Malang, East Java
2017 High School Surf & Service Trip

Upon arriving at Green School, the high school math, science, and outdoor ed teacher – a fellow Canadian, Jade McGraw – took me under his wing and showed me the ins and outs of both camps and outdoor education programming at Green School. Early on in the year, he also offered me a variety of opportunities to plan and lead a variety of outdoor adventures and trips. In my first year at Green School, I worked with three teachers, including Mr. McGraw, to develop and organize a week-long service trip to Malang, East Java, Indonesia, for a group of fourteen high school students.

Working partnership with Yudik Setyawan and the Malang Surf Association Yayasan (MSA – Facebook ) this high school service and a surf trip to east Java had a mission to help prepare the Malang coastal community for the coming wave of tourism and development. We worked to deliver programs and supplies according to the Malang community’s needs, such as ESL lessons, learn-to-surf training, surfboard” Ding” repair workshops, beach clean-ups, and community building. Our long term goal was to create a lasting bond between the Green School and the Malang community through a shared passion for the ocean and environment preservation and a love for surfing.

Upon arrival at Pantai Lenggoksono (Lenggoksono Beach), we set up camp on the beach and got acquainted with the local people, the surrounding area, and the waves. We spent the week successfully building relationships with the locals through skill exchanges, including teaching the local kids how to surf and repair their surfboards while being taught how to build a boat from a tree trunk from the local craftsmen. We also organized a community beach clean-ups, shared meals, and of course, enjoyed the waves and some waterfall adventures.