All 13 students got there safely. There was a quick change of plan to build two adventure playgrounds for the residential children, rather than a greenhouse, and here is what they achieved:

On March 18th 2007, Ushma Vaidya braved the cold spring morning to run in the Ironbridge Half Marathon to raise money for the Druk White Lotus School. Ushma said afterwards: “This was one of the most difficult races that I have ever run. This was due to the poor weather conditions I had to run in. It was hailing, raining and snowing. It was freezing cold with such cold gustily winds that I really can’t believe myself that I finished the race. But I just thought about all those children at Druk White Lotus School and thought I have to do it for them. I would like to go to Ladakh and meet all the children at the school.

On the occasion of the visit by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, the School of Architecture and Planning at the University at Buffalo, New York State, celebrated the local and global achievements of the Druk White Lotus School with an exhibition and a commemorative book titled ˜Building Culture"

In the book, Brian Carter (Professor of Architecture and Dean of the School) states, "This is a school built around an idea that seeks to provide children with appreciations and understandings of the wisdom of the past that are integral with new attitudes and skills for the future … The school is an outstanding example of a truly sustainable design.

Resources:

• View photos
• Read the University’s news article
• Download ˜Inside the School", an excerpt from the book

Students from Alton College, England, recently raised and donated £1,300 towards a project they will complete at Druk White Lotus School. The World Challenge students will travel to Ladakh and be at the school in mid-July. They will help with implementation of the school’s new landscaping plan by constructing a mudbrick greenhouse and some local terracing. The picture shows group leader, Ivan Bicknell, presenting a cheque to Drukpa Trust’s Annie Smith.