FOREST SCHOOL IN NEW ZEALAND
TOGETHER WE CREATE A BETTER FUTURE BECAUSE OUR STUDENTS ARE TRANSDISCIPLINARY THINKERS, CROSS-CULTURAL LEADERS, AND RESPONSIBLE DECISION-MAKERS.
YES! Journey
YES! - Youth Extracurriculars for Sustainability
A flexible journey to develop young people's soft skills that help them to get ready for the world.
GALLERY
Our campus is ... everywhere.
Any natural spaces could become the campus of The Greenfield Forest School, public parks, forests, beaches, caves, coastline, islands, and more.
Any natural spaces could become the campus of The Greenfield Forest School, public parks, forests, beaches, caves, coastline, islands, and more.
OUR TEAM & FRIENDS
On a warm afternoon in the fall of 2013, Ryan knocked on the door of Nigel in Auckland. This is their first meeting. In that afternoon, they discussed on youth development and sustainable future. This became our today's brand, "YES!", Youth Extracurriculars for Sustainability.
NIGEL ZHANG
FOUNDING PRINCIPAL
Born in Beijing. As a naturalist, he has travelled many continents. Member of Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand (MEIANZ), Award Leader of the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award.
RYAN MCCALLUM
CO-FOUNDER
Born in Auckland, he calls the Waitakere Rainforest his backyard. Ambassador of New Zealand White Ribbon Movement, Certified ICP Agile Leadership Expert, Youth Growth Mentor of the Department of Internal Affairs.
HANSHAN GAO
ADVISORY BOARD LEADER
Cross-cultural coach, licensed by International Coach Association (ICF). As an educational psychology expert, her focus is on as an Asian how to live in an increasingly global village. She is a member of our Advisory Board now.
SIR BOB HARVEY
KNZM QSO
Sir Bob is one of our best friends. He helped to establish the Forest School, and signed YES! Certificates for the YES! Leadership Programme. His stories and leadership encourage our students to contribute themselves to the country.
ABOUT
We are ...
A FOREST SCHOOL.
The Greenfield Forest School is an inspirational process that offers children, young people and adults opportunities to achieve and develop independence, confidence and self-esteem in the New Zealand natural environment through experiential learning, for example, spotting and identifying our unique flora and fauna.USING HOLISTIC LEARNING APPROACH.
Holistic education is concerned with the development of a person’s intellectual, emotional, social, physical, artistic, creative and spiritual potentials. The Greenfield Forest School aims to create “whole” individuals who are well balanced in their wellbeing, character development and academic success.CREATE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE.
We encourage young people to be involved in sustainable development which helps them to become interdisciplinary thinkers, cross-cultural leaders and responsible decision-makers. The Greenfield Forest School believes that the future is not a mere continuation of past, and in an age of uncertainty, it is up to us to design and create it.Contact Us
YES! I can do it ...Before coming to New Zealand, I didn’t know what academic field should be for my higher education. Although I wrote the environmental studies in my shortlist, I’m not sure whether I can do this and what its future should be ...
… At Whatipu Lodge, I found that sustainable life is possible and is not just in the textbook ...
… I cannot imagine life without WiFi, but at the camp, I got used to chatting with real people rather than just sending text …
… my confidence grew stronger and stronger at YES! Camp. I knew "I can do it". Such confidence is not available in the textbooks.
A lost migratory bird
… when I first arrived in New Zealand, I was depressed and restrained. It seems extremely abnormal to use these two adjectives to describe a 17-year-old boy. But it is true. … There are only two things in my life: homework and games. I lost in such a vacuum environment, and I felt that my youth was just passing away, meaningless.
At YES! Camp, I and other campers quickly became friends. We laughed, we talked freely, we shared our embarrassment, we went crazy together. We gained the friendship and recognised who we are. Education for sustainability has allowed me to find my own values in life, and it also allows me to establish the goal that I wish to pursue a life …
Life is now valued to me, just like a lost migratory bird regaining the direction of migration; and like a lighthouse in the thick fog, leading the boat forward. ...
CONTACT
We believe that people are the cornerstone of a great school. Therefore, whether you are interested parents, students preparing to enrol, graduated alumni, or our friends, neighbours, visitors, your interest and enthusiasm are our wealth and motivation. We expect to express our deep gratitude!