Denjong Padma Choling Academy - DPCA

Denjong Padma Choling Academy was started in 1980 by Yapo S. Yongda. Denjong Padma Choling means "The Learning Plateau Arising from the Celestial Lotus". The vision of DPCA is to reinvigorate the material and spiritual heritage of Denjong (Sikkim) by providing a modern education that is simultaneously imbued with Buddhist philosophy: To work with the brain, and think with the heart, to create a better society for the future.

More than 200 students live at the school. About one third are full or semi- orphans. The vast majority come from poor families unable to support them elsewhere.

The curriculum of the school includes one hour each day of compulsory education in Buddhism, combined with a conventional education in academic subjects.

The ongoing Buddhist practices of the children form a spiritual backbone for their education. Much of it occurs at the nearby Pemayangtse Monastery. Profound teachings and practices are imparted through distinguished individuals in monastic training. DPCA students also perform voluntary Buddhist service in ceremonies and rituals. By this spiritual background, DPCA has produced a generation of human beings equipped to take the Denjong's message of universal peace and fraternity through spiritual values and system far and wide.