The Opening of Green School South AfricaThe Opening of Green School South Africa
Green School South Africa is the newest addition to the Green School network. The school opened on February 15, 2021 for its first term, opening its doors to 100 young learners.
According to the school’s founders Alba and Herman Brandt, they were so impressed by the unique educational experience their three daughters had when they went to Green School Bali. “We had an extraordinary experience at Green School Bali that fundamentally changed how we see education. We saw a major change in our kids, the joy with which they went to school in the morning, and the excitement on a Sunday evening,” they shared.
Upon their return to South Africa, they were motivated to put up their own green school and to use the same forward-thinking approach to education with families in and out of their community.
The new green school campus is built on an eight-hectare land in the Paarl-Franschhoek Valley, near Cape Town. The campus follows a biophilic design, where sustainable materials such as sand, clay, and lime are locally sourced from artisans. There are over 25,000 native plant species planted in the gardens and orchards within the school premises. These green spaces act as classroom’s outdoor extensions which play a big role in creating a cleaner and greener environment according to agencies specializing in whole school sustainability audit.
Just like its sister schools in Bali and New Zealand, Green School South Africa promotes creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship. More importantly, everyone in the school and the community around it is motivated to live as sustainably as possible.
Green School South Africa will offer programs for kindergarten to grade 12. Honoring the Green School network’s high regard for sustainability, it endeavors to teach the young learners to be more conscious of the environmental concerns the world is facing today and to realize their role in making positive change happen.
Green schools are a proof that more and more people are becoming aware of their responsibilities as citizens of the planet. Through their effort to educate young minds, it is easier to hope for a brighter and greener future.