JIS honours the people, milestones, and contributions that have shaped its evolution from a small garage classroom into a globally connected learning community.
Jakarta Intercultural School (JIS) is commemorating 75 years of teaching and learning in Indonesia, celebrating the generations of students, educators, staff, families, and partners who have shaped its history while looking ahead to the future of international education.
“We are incredibly proud to commemorate this important moment in our school’s history and to honour the generations of students, faculty, and staff who shaped JIS into the warm and inclusive community it is today,” said JIS Head of School Maya Nelson. “Each has left an indelible mark on our legacy and continues to inspire our mission to be Best for the World.”
JIS’s story began on the 1st of September, 1951, when United Nations workers established makeshift classrooms in the garage of their Jakarta home. The International School of Djakarta officially opened with three teachers and eight students ranging in age from 3 to 10.
As the school community grew, JIS acquired land in Pattimura, Kebayoran Baru, in 1952. The Pattimura campus opened in 1953, offering nursery and kindergarten classes as well as Grades 1–6. Continued demand eventually led to the development of the Cilandak campus for older students on 10 hectares of land in South Jakarta.
The school’s subsequent names reflected its evolving identity. It became the Joint Embassy School in recognition of support from the embassies of Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Yugoslavia; later became Jakarta International School; and ultimately adopted the name Jakarta Intercultural School.
In 1991, growing elementary enrollment led to the opening of Pondok Indah Elementary, known within the community as PIE, adjacent to the Cilandak campus. In 2018, PIE introduced a dedicated Early Years Center designed to support the development of JIS’s youngest learners.
Today, JIS serves more than 2,200 students from Early Years through Grade 12, representing approximately 70 nationalities across three campuses. Students benefit from a balanced academic and co-curricular programme designed to develop curiosity, resilience, creativity, and global understanding.
At the High School level, students can pursue individualised academic pathways through the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme or the Advanced Placement Capstone Diploma Programme.
“While our campuses and learning tools have changed, we remain guided by the same commitment to meaningful, future-focused learning that places students at the centre of everything we do,” Nelson said.
That commitment extends beyond the classroom. JIS Peduli, the schoolwide service arm, supports student-created initiatives addressing social, educational, health, and community needs. The JIS Learning Center offers specialised, individualised learning designed to help students participate meaningfully in school and community life.
The anniversary has already brought together generations of JIS Dragons, with alumni travelling from around the world to reconnect in Jakarta and Bali. Among those returning were alumni from the late 1960s who witnessed the school’s early development at Pattimura.
Throughout the anniversary year, JIS is honouring the milestone through community events, creative showcases, alumni activities, and commemorative initiatives celebrating the school’s history and its continuing connection to Indonesia.
“Years and even decades from now, we hope future generations of JIS Dragons will look back on this moment with pride, just as we do today,” Nelson said. “It is a profound privilege to build on this legacy, strengthen our culture of open-minded curiosity and meaningful learning, and continue preparing students to be Best for the World.”
About Jakarta Intercultural School
Founded in 1951, Jakarta Intercultural School is a nonprofit international school serving students from Early Years through Grade 12. Across its three campuses in Jakarta, JIS provides a student-centred international education grounded in academic rigour, personal growth, intercultural understanding, and meaningful engagement with Indonesia and the wider world. For more information, visit www.jisedu.or.id.