversations with peers. “Green School does a really good job educating students about things that should really be common topics among students the world over – things like women’s equality, periods, mental health, mindfulness and wellbeing – I think having a basic knowledge on all of these topics has made me more empathetic, given me a better understanding of the world around me, and allowed me to more easily find people at University who share similar values and worldviews.” 

A bright, curious and values-driven young person, Harry represents everything we hope for in our change makers. We have no doubt that he will play an active role in helping to design and construct for a more sustainable world. 

“Climate action does not need to start big, anyone can start their own initiative or project that can have a positive impact on the world. The small act of me joining a Green Building class so many years ago has since given my voice and my message the opportunity to be heard by thousands of people around the world. So remember – one small action really can make all the difference. Thank you.”

Harry co-presents a project to the Green Project Hub Team to get funding from the school “bank”

The post Alumni Stories: Saying ‘Yes’ by Design appeared first on Green School Bali.

Her Vision: A world where we no longer live divorced from nature, ourselves and our communities & a world where young people feel empowered to take action in the face of climate change.

Clover speaking at Athens Democracy Forum, as featured on The New York Times

Clover Hogan is an activist, eco-anxiety researcher and founder of Force of Nature, a youth-led organisation helping young people from all corners of the world realise their change-making potential, take action on the climate crisis, and become custodians of a future by their own design. 

Force of Nature serves as a launchpad to help young people step up, rather than shut down, in the face of climate change. They accomplish this through psychology research, understanding mindset as a resource for solving problems, and being experts in understanding responses to eco-anxiety. They have worked to build out an influential ecosystem of supporters and enablers including fortune 500 companies like PepsiCo and Unilever, and policy makers like those involved with this year’s COP26, bringing together the energy of youth with the knowledge of experience. 

Recently, Clover launched the Force of Nature podcast, a 9-part series – now in its second season – that features important conversations with ordinary people who are doing extraordinary things to save the planet. She also serves on climate advisory boards including the Teach the Future and the COP26 President-Designate Civil Society and Youth Advisory Council. She is a trustee to Global Action Plan, has presented in boardrooms of some of major corporations, and is working alongside some of the world’s top environmental leaders.

Clover speaking on the “Food, Forests, and What we owe Future Generations” panel at COP25

Although her love for the environment began long before stepping foot on Green School’s bamboo, Bali campus, Clover shares that it was Green School’s student-centered approach to a real-world education that launched her into her current career.    “Going to Green School was an incubator for my ideas, and kind of served as my own launch-pad into the world I’m in now,” Clover explained in a recent podcast interview with 101 Ways to Save the Planet. “Rather than rote learning and regurgitating information that probably wouldn’t serve me in the real world, Green School’s curriculum is all about connecting you to the problems that matter to YOU. My teachers didn’t ask me which career I wanted to pursue – whether I felt connected to it or not – they asked me what problems I wanted to solve, and then gave me the skills to solve them.”   Clover’s love of the environment began years before she stepped foot on Green School’s bamboo, Bali campus in the jungle. As a young girl growing up in and around wildlife in Queensland, Australia, Clover never saw herself as separate from the natural world, but as part of it. Eventually, she convinced her parents to enroll her at Green School.     “The most surprising thing about Green School was just how much Clover LOVED going there,” offers Clover’s mom, Janet Hogan. “In fact the only time I recall her being upset was the day she couldn’t attend because she returned home too late the previous night from an excursion and needed her sleep…How amazing to have found a school that students were so hell-bent on attending! The fact that Clover was so engaged in her studies and that her teachers were equally as invested, told me this was the perfect place for her to develop the skills and passion she would need to flourish in the future.”

Clover hosts “Green Schools for Sustainable Development In Indonesia” with Indonesian Government officials and United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon

Up until going to Green School, Clover’s understanding of school was that it is always meant to be difficult. It wasn’t until she was at Green School that Clover experienced a true joy for learning, when students are empowered to align their lessons with their own passions and curiosities. When lessons are given with  R.E.A.L. world context.    “The best example I love to give of my experience at Green School was in the eighth grade, when we were reading Lord of the Flies,” Clover explains. “Instead of just reading the book, our teachers took us to a deserted island off the coast of Bali and sat us down and talked to us about social contracts and surviving in nature. We learned from experience how to solve conflicts among one another.”    “Same with mathematics! We’d study from a textbook about geometry, but then instead of just drawing shapes and designs we actually went down to the Ayung river to design a bridge, worked together to build that bridge with the community, and then thought through how to turn the bridge building into a self-sustaining enterprise.”

Clover presenting her senior year Greenstone project at Green School

Looking back, Clover sees how her experience at Green School, especially compared to her experiences at other, more conventional schools, made her appreciate the power of education to determine how children show up in the world, how it can either inspire and empower them or snuff out their potential from an early age.    When it came to do her senior capstone project, the Greenstone, a moment of clarity came when one of Clover’s teachers brought up the term eco-phobia. It was something she witnessed as a child, when she first started hearing about the climate crisis in the news or through watching documentaries like An Inconvenient Truth or Food Inc. As she became more aware of the growing problem, she also became aware of how good the adults in her life were at pretending the problem didn’t exist. Eco-phobia explains the feeling of powerlessness we experience in the face of environmental catastrophe, the same feeling that makes many people simply stick their head in the sand and pretend it doesn’t exist.    Why is it that we want to ignore these problems? Why do we so often feel too small to make a difference? And how do we inspire people to feel they have an important role to play in solving these problems? These were the questions she sought answers to for her Greenstone presentation , and were the questions that would eventually define her career and activism. 

Speaking at TEDxLondonWomen: “Denial or despair? How to rewrite your climate change story”

“For most of my life, Climate Change was something I read about, but wasn’t part of my lived experience…until the Australian wildfires in 2019,” says Clover. “I was in London at the time, and had to watch through my phone as a billion animals were incinerated by the fires, as friends stood on tin roofs with hoses trying to hold back the flames.” It was a harrowing moment, and one that clarified the very real experiences of grief and of loss that are a part of this climate crisis.    According to the Force of Nature website, more than 70% of 18-24 year olds in the UK experience eco-anxiety. Realizing this, Clover started her organisation in 2018 as a one woman show. Today, Force of Nature has a team of seven – including fellow Green School graduate Kathleen Hamilton.    We are so proud of how much Clover has accomplished at the age of 22, and of her purpose-driven mission to make our world sustainable by encouraging and uplifting other young people alongside her.    “No one is born a leader; you learn to become one through courage and imagination. So like the young people who have not been around long enough to let society clip the wings of their imaginations, I invite you to let your courage take flight.”  – Clover Hogan

Clover Hogan and her classmates on graduation day

The post Alumni Stories: Clover Hogan appeared first on Green School Bali.

His Vision: Sharing the life-changing power of sensitivity through music and more

At Green School, our focus on empowering students and building confidence means our alumni aren’t afraid to follow a less traditional path after graduation. Instead, they’re proving how leaping into the unknown can result in some truly incredible opportunities…like becoming a musician in one of India’s popular folk bands!

Achyuth Jaigopal, lead guitarist and co-founder of India’s popular band, When Chai Met Toast (WCMT), originally came to Green School as one of our “Greenest Student on Earth” scholars. In an interview with India news outlet, The Hindu, he describes how a visit to our bamboo Bali school with his parents motivated him to want to enroll:

“What I saw there left me stunned. The natural, holistic, student-centred education in an amazing environment completely bowled me over. I longed to be part of it and told my parents about this,” says Achyuth, who has been learning to play the guitar since he was eight.

Despite his obvious passion for music, Achyuth first thought he might want to be an architect like his parents. He was certainly surrounded by examples of award-winning, sustainable architecture at Green School. Yet during his years in Bali, Achyuth was encouraged to also explore his other loves – one of them being music. 

“I don’t think I would be doing this [music] if I didn’t go to Green School,” explains Achyuth. “The whole education system in India is such that once you enter 11th or 12th grade you don’t have time to look into anything  besides entrance exams. ” At Green School,  Achyuth loved being able to learn a variety of additional subjects, including entrepreneurship, poetry,, media studies and graphic design – all of which have supported his current career in music.

One thing Achyuth really loved about his Green School education was the hands-on, experiential approach to learning.“I remember taking a class called ‘Your Big Idea’ with Ibu Nikki, where you had to come up with an entrepreneurial idea and execute it in the real world,” says Achyuth, who chose to organise a concert to raise money for The Paradigm Shift Project. The Paradigm Shift Project’s mission is to inspire meaningful global connection through documentary films that share best practices, the wisdom of unheard communities, and sustainable solutions from around the world. “I spent a month coordinating with the venue, selling tickets, and marketing the event to parents of Green School students and campus visitors.” 

“When Achyuth discovered that a visual arts portfolio would be a large part of his entry requirement into college, he was in the art studio every day for 6 weeks, surprising even himself with the quality of his work,” says Ibu Jen, his then art teacher Green School. “That’s the thing about the Green School curriculum, we don’t put students in boxes with what we teach. The High School classes are a unique 6-week program and the students have covered topics such as animation, stone sculpture, ceramics, printmaking, painting and digital media.”

All of this experience flexing his creative muscles at Green School meant that, when his big moment came, Achyuth was ready. 

Shortly after returning to India, Achyuth auditioned for the chance to tour with the famous Raghu Dixit Project…and got the part! Despite the fact that he’d already been accepted to the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, Achyuth opted to defer college and join the band. Ultimately, he spent a year and a half doing nearly 150 shows across India, the UK, Spain, Sri Lanka, the US and more. During this time, he also started WCMT, which quickly gained notoriety  after one of their songs was featured in a popular TV Show.

Since then, WCMT has continued to grow in popularity, eventually expanding to become a four person band. Achyuth also went back to complete his degree in music from Berklee via online school, and graduated in May 2020. 

Reflecting on his experience at Green School and its impact on his music career, Achyuth notes that it was a combination of the music program and being surrounded by different cultures and people with different backgrounds that made him the artist he is today. Green School helped him better be able to put himself in other people’s shoes, and have empathy for their experiences, one of the core Green School Values  that are embedded into all the coursework

Achyuth in fact did his  “Greenstone” project – a senior year capstone project delivered to a live audience in a TEDtalk style presentation – on the subject of sensitivity. He understands the role sensitivity plays in creating music that connects with people. “For me, sensitivity is about taking a step back and thinking about the greater good before thinking about yourself. It’s about having a sense of compassion for others.”

His enduring sensitivity can be felt in every song he plays with WCMT. It’s one of the reasons the band continues to grow in popularity. In the future, Achyuth hopes to continue having a positive impact on the world through his music, and other entrepreneurial endeavors. While we wait to see what other success this artist achieves, we leave you with one of our favorite of his poems:

Achyuth’s Poem on Sensitivity

In every song that strikes the soul and aspires to be bold
In every life –generating seed grown and pristine forest preserved not sold
In every beautiful building built sensibly in harmony with its’ surroundings
In every drop of water saved and energy produced sustainably
In every fresh meal deliciously cooked to perfection
In every rupiah earned through hard work and good intention
In every helping hand and smile spreading collective joy
In every positive action that values the world before oneself
I experience sensitivity

The post Alumni Stories: Achyuth Jaigopal appeared first on Green School Bali.

Her Vision: Support underserved communities in Bali and help lift families out of poverty through education and access to resources.

Indonesian–Norwegian model, activist, and former Miss Indonesia 2017 is proving to the world that being an introvert does not equate to a lack of self-confidence. The young changemaker recently wrapped an internship at an impact investment fund, is working to support underserved Balinese communities through work with her family’s NGO, Kerja Bakti, and just co-founded Bali Support, a centralized fundraising platform for aid projects happening around her beloved home island. In all her work, Achintya is fueled by an internal wellspring of self-possession she credits in part to her education at Green School.

“I think Green School really sets you up to be a person who brings their own uniqueness and authenticity into the world,” Achintya told us when we recently caught up with her over Zoom. “Our teachers taught us that if you’re not doing something you love and are passionate about, you’re denying the world your own special gifts.” 

Achintya started her education in a much different environment. “I came from a school that really emphasized excelling in academics above everything else,” says Achintya, who confessed that there was a lot of bullying at her previous school. “When I came to Green School I was about 10 years old, and remember feeling like I didn’t have to mask my identity or try to be someone I wasn’t. People just accepted each other and all of their unique quirks.”

Inspired by her classmates’ acceptance of others, as well as Brene Brown’s TED talk on the power of vulnerability, eventually inspired Achintya to do her senior capstone project, called a “Greenstone,” on belonging. Growing up with mix-culture parents (a Norwegian father and Balinese mother), she often struggled with the question of ‘where do I fit in?’ early on. As she got older, she learned that we find belonging when we open ourselves up to others. That we can only really connect when we are being authentic. Her Greenstone explored the power of vulnerability to create more authentic connections in the space of family, school, careers and other situations in life.

In addition to her accepting classmates, Achintya is grateful to her teachers for celebrating her strengths and encouraging her passions while at school. Previously not one to talk herself up, Achintya was counseled by Ibu Nicola to take pride in her creative writing skills and share more of it with the world. Her writing has since become a source of self-confidence as well as a way to manage her mental health. She’s learned to take refuge in journaling and creative writing whenever she feels anxious or down about the world. 

At most schools, this might have become the moment when teachers advise their student to pursue a writing career. But at Green School, there is no pressure to graduate with a definite picture of what you want to be or where you want to go. Instead, Achintya graduated with a clarity and confidence in who she is.

“For me the big idea Green School leaves you with is that nothing is set in stone in terms of your aspirations,” says Achintya. “They teach that it’s totally ok if you don’t have everything figured out as soon as you graduate, instead you’re taught to continue the life-long journey of self-discovery through learning that begins at Green School. It’s one of the reasons my dad chose to put us into the school, because he wanted us to understand this, to be ok with uncertainty and move forward despite it.”

“During Tya’s time at Green School and since graduating I’ve seen her grow into an eco and social warrior, concerned about sustainability and humanity,” says her dad. “I think into the future the need for that mindset and skills are going to be in high demand.” 

So, which of Achintya’s many interests is she pursuing today? Well, we mentioned the non-profit work. Really, the main throughline is finding ways to make a positive impact in her local community, knowing that it will have a ripple effect outward. For instance, she explains to us how helping a Balinese family out of poverty, in addition to the obvious benefits, has a secondary benefit to the environment. “I notice that when families are impoverished they don’t have the time or wherewithal to think about what impact they’re having on the environment. When families are helped out of poverty, they then have more freedom to turn their attention to the planet.”

When Achintya is not working on her local-to-global impact, she spends her time reading. Her favorite topics to read and study are film and psychology, and she’s been known to practice what she’s learned by psycho-analyzing her friends…with or without their permission. Joking aside, she loves the way psychology brings more self-awareness and can inspire steps toward positive change. Because, as she tells us, “everyday is about being a better version of yourself.”

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