Our newest programme
A preschool where every child aged three to five is nurtured through love, play, nature, culture and mindfulness — regardless of their family’s income or circumstances.
Why early learning
Long before a child ever reaches a classroom, their sense of the world is already forming — whether it is safe, whether they are wanted, whether learning is a joy or a fear. For Bhutan’s most vulnerable children, those first years too often pass without books, songs, or a steady adult with time to play.
The Compassionate Early Learning Center is the Foundation’s newest undertaking, and we are building it now. This page describes the center as we are shaping it — and it will grow as the center does.
Children from low-income families — for whom preschool would otherwise be out of reach.
Children from remote villages — where no early learning exists nearby.
Orphans, and children raised by grandparents — who deserve extra tenderness and steady routine.
Children with mild developmental delays or disabilities — welcomed into the same classroom, because inclusion is where compassion begins.
Children of monastic communities — supported, when appropriate, alongside their peers.
Every child is received the same way: by name, with warmth, and without conditions.
A day at the center
Learning at three, four and five does not look like a lecture. It looks like play, conversation, a shared meal, and mud on small hands.
Blocks and pretend play, storytelling, music and dance, art and crafts, nature exploration and simple science — because play is how young minds do their best work.
Dzongkha every day, English through songs and stories, and respect for local dialects — building vocabulary, confidence, and the joy of being understood.
Sharing, naming feelings, resolving conflicts peacefully, kindness and gratitude, simple mindfulness — the quiet skills that make every other skill possible.
A healthy breakfast and lunch, growth monitoring, dental hygiene and handwashing habits, vision and hearing screenings, and regular checkups with local clinics.
Gardening, planting trees, bird watching, nature walks and learning to care for water — so children grow up at home in the natural world.
Something only we do
Every child at the center will plant something of their own — a tree, a flower, or a vegetable — and care for it through the seasons.
A garden teaches what no worksheet can: responsibility, patience, teamwork, and respect for living things. And when harvest comes, what the children grow is served in their own meals or carried home to their families — so even the youngest learn the happiness of providing for others.
Our teachers
Small children deserve well-prepared teachers. Everyone who teaches at the center will be trained in play-based education, child development, positive behaviour guidance, inclusive teaching, first aid, and child safeguarding — with regular coaching, so that good practice keeps growing.
Honest measures
Children arrive at primary school ready to learn — and make that transition with confidence.
Attendance that stays steady, because children want to come and families trust the center.
Growth in language and in social skills — speaking up, playing together, resolving small quarrels kindly.
Nutrition and growth tracked over time, with checkups and screenings that catch small problems early.
Parents and guardians engaged in their child’s learning — the surest sign a center belongs to its community.
Your support helps give Bhutan’s youngest children the start every child deserves.
