Green School Bali Awarded "Greenest School on Earth" by U.S. Green Building Council

Online, April 26, 2012 (Newswire.com) - "The school that we've selected as this year's Greenest School on Earth is halfway across the world and a world apart from the best educational environments that we typically encounter at the Center, demonstrating that the best green schools are as much about a connection to our past as they are a glimpse into our future," said Rachel Gutter, director of the Center for Green Schools, who presented the award in conjunction with the Center's announcement of the first ever Green Apple Day of Service, to be held on September 29, 2012 to support healthy and sustainable schools. "Green School Bali possesses a deep, even spiritual connection with the community, and exists in perfect harmony with the earth it sits on."

Chris Thompson, Green School's Managing Director said, "We have created an incredibly unique learning environment where every aspect of our existence is done in the most sustainable way possible. We are honored that Green School has been recognized by the USGBC for our pioneering work in combining progressive, student-centered learning with sustainable practices. We have received a considerable amount of attention and acclaim from around the world in our four years of operation, but receiving this award is really the pinnacle."

Green School boasts one of the most beautiful campuses imaginable, with extraordinary bamboo structures rising out of the jungle, surrounded by lush organic gardens and bisected by the Ayung River. Green School served an international population of 300 students from 25 countries in Pre-K through Grade 11 in the 2011-2012 school year, with boarding available for Grades 6 and up. The school will expand to Grade 12 in 2012-2013, and also supports a scholarship program for local Balinese children.

Students learn traditional subjects including math, science, literacy, and computers, but classroom academics at Green School come wrapped in rich layers of experiential and environmental learning, inspiring a strong sense of connection to and responsibility for the natural world while at the same time delivering core skills and content. As much as possible, Green School students learn through the many hands-on, environmental projects taking place around the campus.

Green School has been designed and built to have as small an impact as possible on the environment. No earth was moved or trees cut down during the construction process. Bamboo is the primary structural material, but other local, natural, and renewable elements are also employed, including alang-alang thatch, volcanic stone, rammed earth, and traditional Balinese mud wall. Open air structures allow for natural light and ventilation, and aided by ceiling fans stay cool even during the hottest days in the jungle. Green School grows much of the food it consumes, including organic rice, fruit, and vegetables through a bio-intensive gardening system. The school also is home to a number of environmental initiatives, including a breeding project in association with the Begawan Foundation for several endangered bird species, highlighted by the beautiful and nearly extinct in the wild Bali Starling, in specially built aviaries.

With generous financial and technical support from Akuo Energy and the Akuo Foundation, Green School is in the process of getting off the grid through renewable energy sources. By using their expertise in developing eco-minded photovoltaic schemes, Akuo's engineers collaborated with members of the Green School community to conceive a customized solar project focused both on the electrical design of the installations and the innovative design of the photovoltaic modules. Akuo is also assisting Green School in implementing a Gravitational Water Vortex, a low-impact micro-hydro power project that will create electricity from the Ayung River flowing through the campus.