The Primary Partner would be a locally run organization that welcomes joint educational projects, and multi-cultural student bodies living, studying and working together for a specific purpose. Primary partners would have the following:

1. Purpose
Joint project/s at VIS sites bring both sets of students together. In Ladakh, for instance, students run the solar-powered campus as well as work together on projects such as designing and building an efficient passive solar nomadic tent. Other sites might have connections to social entrepreneurs, performing arts, and/or an emphasis on bringing research, teaching and community outreach together. The curriculum and purpose of future VIS sites depends on the goals and purposes of the primary local partner. Potential focal points for VIS partnerships abroad might include:

• Interest in ethics of sustainable living. Cross-cultural learning and discussion on uses of natural resources at home and away is accomplished very well in Ladakh, and may be a focus for other VIS sites.
• Educational reform initiatives.  This is rich in possibilities for VIS partnerships.
• Media.  Intensive print and/or radio workshop semesters for students with a serious interest in journalism, in countries with rich community newspapers, magazines or radio programming, and story-telling traditions.
• Hands-On Design/Build Projects.  VIS could bring a classroom framework to an organization that does appropriate technology outreach in rural areas, or an existing experiential or applied technology program instructing local youth.
• Cultural Revitalization/Preservation/Awareness.   A VIS partnership with an organization that works with youth to re-embrace fading languages, artisanal practices, music, arts, etc could become an intercultural program.
• A Circus Semester.  This would pair American students with some background in the circus arts with youth from countries with a strong circus tradition.

2. People (and Wangchuks!)
People in different cultures/contexts will have different experience/strengths to draw on. For VIS to be a catalyst for enhancing the goals of a local organization AND creating intercultural connections, it is important to connect with local networks, and community residents, immersed in local endeavors. Local leadership is also key. Sonam Wangchuk, the founder of our partner school in Ladakh, the Student’s Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL), is a visionary educational reformer, and a leader in the uses of appropriate technologies. He has been key to shaping the mutually beneficial aspects of the SECMOL/VIS partnership. Finding the "Wangchuk" at a site is crucial.

3. Place
The concept of cultural immersion is central to VIS programs, so the two (or more) sets of students at a program site would need to be able to live and work together. Because VIS programs are designed to be affordable, and accessible for qualified students from any economic background, VIS sites rely on low costs for room and board. Also key are appropriate living arrangements for VIS students, access to medical and communication resources nearby, and access to surrounding places of cultural and physical interest (i.e. not completely out in the bush).