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Help Build an Eco-School with Concept Permaculture

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The experience

At the heart of the hills in Bondowoso, Lajer Pote is more than just a quiet retreat — it's a movement toward a more conscious way of living. Here, we dream of a different kind of classroom:
One without walls,
where the trees are teachers,
and the land becomes a living library.
We are building an Ecological School — a space where children and communities can learn directly from nature, rooted in local wisdom and sustainable practices.

What you offer

18 hours of help per week

Gardening: Help grow plants and cultivate gardens

Arts: Help with painting, graffiti, sculpting or drawing.

Social Work: Help with volunteer work in local projects and communities.

Teaching Languages: Teaching a language to the host, guests, or local communities.

Additional fee required

Amount: US$ 6 Per day

Fee pays for: Materials for volunteer activities and Donation to project

Description: 6$ for ( food (dinner,launch and breakfash) and Home stay)

What you get

2 days off per week

Private Room: You will have a bed in a private room. In other words, a room just for you.

Shared Dorm: You will have a bed in a shared room, which means you will share the same room with other travelers.

Breakfast: You are entitled to a free breakfast, every day of your stay.

Lunch: You are entitled to a free lunch, every day of your stay.

Dinner: You are entitled to a free dinner, every day of your stay.

Discounts on Tours: Get discounts for tours and excursions around town.

Discounts on Accommodation: Get discounts for your stay in other hostels.

Free Tours: We’ll take you on tours and rides around town. For free!

Free Hiking Tours: We’ll take you on excursions and hikes around town. For free!

Bikes at your disposal: You can use our bikes any time you want.

Yoga classes: Take free yoga classes at our place.

Holistic Therapies: You can take part in any of our therapeutic activities for free.

Permaculture Course: Take part in our Permaculture course for free.

Use our equipped kitchen: Feel free to use our kitchen and make your own delicious food.

Basic Internet Access: Basic speed internet for you to work remotely

Requirements

Intermediate English or Intermediate Indonesian

Between 19 and 40 years old

Only hosts solo volunteers (doesn’t accept couples or partners)

What's not included

Flights, Travel Insurance, Internal Transportation and Visa

Program Details

"Building a Learning Space that Grows with Nature"

Nestled in the rural village of Sulek, Bondowoso, Lajer Pote was born from a simple but powerful desire: to live in harmony with the land. From this place, the idea of an Ecological School began to grow — a living classroom where nature teaches, and learning flows with the rhythm of the earth.

This is not a school confined by walls or strict rules. It is an open space, shaped by the seasons, the soil, the wind, and the rain. Children learn directly from the garden, from the flowing river, and from the wisdom of elders who still carry ancestral knowledge. Here, everything is a teacher — the trees, the animals, the changing sky, even silence itself. This school is not only about surviving, but about learning how to care — for the land, for each other, and for life.

The school is being built through community effort, using natural and recycled materials like bamboo, clay, and reclaimed wood. The curriculum is rooted in the everyday life of the village — from ecological farming and waste management, to traditional arts, storytelling, music, and hands-on crafts. It is learning that is alive, practical, and deeply connected to local wisdom.

This program also encourages full community involvement. Farmers, mothers, elders, and youth are all part of the process — as teachers, facilitators, and guardians of knowledge. Volunteers from outside are welcome to come and share, but also to listen, learn, and immerse themselves in the way of the land. It is a space where generations and cultures meet, where everyone teaches and everyone grows.

More than just a school, this is a movement — toward a slower, more conscious, and grounded way of living. Through the Ecological School, Lajer Pote invites people to rediscover what it mean

Activities & Shift

Each day begins with nature. Children and villagers gather in the garden to plant, water, or harvest. It’s not just farming — it’s a hands-on way to learn about the land, the seasons, and sustainability.

Morning lessons take place outdoors, under trees or in bamboo shelters. The topics are fluid and follow the rhythm of nature — from observing insects and learning about plants, to making compost or discussing water and forests.

As noon approaches, everyone helps prepare lunch in the open kitchen. Food from the garden is cooked and shared together — a moment of community and gratitude.

In the afternoon, children are free to read, draw, play, or help care for the space. Sometimes, they make simple crafts or learn something new from visiting volunteers.

The day ends with a circle of reflection. Everyone gathers to share what they felt, learned, or simply noticed — a quiet practice to build empathy and presence.

Rules

no drugs, no smoking in area permaculture when volunteer play and learning whit child.