|
Wednesday, 25 August 2010
By Sopheak Chheng
Sopheak Chheng is a rising senior at Middlebury College majoring in philosophy. He was the first Cambodian to be awarded a United World College scholarship after graduating from high school in Cambodia and spent two years living in Norway.
When he graduated from Red Cross Nordic United World College in 2007 he received a full-scholarship to Middlebury while at the same time becoming very active in Khmer IT development work. He was connected to PEPY via a common friend from PC4Peace and has volunteered with PEPY's IT team this summer. This is Sopheak's first time back in Cambodia in five years, but he plans to come back and work in his home country either after he graduates from Middlebury College or upon completion of a masters program!
Read more
Wednesday, 25 August 2010
By Sarakk Rith
In 2010, all students who studied in Grade 9 of Chanleas Dai Junior High School felt very nervous because they needed to take a national examination to start grade 10. Many Grade 9 students approached both government teachers and PEPY teachers about what they were worried about. We asked them what subjects they were not sure about, and they told us Math, Physics, Chemistry and Khmer. They told us that they needed our help to review the material in these subjects, so we thought about what we could do for the students.
To help them prepare, PEPY provided a pilot training and review day. The first training that we did was led by PEPY staff. The students’ feedback was all positive. They told us that they really loved the training. After that we decided to provide them with review classes every Sunday leading up to the big test. These training days were organized by PEPY but led by Chanleas Dai’s government teachers. We did this every week, and the students had enough confidence to take the big test.
Read more
Wednesday, 25 August 2010
By Maria Hach
When I was in high school, my school holidays were a time for sleeping in, watching television, and playing computer games. Needless to say, my time away from school was neither exciting nor productive! For the 49 students at Chanleas Dai Junior High School who chose to participate in PEPY’s art workshop, however, their month off consisted of all sorts of creative, fun, and interesting endeavors.
Read more
Wednesday, 25 August 2010
By Adam Kronk
One thing I noticed when I first started sitting in on meetings with our Primary School Development Program team several months ago was that in the midst of conducting conversations in Khmer, they would have to throw in the English letters "PSDP" on a regular basis. Since this is a program wherein our Cambodian staff engages local communities in taking ownership of and improving their own schools, it hardly made sense to continue using a foreign acronym to identify it. The team kicked around several ideas and in the end decided on Sahakoom Apeewaht Sala—literally, "Communities Developing Schools"—as its new name. In speaking, we have taken to abbreviating it "Saw Aw Saw," the Khmer letters that begin each of the three words. Since not everyone is equipped with software to type and read the beautiful Khmer language, in writing we use SAS. We challenge you to think "Saw Aw Saw" when you read these letters in this and future correspondence from PEPY.
Read more
Thursday, 29 July 2010
Graduating high school students in Kampong Cham province are fortunate to be situated near the nation’s capital, and thus several of the country’s best universities. Recruitment events are definitely in demand and hosted in high schools. However, increased access to information doesn’t necessarily mean those students know what the next four years of their life may be like. Kampong Cham-based Peace Corps Education volunteers found that many of their students weren’t clear on college life, mostly asking: How do I choose a major? How will I achieve academic success in my university? How do I live in Phnom Penh? What do I need to know about safety and security in Phnom Penh?
Seven Peace Corps volunteers working in rural Kampong Cham high schools and the RTTC (Regional Teacher Training Center) planned and implemented the first provincial-wide Real Ideas for Continuing Education (R.I.C.E.) Fair at the University of Management and Economics in Kampong Cham town on June 25, 2010. They brought alive these issues by inviting representatives from their local community and Phnom Penh, such as college students, professors, and speakers from fourteen organizations and universities.
Current university students hosted student panel discussions, where students and other guests from throughout the province, and interested students from Kralanh High School, Siem Reap, learned more about these hot topics. Choosing a major was hands down the most popular discussion. After hearing their insider advice, over 550 participants took away flyers, brochures, and promotions, and most importantly, formed realistic expectations of university.
|
