- Our Mission
Educate
Empower
Experience
Our Impact
After just 2 years, Our Ocean School is already changing lives across the Mentawai Islands.
- Our Vision
Empower local communities,
especially those engaged in surf tourism, by strategically expanding job opportunities and elevating household incomes.
- Funds Donated So Far
We’re run by donations and this is how much money we need to keep running for 1 year
- Total donation so far
- Total yearly cost required
- *Total amounts are in AUD
What changes for our students
Employment pathways
Students gain the English and practical skills needed to access jobs in the rapidly growing Mentawai tourism industry — surf tourism, hospitality, guiding — instead of being displaced by foreign workers.
Confidence & voice
With 120+ international volunteers in our classrooms, students don’t just learn English — they gain the confidence to use it, speaking with people from around the world every week.
Household & community impact
As students move into employment, household incomes rise, gender equality strengthens (75% female participation), and Mentawai families become active participants in their own economy — not spectators.
How Our Model Works
A community-led, after-school program that students choose to attend — because they want to.
Students attend after school
Free, voluntary classes outside the regular school system. Students come because they want to learn.
English + practical skills
Daily English education plus practical training designed for the local tourism economy.
Pathway into tourism work
Graduates move into surf tourism, hospitality, and guiding roles — jobs that would otherwise be filled by outsiders.
Community-led expansion
Multiple villages are now requesting OOS schools of their own — growth driven by community demand.
Why this matters: 90% of the Mentawai population can't speak basic English, and a new international airport is bringing 50,000+ tourists a year. Without OOS, locals are at risk of being shut out of their own economy.
Building Our Vision Into Employment
Empower local communities, especially those engaged in surf tourism, by strategically expanding job opportunities and elevating household incomes.
Expanding Local
Employment
Creating pathways into tourism, hospitality, guiding, and local business opportunities across the Mentawai Islands.
Statistic:
500+
Strengthening Household
Incomes
In Mentawai culture, income earned by one family member often supports the wider household. By helping students access English-dependent tourism opportunities, OOS aims to create long-term pathways that can strengthen household income and expand opportunity for families across the region.
Statistic:
50,000+
Annual visitors driving local opportunity
What's Next for Our Ocean School
We’ve outgrown our current shed classroom. After being asked to leave our original rental last year, we secured a 20-year lease on a piece of land that will become the permanent home of Our Ocean School. We now need to build it.
Over the next 1–3 years, our goal is to expand sustainably so more Mentawai communities can access these opportunities — including schools in 5 villages, training and employing local teachers, and reaching 5,000+ students.
Total Immediate Growth Investment
$135,000 AUD
$70,000
New School Building
A permanent classroom facility on our long-term land.
$20,000
Social Impact Café
Ongoing income for OOS + a real-world English training hub for students, plus local jobs.
$30,000
Volunteer Bungalows (3 units)
Accommodation so skilled volunteer teachers can stay longer than 4 weeks.
$15,000
Secure School Land (final payment)
Final payment on the 20-year land agreement.
Recognised & trusted by
Our Ocean School is a registered Australian charity (ACNC & ASIC), operating with formal governance and board oversight. We are also in the process of securing tax-deductible (DGR) status in Australia.
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