August 1, 2016
Green School at Monestevole, anyone?
I studied finance in an expensive university in Boston. The only thing i learned was what i didn't want to do with my life. Which is a lesson in itself. Before that, I went to a private school in Switzerland, a bubble, where i would never send my kids.
The brightest kids i've ever met where the three young sons of our tribe-managers at the Tribewanted Fiji project, age 7, 9 and 11, who lived on the island of Vorovoro for two years. They were homeschooled by their mother, but the island was their real teacher. They could read Moby Dick and grow their own food, name the 50 US states and build a bamboo tree house, speak English and the local Fijian tribal language. Interact with international tribe-members and the local kids. I bet colleges would line up to have kids like this apply.
But do they really want to go to college? The education system globally, is in shambles, it needs a complete overhaul. Students are taught to be part of the current paradigm at the young age of 20, they are already put in a box. In Italy they come out with absolutely no skills to tackle the real world, in the US indebted by hundreds of thousands of US$, tying them in to the system for twenty years.
At Monestevole, we have all kinds of guests and workshops, its good to mix it up. But my absolute favorite is when we have students from all over the world, from Student Diplomacy Corps to the Green School of Bali, these students are like sponges. They absorb everything that we do in Monestevole, participate in all the activities and absolutely immerse themselves in the life of a sustainable community. We plant a seed that we hope that these students take away and that it grows , helping them make alternative decisions about what kind of education they want to receive and what kind of life they want to lead.
The Green school of Bali is my absolute favorite alternative education model. This is where I'd want my kids to go to school.
In October 2016, we were fortunate to host a group of them at Monestevole. 21 teenagers and four teachers participated in the daily activities of the farm and worked on a show for COP22, the climate conference in Marrakesh. They infused us with a breath of fresh air and reminded us why we do what we do. If all the kids in the word were like these bright minds the world would be a better place, it gives me hope for the future. We want this seed to grow. We have the potential to develop a Green School of Monestevole in the years to come. If you are interested, let us know!
But do they really want to go to college? The education system globally, is in shambles, it needs a complete overhaul. Students are taught to be part of the current paradigm at the young age of 20, they are already put in a box. In Italy they come out with absolutely no skills to tackle the real world, in the US indebted by hundreds of thousands of US$, tying them in to the system for twenty years.
At Monestevole, we have all kinds of guests and workshops, its good to mix it up. But my absolute favorite is when we have students from all over the world, from Student Diplomacy Corps to the Green School of Bali, these students are like sponges. They absorb everything that we do in Monestevole, participate in all the activities and absolutely immerse themselves in the life of a sustainable community. We plant a seed that we hope that these students take away and that it grows , helping them make alternative decisions about what kind of education they want to receive and what kind of life they want to lead.
The Green school of Bali is my absolute favorite alternative education model. This is where I'd want my kids to go to school.
In October 2016, we were fortunate to host a group of them at Monestevole. 21 teenagers and four teachers participated in the daily activities of the farm and worked on a show for COP22, the climate conference in Marrakesh. They infused us with a breath of fresh air and reminded us why we do what we do. If all the kids in the word were like these bright minds the world would be a better place, it gives me hope for the future. We want this seed to grow. We have the potential to develop a Green School of Monestevole in the years to come. If you are interested, let us know!