Running Towards Challenges
In my first week at Green School New Zealand, stunned by the natural beauty, warmed by this beautiful community - I’m more than ever aware of the opportunities and challenges ahead of me.
*Learn more below about Green School New Zealand, or it’s journey here. Hear from Sal here on Toddle Podcast or here on The Learning Future Podcast or a chat with India at Future School Leaders and at Educators Changemakers Academy Educators.
I never thought that leaving Green School Bali and my Green School Bali family, after 11 years, was going to be easy.
Can you remember that feeling of the pulse-quickening jolt when a challenge appears? It’s like standing on the edge of an ‘opportunity cliff’, toes hanging off, heart pounding, and the wind whispering: "Jump!" That’s where growth happens, not in the safe, predictable, cushy lanes, but in the wild, chaotic corners where challenges live and breathe. The truth? We should all be sprinting toward those challenges. Why? Because every tough moment is a launchpad for something bigger, stronger, and brighter.
Think about it. The best moments in life are often the ones that demanded everything from us—brainpower, creativity, resilience. Whether it’s figuring out a seemingly unsolvable equation, navigating a difficult conversation, or deciding to leap into a new opportunity, these challenges force us to stretch beyond what we think we can handle. And let’s be real - no one ever learned anything from sitting comfortably in the easy lane. Growth is uncomfortable. It’s messy, full of mistakes, and sometimes feels like one giant faceplant. But guess what? That’s exactly why it works.
People who run toward challenges don’t wait in safety for the perfect moment - they charge ahead, knowing full well that failure might be ahead, but they’re also aware that success could be just around the corner. The key? Embrace the process. It’s in the struggle that we become better. It’s not about being fearless; it’s about feeling the fear, the uncertainty, and doing it anyway.
So how do we make this mindset more than just a cool idea we post on Instagram? We bring it into the spaces where young minds are shaped - schools. Imagine schools as launching pads, not for content memorization, but for unleashing curiosity, creativity, and resilience. Schools can be the ultimate training grounds for running toward challenges. Instead of feeding students a safe, one-size-fits-all diet of knowledge, let’s toss them into the deep end. Let them wrestle with complex problems, confront real-world issues, and fail spectacularly before they succeed. Classrooms can buzz with the energy of students actively seeking out the next hurdle, not hiding from it.
Education can be like this. I loved to see this type of learning around the GS Bali jungle - the passion projects, the community service, entrepreneurship, theater and arts (and so much more). And now I’m seeing it at GSNZ - Greenstones, Quests and Footprints fast approaching, Hikoi exploring (learners will be caving next week!), culture, language, music, Nature, and today the whole school (including some parents) went to the important Omae Marae in Waitara. This type of learning is about facing the challenges of today to create a better tomorrow.
The world doesn’t need more people avoiding challenges - it needs more people chasing them down like they're a prize to be won. Schools can be the playgrounds where students practice this, day in and day out, until running towards the tough stuff becomes second nature.
To be honest, I’m still waking up wondering where I am and I’ve been ‘feeling the cold’ (to put it nicely); I’m settling in yet still running towards the tough stuff. But I know that if you’re not running toward the challenge, you’re running away from the opportunity …
…which way are you headed?
Local to Global: Learning the Green School New Zealand Way at Owae Marae!
What happens when an entire school, from students to staff and even a few adventurous parents, spend a day learning at one of New Zealand’s most significant cultural sites, Owae Marae in Waitara? Absolute magic! Welcome to the Green School New Zealand way of learning: immersive, local, and globally-minded—all at the same time.
First Things First: A Warm Welcome
The day kicks off with a pōwhiri, a traditional Māori welcome ceremony that’s rich with cultural significance. Imagine standing on the sacred grounds of Owae Marae, the morning mist rising as the sound of the karanga (a call of welcome) echoes through the air. Students, teachers, and parents stand shoulder-to-shoulder, eyes wide with excitement, soaking in the first moments of connection to the local Māori community. This isn’t just a ceremony; it’s a doorway to understanding a deeper worldview—one rooted in tradition, respect, and the idea that we’re all part of something bigger.
Learning Through Stories
At Owae Marae, the lessons don’t come from textbooks - they come from whakapapa (genealogy), stories passed down through generations. Our students sit in awe as local Māori elders, or kaumātua (elder), share tales of the iwi history, its connection to the land, and the importance of kaitiakitanga (guardianship of the environment). Hearing these stories first hand doesn’t just teach history, it brings it to life. It’s like watching the past, present, and future swirl together in a mix of wisdom and wonder.
Breaking Bread - Together
Of course, no day at a marae is complete without sharing kai (food). Sharing Kai together lifts the tapu formal proceedings on the marae, (sacred space), into a less formal space (peace). So after a morning full of learning, speeches, introductions explained above, we all gathered for a feast, hākari. But this wasn’t just a meal; it’s a reflection of the values we’ve absorbed throughout the day: community, togetherness, and respect for what the Earth provides. Conversations flow between students, parents, teachers, and our hosts, with discussions about global sustainability, local traditions, and how they’re beautifully intertwined.
Hands-On and Heartfelt
But Green School isn’t just about listening - it’s about doing. After the storytelling, students, teachers, parents - together in mixed-age groups - rotated through four workshops; traditional musical instruments, marae model-making, poi, and story-telling. By lunchtime, we’re not just learning—we’re living the principles of local-to-global thinking. From traditional arts to ecological wisdom, every moment is a hands-on reminder of how local knowledge holds global relevance.
A Day to Remember, A Global Mindset to Keep
As the day wrapped up and we said our poroporoaki (farewells), it’s clear that this wasn’t just a school trip - it was a transformative experience. The lessons learned at Owae Marae will ripple far beyond this day, weaving their way into the classroom, our lives, and our global perspectives.
At Green School New Zealand, local-to-global learning means understanding that the solutions to the world’s big problems often start in our own backyard. By embracing the wisdom of the past and the power of community, we’re nurturing the leaders and changemakers of tomorrow. And guess what? That global journey starts right here - at home, on the sacred ground of Owae Marae, at school, and with our Green School family.
Kia kaha, kia māia, kia manawanui - be strong, be brave, be steadfast. Let’s take what we’ve learned from this day and carry it with us on our journey to build a better world!
