“The Earth Awards is an aspirational platform for consumer-driven ideas that challenge designers and innovators to build a new economy. It begins with a global search where creatives from all walks of life are invited to submit cutting-edge designs which have the potential to encourage immediate action to drive positive change. A consortium of the greatest creative thinkers of our time makes up the Earth Awards Selection Committee. Their task is to identify viable innovations that have the potential to improve our quality of life. Once the committee has selected the finalists, they will be presented to world industry leaders with the means to bring them to market.” From The Earth Awards Mission Statement

Please follow this link to visit The Earth Awards website.

The Druk White Lotus School and the Earth Awards selection committee

3 members of The Earth Awards Selection Committee are directly involved with the Druk White Lotus school project:

• His Holiness The Gyalwang Drukpa is founder of the Druk White Lotus School and spiritual leader of Drukpa lineage of Tibetan Buddhism
• Jonathan Rose RIBA designed the Druk White Lotus School master plan and is Principal of AECOM and former Principal of Arup Associates
• Sergio Palleroni, co-founder and Director, BaSiC Initiative and Professor and Fellow of the Centre for Sustainable Processes and Practices at Portland State University

BaSiC Initiative and the Druk White Lotus School

The Druk White Lotus School is a BaSiC Initiative Global Community Studio. Global Community Studios “address the challenges and urgent physical needs of marginalized communities around the globe. Offering architectural solutions beyond simple shelter, this program seeks to provide holistic environmental solutions to clients' needs including energy, waste, and water concerns. Students involved in these studios are taught to look beyond national politics to see themselves as global citizens.” In the summer of 2009, students spent five weeks in Ladakh conducting research intimately tied to the region and local skills. Research included the investigatory building of a traditional yak-hair tent which led to construction at the Druk White Lotus School of much needed devices such as tensile shade canopies, a willow pergola, a rammed-earth greenhouse learning centre, and an instructive irrigation-demonstration water fountain.

The research conducted last year on traditional yak-hair tents and the construction of the tensile shade canopies inspired the design and construction, during this year’s visit to the Druk White Lotus School by BaSiC Initiative, of a large tensile shading canopy that will be installed at school during the summer of 2011 and will serve as the Commonwealth/ Live to Love Pavilion at the ‘A Garden Party To Make A Difference’ to be held at Marlborough House between 8 and 19 September 2010 .

A Garden Party To Make A Difference

The Earth Awards is participating in A Garden Party To Make A Difference, “a rare opportunity to visit the historic gardens of Clarence House, Lancaster House and Marlborough House, as well as experience a unique festival in the heart of London. With its programme of comedy, debate, fashion, food, garden and home, this is an opportunity to get involved in one of the most exciting events that the capital will see this summer. Think of it as the Hay On Wye festival, the ideal home show and grand designs with a sprinkling of a summer festival.”

A Garden Party To Make A Difference will also provide an opportunity to view a world-class exhibition in sustainable design of which the Commonwealth/Live to Love Pavilion will be part of.

Tickets for A Garden Party To Make A Difference are now on sale, to buy tickets please follow this link: Tickets for A Garden Party To Make Difference.

Summer Garden Party, Award winning all day food – local beers, amazing live music, family friendly

Artists include:
Hipslinky • Julia K • Mike Dawes + Amy Turk • Watershed • Andrew Morris • Geoff Allnutt • Brassneck • Aimeé • Marco • Des Simon the Keys • Liz Williams • Jaime • WillB & The Bikini Black Special • The Hanging Tree Band • Audi Maserati

A date for your diary:

Druk White Lotus School, Khachey, opened its doors on 10th April 2010 with Nursery, Lower Kindergarten and Upper Kindergarten classes.  The school is located in the Kargil District of Ladakh, about 7 hours' drive from the mother school in Shey.

The school has around twenty students, two teachers (Ms Tsewang Dolkar and Ms Tsering Chozom) and a support staff member. One teacher is a graduate with a strong background in English language and sports, and the other is an undergraduate with a strong Bothi language background.  One reason for starting the Khachey School was to provide education in English and Bothi languages in an area that predominately focuses on Urdu.  Staff underwent training at the mother school in Shey before the school opening.  The school was initiated by and is owned by the local community. 

The inauguration ceremony was well attended by villagers and the school has their wholehearted support.  They are paying for one teacher and need your support to pay for the other @ Rs12,000 / US$260 / €215 / £180 per month. Villagers are paying half the cost of the Montessori equipment and need your help to pay the other half: Rs42,225 / US$900 / €750 / £620.

Thank you for joining our community.

Two very successful screenings of the '3 Idiots' box-office hit took place in the UK in March 2010 to raise funds for the school.
The secret story behind the smash hit film is that Druk White Lotus School is trying to be just the kind of school that encourages creativity, enthusiasm and intelligence that the film promotes.

The Letchworth screening was arranged in conjunction with St Christopher School Letchworth, a partner school of Druk White Lotus. Here, and at the central London screening, members of the audience were delighted when they saw the Druk White Lotus School on screen, where it had been used for some of the filming!

Filming of the '3 Idiots' at Druk White Lotus School was very exciting for the students and staff - read more

With grateful thanks to Vidhu Vinod Chopra Productions, Reliance BIG Pictures, Cineworld, Broadway Cinema Letchworth and Aamir Khan.

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Many Thanks,

Druk White Lotus School

DWLS is making the transition from traditional to child-centred teaching methods and currently has 705 students on the roll.

Due to increased student numbers and expansion of the curriculum and services, for the new academic year Nov 2013 - September 2014 Druk White Lotus School - known to many as Rancho's School - invites applications for the following post/s (applications to be submitted by 31 October 2013):

• None at present

Only qualified and experienced applicants with an intimate knowledge of the Indian education system should apply.  Further information about DWLS is available elsewhere on this website.

Applications and enquiries please to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

2 screenings of the '3 Idiots' box-office hit are arranged in aid of our school, which was used in the filming.
The secret story by the smash hit film is that Druk White Lotus School is trying to be just the kind of school that promotes creativity, enthusiasm and intelligence that the film promotes.

Do join us at either screening:

London: Saturday 6th March 1.00pm at Cineworld Haymarket,
63-65 Haymarket, London, SW1Y 4RL.
Tickets on the door, £10, cash payment only.

Letchworth: Wednesday 3rd March 6.00pm at Broadway Cinema,
Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire, SG6 3DG.
Tickets £8 from Reception at St Christopher School, Letchworth, SG6 3JZ  and from 'David's Bookshop', Letchworth.

Filming of the '3 Idiots' at Druk White Lotus School was very exciting for the students and staff - read more

With grateful thanks to Vidhu Vinod Chopra Productions, Reliance BIG Pictures, Cineworld and Aamir Khan,

The 3 Idiots movie became Bollywood's biggest box-office success at the time, both in India and globally, and the Druk Padma Karpo School was used as a location for some of the filming.

The above photo shows the 'Idiotic Wall' which was featured in the movie and now attracts thousands of visitors every year who come to have their photos taken in front of the iconic wall. They also visit the school's visitor centre and Rancho's cafe, named after the hero of the movie, played by Bollywood legend Aamir Khan.

A film crew of about 130 people descended on the school in September 2008 for the 3-day shoot. They auditioned the students and selected a couple of boys for small parts, and a larger group to take part in the movie crowd scene when the stars arrive at the school in their red Volvo. Observing the hard work and professionalism of the stars and crew was an education for the school staff and students alike.

During the film crew's visit, Aamir Khan wrote in the School Visitor Book:  "What a wonderful school. The kids seem very happy, and such a great location. Keep up the good work."  Regards, Aamir 15/09/08.

The crew then departed for Pangong Lake with a few of the students to shoot the final scenes.

Click here to see the official 3 Idiots trailer.

Druk Padma Karpo has links with educational establishments outside Ladakh, especially in the UK, France, Czech Republic and USA. Ladakhis and the international partners benefit immensely from this cooperation.

For example, students and staff from St Christopher School, Letchworth, UK, have visited Druk Padma Karpo School several times and Alton College, UK, twice to contribute their time and energy to learning through fun, and help materially by financing items of school equipment. Architectural students from universities in the United States came to Shey for one month during summer 2009 and summer 2010 as part of the BaSiC Initiative Program, led by Professor Sergio Pelleroni. They helped in various ways, ranging from erecting a traditional nomadic dwelling (a ‘rebo’), making prototype shading devices and constructing a new Visitor Centre.

They also made a slideshow presentation of their visit - download the pdf here.

In 2024/25 an exchange programme with the Labyriant School, Lhota, Czech Republic was established, with students from both schools experiencing the culture, traditions and education of the other country. The programme has built bridges of friendship that transcend borders and languages, reminding us that education is truly about connecting hearts and minds across the world.

Construction after the long winter started again in April 2012 with work on two Secondary School classrooms, finishing the defensive structure on the Eastern boundary and work on landscaping the school campus. The North block of Residence 4 will be starting soon too - a very busy summer construction season for Angdus (Construction Manager) and his team.