Operation Phato is a project where we are undertaking to build a second story onto an existing building, so that it can function as a special needs school. This project was devised by Venture Scouts (ages 16-19) to enhance and to provide the learning and living environment of special needs students in a developing area of Thailand (Phato Village). The Venture Scout Group are working in cooperation with the Thai Child Development Foundation to complete this project. The project was born out of a past member (now living in Australia) volunteering with the TCDF during his travels. He spoke to the venture group about his experiences on a visit home to Ireland and the Ventures wanted to work with this well deserving charity. Our project will address the major issue of lack of adequate education facilities for special needs children in the developing world. The building will provide state of the art facilities for the special needs children of Phato and surrounding villages. As well as the building aspect our Venture Scouts will undergo a teaching programme where they will work with the teachers of the school, passing on tried and tested special educational methodolgies available to special needs children in Ireland. The programme will teach through games, art and fun, and include some basic English so that the children may eventually have the opportunity to enter the main stream English medium school system, thereby aligning with the 2nd Millennium Development Goal, “Ensure that by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling”. We plan to build a second story to an existing building so that it will serve as a special needs school. The second story will have a further six rooms, to include two classrooms, a computer room, a therapy room, washrooms and an office. The existing hall below would serve as a play and recreation room and also accommodation for some of the more severe cases. The existing building is owned by the TCDF, and the extension works will be completed funded by this project. On completion of the project, the building in its entirety will be handed over to the TCDF. The current building is totally inadequate for the special needs children attending the school. They need separate learning environments, for different ages and different severities of need. The need a suitable therapy room so that their specific needs be met wholly and holistically. There is also a need to expand the accommodation facilities available for the more severe cases. The upgrade of this building will dramatically increase the potential numbers attending the school. It will also provide an opportunity for some of the children with less severe cases of special needs to be integrated into main stream schooling. We intend to include the community in our work by living as part of, and working closely with the locals on the building project and also teaching games, songs and culture, to then impart an ownership of the project to the local community. As an aside, and when our building day is done, we will be working with the special needs teachers in the school, as well as spending time with the children themselves. Our goal is to roll out the most modern and up-to-date special education methodologies available in Ireland to the teaching staff, including basic English modules. We aredoing this in conjunction with Enable Ireland, as they are providing us with training and classroom resources to bring with us.