Where is Ladakh (and Why There)?
Ladakh is (like Vermont) somewhat “off the beaten track,” situated on the boundary between the peaks of the western Himalaya and the vast Tibetan plateau. It is the highest, most remote and least populated region in all of India, and has been described as ‘the last Shangri-la’. As in the rest of India, English is the unifying language, and important to educational advancement and in commerce. The relatively small-scale populations in both Ladakh and Vermont results in intriguing similarities: strong community connections; a will to maintain traditional ways of doing things that work; and the capacity to manage development and change to benefit local peoples and their futures. VIS collaborates with SECMOL, a progressive boarding school hosting teenagers from all over Ladakh. The Students Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL) was founded by Ladakhi students returning from universities abroad to reform education in this remote Himalayan area, and to increase cultural self-a
