Imagine an entire school built in bamboo with no walls, no grades, a river to swim in and a garden to get your hands dirty, all of this set in the middle of a lush tropical jungle. No, it’s not a pipe dream but the living reality for the 300 students attending Green School in Bali. If like me, you’ve remained a kid at heart, then you are going to love the tours organised by Green School and get the chance to go back to school without the homework!
It all began in 2006, when John and Cynthia Hardy decided to exit the jewelry business and launch the Green School project: a school that would inspire students in becoming global citizens. Green School’s alternative curriculum is based on the Three Frame Day and integrates green studies with core subjects. This is approached through encouraging students in developing hands-on projects outside the classroom. The most successful one to this date is Bye Bye Plastic Bags, a campaign created by two sisters to ban the use of plastic bags in Bali. In all, a holistic learning environment to inspire students to become creative innovative green leaders.
Green School is in itself sustainable since the entire Campus, from its foundations, all the way to the furniture and even the bolts, are all made of bamboo. And it doesn’t stop there: the food comes from their organic garden; solar panels and the vortex – a hydro powered turbine – generate almost 90% of its energy.
You probably guessed it but all of this comes at a price. Annual tuition fees range from US$6,000 to US$14,000, thereby affecting the number of Balinese students – who attend Green School through their Balinese scholarship fund – to just a little over 10%.
Just behind Green School lies Ibuku, a sustainable bamboo construction company headed by Elora Hardy (daughter of one the founders of Green School) So why bamboo? Because it’s one of the most renewable material, it grows quickly (3 to 4 years), is a strong building material with strength-to-weight ratio of steel and has more than 1450 varieties to choose from.
Several bamboo homes at Green Village are available for rent (from US$230 to US$700 per night). We’ve visited some of these unique homes and we can guarantee you’ll never want to leave. See for yourselves!
If you’d like to check-it out, then we recommend you book a tour or a workshop here.
Open days 23 October, 20 November and 11 December (enquiries admissions@greenschool.org). If you are an international student, you may need to apply for a student visa before you can study in Indonesia.
All photos supplied by Green Village unless otherwise stated
