Principal’s Welcome
“Our Students at MIS get to experience a truly global education, within a supportive, growing, intercultural community, set amongst the backdrop of gorgeous beaches, rugged landscapes, and a unique and vibrant Sasak culture.”
Welcome to our official Mandalika Intercultural School (MIS) website, which offers a small but powerful insight into our vibrant and growing MIS community.
Since I arrived in Lombok with my wife and four children, I have been humbled and amazed by the sheer warmth and kindness of those we have met. As you walk through our new state-of-the-art school campus and peer into our classrooms, you see and feel what the country we are living and learning in represents – Bhinneka Tunggal Ika – unity in diversity.
Our students study, learn, and play in an intercultural environment, developing 21st-century skills of creativity, critical thinking, communication, and collaboration. Our parents and families are from all around the world. We respect and celebrate our differences with enthusiasm and interest and are always open-minded to understanding different cultures, nationalities, opinions, and beliefs.
Clear communication is paramount to our school’s success and acts as the foundational structure to enhance and strengthen the “Golden Triangle” – the key student-parent-teacher relationship, which pumps oxygen, blood, and energy through our campus, creating a positive impact and service that resonates outwards to our local community.
In truth, MIS is a very young school. It has indeed come a long way since it was seeded in a makeshift garden and guest house in 2016. Securing investment in 2020 and 2021, a new multi-functional, state-of-the-art campus was constructed and opened at the end of 2022. Through the many global and local challenges our MIS family has faced and recovered from, 2023 marks the next exciting phase in our school’s growth and development.
While we live in a world where global news shudders from within our pockets, where uncertainty and anxiety reign, our world (if we choose to perceive it) still contains many gifts and much certainty. We are still very much the authors of our lives. We live on a wonderful tropical island, we have a beautiful new school campus, we have a plethora of qualified, kind, caring, and passionate teachers, and we have a growing intercultural community of young families.
Without a doubt, we must appreciate this great privilege that now comes before us. Our school, our teachers, and our students must grab and take advantage of this first-class opportunity to learn, grow, and develop into ultimately a person who can be of service to others in a world that truly needs it. Reaching for a better world and the values that our students will learn through their MIS journey embed this notion and very much represent our overriding school philosophy.
My career in educational leadership (much like our school) is young, but with a background in innovation and entrepreneurship, I come with fresh perspectives and a passion and willingness to fuse and take advantage of both traditional and non-traditional methods of pedagogy. We may be on a tropical island, but we are in the digital age of the 21st century, and with the imminent emergence of web 3.0 technology, we have no excuse to feel isolated and unable to reach and access cutting-edge, international best practices, and worldwide accredited qualifications for our students.
“Yes, we are a young school, but we are learning and growing fast!”
It is therefore my responsibility, working alongside my senior leadership team to make this all happen. That is why we have created and are now pursuing a rigorous and ambitious school improvement plan that includes attaining international Cambridge accreditation across our whole school by the end of 2023. This will help to strengthen our curriculum and teaching practices and most importantly allow our oldest students to pursue an academic track that will allow them to access higher education, universities, and college courses all over the world.
It is thus an extremely exciting time for the MIS family. Lots of hard work to be completed, many challenges to be faced, but in true MIS spirit, we will learn, we will grow, and we will do it!
Enjoy exploring the rest of our MIS website. I hope you are inspired and may one day come and visit us!
Bhinneka Tunggal Ika!
Pak Chris, Principal
Mandalika Intercultural School
“Our Students at MIS get to experience a truly global education, within a supportive, growing, intercultural community, set amongst the backdrop of gorgeous beaches, rugged landscapes, and a unique and vibrant Sasak culture.”
Welcome to our official Mandalika Intercultural School (MIS) website, which offers a small but powerful insight into our vibrant and growing MIS community.
Since I arrived in Lombok with my wife and four children, I have been humbled and amazed by the sheer warmth and kindness of those we have met. As you walk through our new state-of-the-art school campus and peer into our classrooms, you see and feel what the country we are living and learning in represents – Bhinneka Tunggal Ika – unity in diversity.
Our students study, learn, and play in an intercultural environment, developing 21st-century skills of creativity, critical thinking, communication, and collaboration. Our parents and families are from all around the world. We respect and celebrate our differences with enthusiasm and interest and are always open-minded to understanding different cultures, nationalities, opinions, and beliefs.
Clear communication is paramount to our school’s success and acts as the foundational structure to enhance and strengthen the “Golden Triangle” – the key student-parent-teacher relationship, which pumps oxygen, blood, and energy through our campus, creating a positive impact and service that resonates outwards to our local community.
In truth, MIS is a very young school. It has indeed come a long way since it was seeded in a makeshift garden and guest house in 2016. Securing investment in 2020 and 2021, a new multi-functional, state-of-the-art campus was constructed and opened at the end of 2022. Through the many global and local challenges our MIS family has faced and recovered from, 2023 marks the next exciting phase in our school’s growth and development.
While we live in a world where global news shudders from within our pockets, where uncertainty and anxiety reign, our world (if we choose to perceive it) still contains many gifts and much certainty. We are still very much the authors of our lives. We live on a wonderful tropical island, we have a beautiful new school campus, we have a plethora of qualified, kind, caring, and passionate teachers, and we have a growing intercultural community of young families.
Without a doubt, we must appreciate this great privilege that now comes before us. Our school, our teachers, and our students must grab and take advantage of this first-class opportunity to learn, grow, and develop into ultimately a person who can be of service to others in a world that truly needs it. Reaching for a better world and the values that our students will learn through their MIS journey embed this notion and very much represent our overriding school philosophy.
My career in educational leadership (much like our school) is young, but with a background in innovation and entrepreneurship, I come with fresh perspectives and a passion and willingness to fuse and take advantage of both traditional and non-traditional methods of pedagogy. We may be on a tropical island, but we are in the digital age of the 21st century, and with the imminent emergence of web 3.0 technology, we have no excuse to feel isolated and unable to reach and access cutting-edge, international best practices, and worldwide accredited qualifications for our students.
“Yes, we are a young school, but we are learning and growing fast!”
It is therefore my responsibility, working alongside my senior leadership team to make this all happen. That is why we have created and are now pursuing a rigorous and ambitious school improvement plan that includes attaining international Cambridge accreditation across our whole school by the end of 2023. This will help to strengthen our curriculum and teaching practices and most importantly allow our oldest students to pursue an academic track that will allow them to access higher education, universities, and college courses all over the world.
It is thus an extremely exciting time for the MIS family. Lots of hard work to be completed, many challenges to be faced, but in true MIS spirit, we will learn, we will grow, and we will do it!
Enjoy exploring the rest of our MIS website. I hope you are inspired and may one day come and visit us!
Bhinneka Tunggal Ika!
Pak Chris, Principal
Mandalika Intercultural School
Vision & Mission
Who We Are
We are a learning community proudly dedicated to being research-based and data-driven towards school directions, strategy, policies, practices, opportunities, and solutions, but most importantly towards student experiences and learning. We demand that our claims stand tests of scrutiny and are demonstrable.
We are a student-centred community school using 21st-century teaching and learning approaches to provide holistic, inclusive education, while incorporating rigorous academic (outcomes/programmes) centred in practical, inspirational, real-world experiences, and the world of work.
Students who leave Mandalika Intercultural School will be innovative, confident, capable, resilient, compassionate lifelong learners, with the skills and positive mindsets to tackle complex problems sustainably, collaboratively, and tenaciously, in an increasingly interconnected world.
Who We Are
We are a learning community proudly dedicated to being research-based and data-driven towards school directions, strategy, policies, practices, opportunities, and solutions, but most importantly towards student experiences and learning. We demand that our claims stand tests of scrutiny and are demonstrable.
We are a student-centred community school using 21st-century teaching and learning approaches to provide holistic, inclusive education, while incorporating rigorous academic (outcomes/programmes) centred in practical, inspirational, real-world experiences, and the world of work.
Students who leave Mandalika Intercultural School will be innovative, confident, capable, resilient, compassionate lifelong learners, with the skills and positive mindsets to tackle complex problems sustainably, collaboratively, and tenaciously, in an increasingly interconnected world.
Vision
To be the international school of choice for the growing intercultural community of Kuta and South Lombok, fostering parental engagement and inspiring students (PreK-10) to REACH their full potential and be of service to others.
Mission
Our vision will be attained by cultivating our R.E.A.C.H values within an accredited International Cambridge curriculum. This approach blends an internationally recognised syllabus with a unique and holistic outdoor environmental programme that teaches innovation, leadership, sustainability, and service-based community action, infused and enhanced by essential real-world skills.
History of MIS
Mandalika Intercultural School was originally established as Rinjani Indah School in 2017 by Rod and Jacqueline Chin, who envisioned an international school deeply integrated with the local community in South Lombok. Yayasan Rinjani Indah was subsequently founded, providing the necessary legal framework for the school's certification and operation.
Enrolment stood at 29 students by July 2018, which increased to over 40 by July 2019. However, due to the impact of COVID-19, enrolment dropped to 33 by July 2020. With the easing of COVID restrictions and the completion of the new purpose-built campus in October 2022, spanning 10,000m2 of land in the heart of Kuta, student numbers swiftly surged to over 75. There is now significant interest from new parents seeking to enrol their children of all ages, both from within and outside Indonesia.
During 2020-2021 the Indonesian Government invested heavily in the Kuta Lombok area which is classified as a priority tourism destination with the construction of infrastructure for the Mandalika Tourism Project and the Mandalika Pertamina Circuit. It became apparent the school had outgrown the rented accommodation and that a new and permanent school was required for the long term requirements of the area. An agreement was reached with investors for the construction of a purpose built "ecoschool" at a central location in the Kuta area. Land was purchased, architects were engaged and construction commenced January 2022. Completion of phase 1 of the campus is scheduled for end September 2022 to be ready for school activities in Term 2.
MIS Core Curriculum
“MIS students learn the necessary skills to surf the ever-changing waves of life, remaining adaptable and balanced along the way!”
MIS R.E.A.C.H Values
Mandalika Intercultural School’s educational philosophy can be simply but powerfully counted on one hand. These values serve as guiding principles, shaping the character and mindset of our students.
“At Mandalika Intercultural School, we nurture not just intellect but values that sculpt compassionate, capable, and responsible global citizens.”
– MIS Board
New Campus – MIS
Our Campus
The Mandalika Intercultural School campus opened on October 18th, 2022, and has since become a marquee contributing aspect to the vibrant community on the south coast of Lombok. Built on an expansive 10,000m2 in central Kuta, it is a purpose-built school designed to serve the needs of modern-day students while still retaining a close association with the natural surroundings. The visible rice fields and tropical hillsides from all areas of the campus create a truly special educational setting for learning.
The Design
The owners of the school worked with a school specialist architect to help them put together a progressive and sustainable campus. Their initial research on the location used was in line with EDGE environmental building practices. They looked at building orientation to allow us to reduce heat gain, predominant wind directions, efficient water use, sustainable building materials, and short safe access for children to travel to the school.
The campus buildings include modern classrooms, playing fields, Manta Hall (our bamboo assembly and indoor sports hall), arts, computer, and science labs. The owners wanted to use indoor and outdoor learning spaces for collaboration and teaching. They also incorporated traditional Sasak architectural design at the security gate from which the children and parents must enter the school.
It is a progressive school, and sustainability is one of the aspects that we have incorporated. Manta Hall is the new school’s main hall and a big part of its identity, a community wellness space, and gymnasium for the campus. This beautiful piece of bamboo architecture will use locally sourced bamboo and sustainable building techniques. That being said, we have a modern building that suits the changing weather conditions of Kuta, Lombok.
The owners have diligently used the architecture as a teaching tool with ergonomic features for different age ranges, geometry and shape, scale, light and shadow, texture, material, and nature all incorporated into the design. The result is a holistic learning village with a strong educational mandate that seeks to inspire students to be more curious, more engaged, and more passionate about learning and the environment.
Manta Hall
The design of the hall was built to be both functional and tell a story. The organic shape of the hall was inspired by a Giant Manta. The manta ray is one of Indonesia’s most beautiful and exotic marine creatures, capturing the heart of divers with its gentle, elegant ocean dance and unique shape. Native to the waters around Lombok, the IUCN listed the reef manta as vulnerable in 2019 and the giant manta as endangered in 2020.
One last fact: mantas have huge brains — the biggest of any fish — with especially developed areas for learning, problem solving, and communicating. The giant rays are playful, curious, and might even recognise themselves in mirrors, a sign of self-awareness.
The Location
Lombok has long played second fiddle to the seductive wiles of its closest neighbour Bali. That may be coming to an end, as people start to get frustrated with the congestion of the major arteries in Bali and look for a more authentic island lifestyle that Kuta offers. The Mandalika project has improved the infrastructure around the town which caters to foodies, surfers, yogis, and party-goers in its own way. With natural beauty and a clean environment, we have seen an explosion in luxury villas along the south coast.
The school itself is located in the middle of a rice paddy, looking at tropical forested hillsides and coconut trees. As part of the design, we have included our own orchard and mini-farm on the campus so the kids never lose their connection to nature. The fruit and vegetables that are harvested are to be used in the school canteen.
The Community
We have a very diverse community from cultures around the world. The people who live here range from local business owners to developers to crypto traders and everything in between. The local community are amongst the friendliest in the world. The smiles you see every day make it a pleasure to live here with the laid-back way of life infectious.
Employment
Mandalika Intercultural School (MIS) is a small but rapidly growing school on a relatively new campus. Initially founded in 2016 with just over a dozen students, after 8 years, we have grown to over 100 students who come from more than 20 different countries. The school is in the process of transitioning to a Cambridge-based curriculum in conjunction with modernising our educational system to include blended learning via online-based platforms for Upper-Primary & Secondary students. Our school endeavours to offer our students a quality academic education, the freedom to explore their studies, and valuable youthful experiences to help them pursue a life of purpose and impact in the modern world, supported every step of the way by our teachers and supporting faculty.
MIS is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to recruiting, hiring, and retaining the most qualified persons based on job-related criteria. All offers of employment are contingent on the successful completion of a background inquiry.
Please check below for open positions. If a job is not currently available, you are welcome to send an expression of interest to info@mandalikaschool.org.
