Lingzhi School

At 4,200 meters in Bhutan’s Himalayas, Lingzhi School is one of the country’s most remote learning centers, reached only after a two- to three-day trek beneath Mount Jomolhari. The school serves 57 students from isolated highland communities, where education is not just about learning—it is a lifeline to opportunity, dignity, and a rapidly changing world.

Surrounded by a fragile ecosystem and communities dependent on yak herding and seasonal livelihoods, Lingzhi stands at the intersection of climate vulnerability and human resilience. This initiative aims to transform the school into a climate-smart, energy-efficient campus that ensures safe, healthy, and sustainable learning conditions for children in one of Bhutan’s most remote regions.

Why Lingzhi Needs Support

Despite the extraordinary beauty of its setting, daily life at Lingzhi School is marked by hardship. The classrooms are aging prefabricated structures where cold winds seep through the walls. Dormitories are overcrowded and poorly insulated. Sanitation is inadequate, with makeshift pit toilets and no proper water system. Some of the youngest boys have shared that they wet their beds at night because they are too afraid to walk to the toilets in the freezing dark. Older girls face a different but equally serious challenge: without access to water, managing hygiene, especially during menstruation, becomes a source of daily discomfort and embarrassment.

Families already make enormous sacrifices to keep the school functioning. Each household is expected to contribute firewood every year, even though many live above the tree line and collecting it is physically demanding and increasingly unsustainable. As climate change places greater strain on fragile highland ecosystems, these burdens only grow heavier.

And yet, the children continue to show up with joy, determination, and dreams of becoming doctors, engineers, and teachers. Their resilience is inspiring. They deserve a school that matches their courage.

At 4,200 meters (13,780 feet) in Bhutan’s Himalayas, Lingzhi School is one of the most remote schools in the world, and one of the hardest places to learn.

Even basic needs—warm dormitories, safe toilets, and access to water—remain daily challenges for children.

Students at Lingzhi School

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Total Project Cost

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Snow leopard conservation groups formed

Did you Know?

Lingzhi School is accessible only by a two- to three-day mountain trek.

Lack of water and sanitation facilities creates daily challenges for students, especially young children and girls.

Students walk for hours just to reach school, coming from villages like Gongyul, Mesoyul, and Chebisa, some traveling an additional three to six hours beyond the main trek.

Our Partners

The Lingzhi School initiative is made possible through collaboration with the Royal Government of Bhutan, local communities and families of Lingzhi, school faculty, and Bhutan Foundation stakeholders and supporters.

Photos from the Field

How You Can Help

Support Lingzhi School to provide children with safe, warm classrooms, improved dormitories, clean water, and proper sanitation, creating a dignified learning environment where they can grow and pursue their dreams.