A group of high schools in coastal Lombok is proving that change can start in the classroom and ripple out to the ocean. Through the School of Earth 2.0: Ocean Changemakers Movement, teachers and students are taking waste education into their own hands, transforming habits and protecting their coasts.
This initiative continues from School of Earth 1.0 as part of INSPIRASI action project, which first introduced waste awareness in schools. The School of Earth 2.0 project is also part of the Small Grant Program of the YSEALI Blue Economy Workshop, where Ocean Guardians was selected as one of only five winning teams. The group, led by INSPIRASI alum Lalu Irfan Hadimi, includes six young changemakers from Cambodia, Timor-Leste, and Indonesia, reflecting a spirit of regional collaboration for ocean protection.
At its core, the project aims to mainstream waste management education in schools. Before this, most schools had no structured lessons on waste, leaving students with little awareness of how waste impacts the environment. To address this, the project introduced a Waste Management Learning Module tailored for Lombok’s context.
Eight teachers from four coastal schools were trained not only on how to teach the module, but also to strengthen their own environmental awareness. The training linked waste issues to everyday realities, including religious values and Sasak cultural perspectives, making the topic deeply relevant. Teachers began to see themselves not just as educators, but also as environmental activists committed to sustaining the learning beyond the project.
Meanwhile, 50 students from OSIS and Scouts took part in experiential learning—beach clean-ups, waste sorting, and waste-to-art activities—allowing them to witness the real impact of waste on the ocean. With their leadership roles, these students are now becoming environmental influencers, spreading awareness among peers.
The results are tangible. The project prevented 413 kilograms of waste from reaching the sea, with 92 kilograms recycled. Two schools sent 426 kilograms of recyclables to a local facility for processing. In total, the project has reached over 5,500 beneficiaries across school communities.
“Through this project, we are not only teaching waste management,” said Irfan. “We are shaping a new social structure where sustainability becomes a lifestyle.”
With the School of Earth 2.0 – Ocean Changemakers Movement, Lombok’s young generation is stepping forward as Ocean Guardians, turning waste education into real action for cleaner coasts and a thriving blue economy. Watch the video from the project below.