Eco-Lessons at the Green School In Bali
CultureIn a world that revolves around consumerism and capitalism with an emphasis on financial and industrial growth, it’s hard to believe that an eco-conscious educational institution like the Green School exists…but it does, and it’s thriving.
Proudly on display for all to see, the Green School is located a mere 15-30 minutes away from any of Bali’s major urban centres (Ubud, Sanur, Denpasar, Canggu and Seminyak).
The school teaches all the necessary curriculum you’d expect to find in any North American educational instutition (yes, students still have Mathematics, English and Science courses blended with Dramatic, Visual and Musical Arts, ) but every lesson has an underlying message about the importance of eco-progression. Industrial and societal progression is inevitable, but the talented team behind the Green School is conscious of reminding students about how important it is to consider the effects industrial progression has on our beloved planet Earth. Without much effort, each student ends up learning how to be green-minded every day; whether the student is learning the importance of Sustainable building materials, or tending to his/her mandatory patch of garden in the schoolyard, these young minds are connecting to the Earth and its resources and learning how to preserve it.
There is no better place to learn about the importance of eco-preservation than in a structure that boasts sustainable materials and construction methods. The entire school is constructed out of bamboo (even the blackboards!)– a highly renewable resource that grows quickly and is easily replanted.
The material is treated with borax salt in order to keep away bugs that feast on bamboo, ensuring that the structure will last many years without deteriorating.
Concrete construction is not only expensive, but requires the use of fossil fuel …in the Green School community’s mind, concrete is a valuable asset to architecture and construction, but needs to be used only when necessary.
The vast bamboo interior is protected from the elements by a grass-thatched roof. As long as the roof is maintained, the bamboo will last forever.
The school buildings resemble giant ships with sails – a symbolic design concept that also functions to keep out rain and maximize circulation from the Balinese breeze.
The Green School proclaims to be “pioneering sustainability in education” and “preparing students to be critical and creative thinkers who are confident to champion the sustainability of the world and its environment”. Students come from all over the world to study at the Green School, which has a 20% core Balinese community of scholars. This school is revolutionizing education and placing emphasis on the sometimes forgotten concepts of environmental sustainability. In a time when acid rain, climate shifting and ozone layer depletion are reeling out of control, the Green School stands as a reminder to us all that our responsibility to Mother Nature is more important than ever.
The Green School encourages others to reproduce it…to copy it…to create other Green Schools around the world, and if you want some help in doing so, the Green School community is eager to help. Check out the Green School’s official website, www.GreenSchool.org to learn more.