The Siddhartha School annually provides 450 disadvantaged children in the Himalayas with access to a modern education in harmony with their rich heritage and cultural traditions. Their innovative approach seamlessly integrates compassion, ethics and integrity training (SEL) into the school’s curriculum. The school has become a gold-standard for India. We provide support for the SEL curriculum and its dissemination throughout India and beyond.

The Foundation’s science-based, K-12, Compassion-Centered Lesson Plans leverage photographs from our Shades of Compassion traveling museum exhibition, to foster compassion among school-aged children worldwide. The sessions were designed in collaboration with Emory University’s Center for Contemplative Science and Compassion-Based Ethics, and are promoted by both organizations.

Bhutan’s Draktsho Vocational Training Centre provides support for children and youth who have disabilities such as autism, visual impairment and cerebral palsy. The school strives to increase each student’s independence and ability to make meaningful contributions to their family and community. Our strategically timed micro-grant dramatically increased their ability to attract international donors.

The Foundation, with support from the European Union, Save the Children, Bhutan Foundation, Royal Society for the Protection and Care of Animals, and Draktsho Vocational Training Centre, leads free, 2-day Photography Workshops for Bhutanese community service organizations (CSO’s). Our objective is to enhance their effectiveness at leveraging photography as a means of promoting the altruistic work being done by their organizations.