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Overview



Indonesia, over the past few years, has made significant progress in its education system, including large improvements in enrolment numbers and gender parity. Begawan has, since its incorporation in 2001, made education for the children of Indonesia a major focus in its daily activities, and has worked within the community to combine living and learning, stimulate the joy of discovery, and release human creative powers, thus optimally encouraging and promoting the best in young people.


Begawan Learning Centre

Begawan Learning Centre provides free, meaningful after-school learning opportunities for the local community, incorporating international and national curricula with an Indonesian and Bali-centric focus. We offer experiential learning and exemplary tutors to develop life skills, environmental responsiveness, an entrepreneurial mindset, and a love of learning for the students to benefit themselves and their communities by breaking the cycle of poverty in rural villages. The national and international curricula are applied, but whenever appropriate, with reference to real-life issues through environmental, social, and culturally meaningful activities. Learning experiences at Begawan support the students to take creative and responsible roles in the world to meet the complex demands of today and tomorrow. Begawan Learning Centre currently divides students into three groups called Flower Buds, Eco Warriors, and Teenagers. The Flower Buds are first grade primary school students aged between 6-7 years old. The Eco Warriors are second grade until fifth grade primary students aged around 7-13 years old. The Teenagers are students who are in sixth grade of primary school up to ninth grade in junior high school.

Beginning
The education initiative at Begawan commenced with a meeting between Bradley T. Gardner, the co-founder of Begawan, and Jurgen Zimmer, an Emeritus Professor of Educational Science at the Freie Universitat Berlin and a Co-Founder of School for Life Chiang Mai, Thailand, at Begawan Giri Estate in the early 1990s. As a result of his professional expertise, Zimmer had developed the Concept of Educational and Entrepreneurial Excellence along with the Situational Approach. His views on education and his influential works sparked Gardner’s interest in education. Working together and holding workshops for pedagogical reformers at the Estate, Gardner and Zimmer customised Zimmer’s work to create a program for Bali’s specific context, needs, and opportunities, where Begawan is located. The result of many years of their direct work was the vision and a proposal to develop a National & International Learning Village. Begawan’s education program is now the culmination of a journey in community education that began many years ago.
Method
There are no rows of desks and chairs for students at Begawan Learning Centre. Small teams work intensively on specific projects together, while others work independently or in small groups to acquire systematic knowledge. Through the available education programs, facilitators give the students opportunities to learn by allowing them to participate as freely as possible in the appropriate, relevant environment. With a motto of “Learning by Doing,” students are encouraged to express their ideas and opinions and take an active role in addressing various challenges in their community. The learning facilitators at Begawan are not traditional teachers, they are knowledgeable facilitators with diverse and progressive backgrounds to support students by better understanding the students’ needs, challenges, and solutions in learning. Consequently, they measure students’ achievements based on neither exams nor scores but attendance and perseverance in learning.
Curriculum
Begawan’s Learning Centre provides quality learning experiences for students through four education programs. The Education Team developed the overall education programs, while the Thematic and Practical Lessons were developed in collaboration with Zaprendo, an international EdTech developer and school advisory company that works with international schools and entrepreneurs, focussing on addressing social issues through curriculum design. The programs include the following.

1. Thematic Lessons
Thematic lessons provide students with opportunities to deepen and expand their knowledge on specific themes such as Animal Tales, Growing in Bali, Cooking Sciences, Dwellings, Commercial Maths, Bees & Butterflies, Teeth, Soil and Farming, Natural Symmetry, and Length & Time. In each theme, Begawan’s students incorporate their own knowledge and research, focussing on introspective, active, emotive, and cognitive skills to create a wide and varied approach to learning.
Curriculum
2. Practical Lessons
Practical lessons focus on instilling entrepreneurial mindsets and skills that connect students to alternative employment opportunities. These lessons satisfy the students’ desire for relevant educational experiences for the real world. The classes for this lesson consist of Cricket Raising, Mushroom Farming, Coding, Mentor-Mentee, Inspiration Class, and Balinese Literature.

3. Proficiency Lessons
Proficiency lessons emphasise the development of students’ intellectual abilities to complement their formal education.  Consisting of Literacy & Numeracy, English, and Computer Classes (basic computer), these learning activities will be connected to actual life experiences. 

4. Extracurricular Lessons
Extracurricular Lessons are organised to give Begawan’s students opportunities to explore and develop different areas of interests. They include cooking, gardening (permaculture), Balinese dance, swimming, and Karate. In addition to those lessons, Begawan holds Sports Days and Holiday Programs twice a year.
Other Support
Apart from the diverse learning experiences, Begawan actively provides a variety of supporting activities for the students in collaboration with a range of community organisations:

1. Puskesmas Payangan facilitates regular health and growth checks.

2. Kita Sayang Remaja (KISARA) assists with sexual and reproductive health and rights workshops.

3. Gigi Sehat Bali provides dental care workshops and check-ups.

4. Palang Merah Indonesia (Indonesia Red Cross Society), Gianyar branch, supports first aid and disaster preparedness training.

5. Relawan TIK provides facilitators and modules for coding and basic computer classes.

In addition, Begawan has a lunch program that provides each student with a free nutritious meal while they are learning at Begawan Learning Centre from Monday to Saturday.

Milestones
1997
The then-Minister of Education in Indonesia, Prof. Dr. Ing. Wardiman Djojonegoro, at a meeting strongly supported and encouraged the development of the educational ideas put forward by Prof. Dr. Jurgen Zimmer and Bradley T. Gardner, in order that a project pertaining to education be realised within Indonesia.
2000
A small kindergarten was established in Begawan Giri Estate for the young children from the local kindergarten to attend every morning where they could learn English, crafts, conservation, health, gardening and housekeeping with staff from the Estate.
2001
Begawan Foundation (BF) was officially established with the vision to create an environment to be beneficial to the needs of local communities, especially their children through meaningful education, healthcare and awareness of environmental protection.
2014
The first 10-week school program was tested. Foundation staff met with students for an hour each week, in one class, in one school, in one village to teach them about conservation and the critically endangered Bali Starling. With the goal of ‘Learning by Doing,’ this program provided students with a better understanding of the reasons for the extinction of the Bali Starling and encouraged compassion for birds. The program was tested and then introduced to a number of other primary schools in the area.



2016
The first after-school activity, the Bali Starling Ambassadors Fun Club, was introduced for those students in Sibang that the foundation staff met in schools. A program of fun activities was developed and held every Friday afternoon, and the number became such that Saturday afternoon activities were also introduced for students to assist the bird keepers washing dishes, chopping bird food and preparing bowls of food for the different enclosures.



2017
Presentations had been given at 19 different schools, ranging from kindergarten to junior high. The program had spread from Sibangkaja village to Sibanggede, Mambal, Melinggih Kelod, Melinggih, Payangan, and Sayan villages after receiving positive feedback from students and teachers.

The Bali Starling Eco Warriors, children from schools in Melinggih Kelod, enjoyed after-school activities at the newly opened Klub Lingkungan (Community Club) adjacent to the office, and were introduced to games involving science, maths, geography, history and English. We introduced a program where English lessons were offered to students in exchange for plastic waste, bringing their attention to the waste problem in Bali. Waste was sorted, recycled and sold.
2018
Begawan saw an increase in schools interested in their conservation program, and the 10-week course has since been taught to over 2,500 students in 50 different classes at 25 different schools.
 
The foundation staff increased their reach to students in SMPN 1 Payangan, where they completed 2 separate 10-week programs, one on waste management and one on endangered wildlife. Students involved in the waste management course went to the Temesi Waste Management facility in Gianyar for an educational talk and tour of the facility. Wildlife students visited three local bird shops selling various birds and the newly opened Begawan Foundation Breeding and Release Centre in Begawan, and became aware of how different these were.
 
In November 2018, the spacious new Learning Centre was opened on a plot of land behind the foundation’s office – Klub LIngkungan was too small for the number of interested students.  The larger space allowed the students to participate in a new activities such as cooking in the centre’s kitchen, karate and Balinese dance. A library was set up, giving students the opportunity to read and research.
2019
Begawan set up classes for the students of SMK Payangan, the tourism vocational high school. Aside from environmental protection, the program delved into eco-tourism and sustainability.
2020
We reached over 2,500 students, work closely with principals and teachers, have a regular troupe of devoted Eco-Warriors, and ensure that our programs are regarded as an essential part of education.

March 2020
With the rapid transmission of Covid-19, schools and our Learning Centre were closed.

April 2020
Many students participated in at-home lessons – numeracy, literacy, video production, poem and story writing, puzzles, gardening, diary keeping, art – were just a few of the activities selected by the foundation staff to provide interesting, active, thought provoking education to the students unable to attend school or the Learning Centre.

December 2020
Begawan re-commenced sessions for Eco-Warriors who were still in elementary school, keeping all health protocols  in place.
2021
January 2021
The Curriculum devised by Zaprendo and Begawan was introduced to the students. Animal Tales was the first theme. At the end of the program, students created their own story lines, sets, and costumes, and performed their own drama entitled “The Friendship between The Cendrawasih Bird and The Bali Starling” and “The Princess and The Sea”.
 
March 2021
The theme, Growing in Bali began with students observing plants, both those planted and growing wild that they could find around them, and included a visit to the local Botanic Gardens. The differing needs of plant life within the environment were also examined, and the theme ended with the first visit of our Eco Warriors to a rice field, where they could observe the rice cycle in action.

May 2021
Orientation classes with the Eco-Warriors provided basic skills, such as meditation for mindfulness and how to develop communication skills. 

June 2021 
The theme, Cooking Science, introduced ingredients, maths – measuring, weighing, calculating ingredients, science – physical changes when cooking, and recipes for both national and international menus. The Eco Warriors organised a Food Festival as their final project in this theme and manned four stands serving a variety of foods: traditional Balinese food, Indonesian food, Asian food, and International food for invited guests.
 
July 2021
Coding, computers and tablets are introduced to enable a deeper understanding of the technology of the modern world
 
November 2021
Dwellings was the next theme, one which allowed students to discover their own traditional buildings, the family compound, the palaces – puri and the temples – pura. Once again, guests were invited to observe the results of their knowledge, and were treated to a display of a number of small- scale models of dwellings.
 
December 2021
Commercial Maths was the fifth theme, ending 2021 and continuing into 2022. This was a practical, sociological, and mathematical exploration of money and its history.
 
2022
January 2022
Health was the important focus over the New Year break with visits from Puskesmas Payangan, Red Cross Gianyar, and Kisara, an organisation that works on sexual and reproductive health.

February 2022 
Upon successful completion of students’ orientation program, four education programs including thematic lessons, proficiency lessons, practical lessons, and extracurricular lessons commenced. The Eco Warriors commenced their sixth theme entitled “Bees and Butterflies”. This theme focuses on the life cycle of bees and butterflies, their habitats in the wild, their roles as pollinators, and why they are classified as critically endangered species.

Together with the commencement of the thematic lessons, proficiency lessons (including Maths, English, and basic computer), practical lessons (such as coding, mentor-mentee), and extracurricular lessons also started. 

Begawan Learning Centre collaborated with Relawan TIK to develop modules and provide facilitators for the coding and basic computer classes.

March 2022
During this month, the Eco Warriors focused on exploring the life cycle of  bees, their roles as pollinators, and their habitats. They learned how to make bee hives, kites with bee motifs, and candles from beeswax. In addition, the Eco Warriors visited a bee farm to talk with an apiarist, see the bees’ habitat, and harvest  honey.

A Balinese literature class was introduced to the students. As the students showed interest and enthusiasm, this class is now held twice a month during special class.

April 2022
Begawan’s Eco Warriors visited the Bali Butterfly Park in Tabanan Regency to see the life cycles of butterflies. This activity provided opportunities for the Eco Warriors to see, interact, and even touch numerous living endemic butterflies of Indonesia.

The Experience

Visit Begawan Learning Centre
Immerse yourself in ‘Learning by Doing’ experiential education at Begawan. We aim to create innovative and creative changes to inspire local children, adolescents, and young people by giving them opportunities to improve their lives through our Education Program. The students will welcome you to the Learning Centre. Depending on their learning schedule, you can actively engage, teach, and participate in a number of different activities with the students during their time at the centre. They may be observing the location and value of a tree within the environment, writing a song and singing it to the group, artistically creating a collage of leaves, using their tablets to research a topic in readiness to teach others. Our education facilitators at Begawan will assist you to actively engage with the students. By visiting our Learning Centre, you contribute to Begawan’s continued free quality education for the local community. You may visit us on Monday to Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. by appointment.

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