Welcome!

Something very special is happening here. 

A new school community is emerging around a driving question: what kind of education enables people and planet to flourish?

Only rarely do new schools emerge, and even more rarely, with the opportunity we have ahead. We are designing a school for the future, built around personal well-being, care for the environment, and deep learning experiences.

How will we do this? We have access to the most effective, research-based learning methods available, like project-based learning and social-emotional learning. We have access to one of the most spectacular places on our planet, the Japanese Alps. But most importantly, we have a remarkable community emerging, full of openness to learn and grow.

Our challenge will be to bring our full selves, our full potential, to this new community. That will mean the invitation to share your honest thoughts. To keep an open mind. To suggest improvements. To take positive risks. To take care of each other. To work hard to keep growing. 

If we are successful, then we will each discover new things about who we are, along with the skills to be who we are. That is what we’re aiming for. To gain the awareness and skills to be yourself, authentically and effectively, in this beautiful and complicated world.

Students here will see that while we adults have some adventures and insights to share, we do not always have the right answers. We may change our minds, make mistakes, and ask for your forgiveness. Students are welcome to do the same. We are humans growing together. 

If you are inspired by this purpose, then I hope you will join us on this adventure. We believe that more schools like this are needed in our world. Our problems are remarkably complex, but human potential is vast, and so much of it is untapped. Let’s build a school for the future.

Chris Balme

Founding Principal, Hakuba International School