School on the (Bunaken) Beach

Since the very beginning of our School on the Beach programme, our ambition has always been to create a replicable model that can be rolled out across other communities across the Coral Triangle. And finally we’re there! We’re now live on Bunaken!

School on the Beach teaches children about the importance of looking after their local environment and is delivered by local teachers who are passionate about marine conservation. Now, thanks to the support of Bank Indonesia, we’re able to engage even more people , taking the programme to Bunaken which has around 1,000 inhabitants. We will be working with local public school, SPM Negeri 12, to deliver 10 lessons. The programme will cover the three main marine habitats on Bunaken and Bangka - the coral reef, seagrass beds and the mangroves, with students learning about the role these habitats play in the local ecosystem. Through a series of classroom based lessons and hands-on experience and activities, students will be able to see these habitats up close. We’ll be teaching them about the importance of keeping the ocean clean, carrying out beach clean ups and getting the wider community involved. 

This week marked the official launch of the programme with a ceremony in Bunaken School. Representatives from Bank Indonesia, the local community and No-Trash Triangle Initiative gathered to celebrate this investment in the youth of North Sulawesi’s future. The funding has been provided as part of BoI’s Program Sosial Bank Indonesia bidang Lingkungan Hidup.

Our programme has always been about creating tangible behavioural change which then has ripple effects across the community. Jeren, a recent School on the Beach student at Kahuku Middle School said, “Now I remind my friends not to litter, tell my family to do the same and I’m even learning how to recycle properly!” 

The expansion of School on the Beach onto Bunaken is the perfect example of how replicable our model is. This is just the beginning of our ambition to inspire and educate the next generation to look after their environment.