Developed in the early 1980s, the Hill Areas Education project provides basic education to children and adults of Thailand's six ethnic minority groups, who live in the remote mountainous region of northern Thailand. The project delivers a locally relevant curriculum, equivalent to the six compulsory grades of the formal education system; promotes the active role of the community in project design and operation; and pursues a philosophy of education for development. Classes are held in village education centers, owned and maintained by the villages themselves. The organization of villages into clusters counters the teachers' isolation in mountain villages and introduces a mutual supervision system. About 35 percent of the curriculum consists of mathematics and the Thai language; the remaining 65 percent covers a broad range of domestic and community concerns. Children take about 6 years to complete the upgraded curriculum, while adults can get through it in 2 years. Teachers help set up village committees, chosen by the community, which serve as links between government agencies and the villagers and oversee community development projects. Evaluation challenges, teacher recruitment and education, suggested program improvements, and issues of linguistic and cultural maintenance are discussed. The six minority groups are briefly described. (Contains photographs.) (SV)