Last updated: 5 June 2023
Families are flocking to Bali in search of experiencing life in a different way. There is a huge community of families in Bali now that are here to experiment with a new way of living, working & learning. Bali is the perfect place to do this. Especially now.
The Balinese culture invites us to slow down and truly enjoy our surroundings; the rice fields, the temples, the beaches, and the traditional food. There are activities that suit all types of interests from surfing to permaculture to dance to cooking to camping. Families are keen to connect and connect their children to explore and learn from each other. It’s a blending of culture, language and global experience.
There are multiple options for learning including International Schools, Montessori, Waldorf, many different types of homeschooling environments and Self Directed learning centres. There are also many families diving into Unschooling or Worldschooling and allowing their children full immersion into the culture, the life in Bali, and exploring their own personal interests. There are homeschool and worldschool facebook groups specifically for Bali that can give you a lot of great ideas, support and connection.
Some great school options that welcome unschooling and worldschooling include the Wood School, Empathy School, Our Learning Community and OpenFlow School.
Mindful Parenting community
Long term Bali expat, Jeneen Gacek, has created a Mindful Parenting Community in Bali which is growing and expanding. Her family is an intercultural family with two children and they started a new way of learning 6 years ago. She shared “it has been a beautiful opportunity to connect as a family and explore our own curiosities. Our kids, as Self Directed Learners, have explored and experimented with multiple art forms, photography, surfing, ocean preservation, building guitars, skateboarding, fashion, starting a business, learning musical instruments, martial arts, costume & makeup design & multi cultural cooking. The opportunities are endless in Bali and allowing our children to explore has given them a deep sense of themselves and understanding of different cultures and the world around them.”
The Mindful Parenting Community connect twice a month to discuss parenting concerns and issues about parenting and learning as well as arrange meetups for kids and families all over the island. The connected community allows families to feel a little bit of home away from home.
If you are considering Bali as an option for living, rest assured there are a lot of options and flexibility in all areas of school life. Bali is a great teacher for us all to slow down, enjoy the process, live in the present moment and truly enjoy our time with our families to live, learn and grow together.
If you are looking for guidance in Mindful Parenting/ Alternative Learning or want to connect with a group of mindful parents here in Bali, you can chat to Jeneen further and visit the Remindful Life on Instagram and send a message.
