How Nepal's stunning beauty could encourage kids to stay in school
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Vertical University, an education project in rural Nepal, was set up in 2015, with the aim of teaching students about nature and biodiversity.
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Ganga Limbu (front) is a youth fellow for Vertical University. Since beginning work for the project three years ago, she has been trained in conservation, filming, computing and design.
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Vertical University's curriculum is based on indigenous knowledge, and its professors are local farmers, herders and fisherman.
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Some farmers teach the use of medicinal plants to the next generation. Here a farmer holds the medicinal plant ghodtapre, traditionally used to treat skin irritation.
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Nepal's diverse habitats are home to a vast range of animals, from elephants and rhinos, to tigers and snow leopards.
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Vertical University transports lessons outdoors, changing the concept of a classroom completely.
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Vertical University aims to sensitize students to the environmental challenges surrounding them. They believe a direct, sensorial form of learning is more impactful and engaging than typical rote learning.
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Outdoor classrooms are called "learning grounds," essentially micro-conservation hubs in varying climates and elevations.
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So far, Vertical University has protected 300 acres of land in the form of 33 learning grounds. This benefits endangered species such as pangolins, snow leopards and red pandas.
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