HIMALAYA
INTER COLLEGE
Preparing young women and men for a future with possibilities in their communities
Himalaya Inter College (HIC) provides world-class elementary, middle and high school education for the youth of the Himalayas. Situated in Chaukori, Uttarakhand, India. It was founded by Devbala Bisht in 1999 who started out by teaching 5 children in a donated cowshed.
The principal of the school is Devbala Bisht and her brother, Prakash Karki, is the manager. Prakash and Devbala finished their college education in Nainital and moved to Chaukori to dedicate their lives to building a school to provide education to the children in this remote region.
The Himalayan Education Foundation (HEF) started to support the school in 2009.
HIC provides quality education from nursery through class 12 to a dedicated student body of over 893 students.
HEF Scholarship Program
In 2009 the Himalayan Intercollege had 330 boys and 30 girls. Local families could not afford to provide quality education for their daughters. HEF launched the scholarship program focused on education and gender equity for girls. Today of the 893 students at HIC, 305 students are girls. HIC is the only private English-speaking school in the region that provides education for students in need.
TODAY
HEF provides scholarships for 181 children, including 120 girls at HIC. Since 2009 HEF has also funded the building of a 2000 square foot library, a science lab, a computer lab, a 1000 gallon solar hot water tank, solar lighting and more.
OUR GOALS
To increase our scholarships to support 200 students.
To reach gender equity of 50% girls and 50% boys.
Students
Express
Gratitude
“HEF has surely given me one thing to the hill community—hope. And that’s the greatest and most impactful gift one could ever give and receive.”
—Laxika Bisht, age 16
“My father is a retired army officer and his health is not good. Thanks to my scholarship I am able to attend HIC.”
—Rupa Koranga, grade 11
“I am getting a great education at HIC thanks to my scholarship and I hope to go to college and become a doctor. I am learning good values and good habits at HIC.”
—Himanshu Nikhurpa, grade 5
“Without the help of the scholarship program I could not come to HIC. I am getting a great education and it means everything for my future and for my family.”
—Renuka Vishwakarma, grade 11
This year, the Himalaya Inter College won top honors in the state of Uttarakhand (#1 of 1200 schools).
Our graduating senior students are attending university at an unprecedented rate. Prakash reports that in 2024 the entire graduating class are pursuing higher education. The students are studying everything from science, engineering and nursing to history, sociology and political science. Prior to the school opening, university was unthinkable for most of the children in the region. Often girls did not even attend high school.
Prakash Karki, Devbala Bisht, and the rest of the staff and teachers of HIC have created an environment that encourages learning and where every child can pursue their dream. HEF has also built a solar powered back up and inverter system so that the students have access to relevant education programs on the internet throughout the day.
So far, around 28 students from Class 12 have secured positions among the Top 25 rank holders in the state.
Young Tinkers Program
Anil Pradhan, Founder & CEO
youngtinker.org
The Young Tinker Foundation builds “Skill Consciousness” and promotes “Problem-Solving through Hands-On STEM” (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) among high school students.
We at HEF are so excited to launch the Young Tinkers Program (YTP) at HIC. We believe YTP will have a transformative long-term impact on HIC students’ lives.
HEF’s investment in the launch of the YTP will
Create 2 Tinker Labs.
Train three teachers.
Procure equipment and materials for the lab.
Provide individual student materials.
Initially, we are primarily focused on setting up the foundational elements of the program and ensuring quality training delivery.
Stay tuned for updates and photos as the program launches in the upcoming school year!
HIC Students Begin Reading Life
“I would like to develop reading habits in our students,” principal Devbala Bisht requested.
Betsy Diprima, retired teacher and HEF trustee, brings her lifetime of expertise in teaching to HIC.
Many students graduate from HIC never having read a novel. Mrs. Bisht and Ms. Diprima initiated conversations about how to introduce reading into the daily lives of students, as well as introducing reading for pleasure to the teachers.
Classroom Libraries
Friends of HEF generously donated funds for classroom libraries in preschool through grade 6. Young students need books at their fingertips to become readers. In the early years, access to books within the classroom not only enhances reading skills but also encourages students to develop a lifelong habit of reading for pleasure.
Silent Sustained Reading (SSR)
The teachers were excited to introduce daily silent reading time, with books chosen by the students. They read along with the students, modeling good reading behavior. The upper class students go to the library or bring a book or newspaper from home to read, so they can also participate in SSR.
The School Library
Today, the school librarian is very busy with students coming to borrow books, morning, noon, and after school. Students from all grade levels are hungry for more books and are asking for specific titles and subjects not found in the library.
Professional Teacher Development
HEF Board Members and long-time educators, Betsy DiPrima and Jeffrey Williams, along with HEF Friend and former educator and Head of School, Beth Frost, have partnered with Devbala Bisht, Principal of HIC, to enhance the educational methods at HIC.
HIC has some of the highest scoring students in the state of Uttarakhand. While we are extremely proud of the success of the students and grateful to the teachers for the educational quality they provide the students, we at HEF and the team at HIC are committed to holistic excellence in education.
Incorporating New Methods of Teaching and Learning
Students Become Active Learners
The HEF/HIC Team is working to help students become more “active learners” by:
Asking questions.
Working in small groups.
Participating in classroom discussions.
Other activities.
Teachers Practice New Educational Strategies
Concurrently, with the support of the Professional Development Team, teachers are practicing new strategies:
Asking open-ended questions.
Encouraging group work.
Listening to student voices.
Developmental stages of each student cohort was reviewed and new teaching strategies speaking more specifically to these stages were introduced.
Students discussing classroom teaching strategies
Lesson Planning
A secondary goal of the team’s work is to introduce a weekly lesson planning template and support the teachers as they developed a week of lesson plans.
School Infrastructure
HEF funded the building of the Computer Lab, the Science Lab, and the Library.
HEF also funded the installation of solar panels.