Round  Square  International  Service  

Cambodia    December  2015  

 

     

Project  Report  David  Kyle  –  Project  Leader  

       

Student  Leadership  Interns:    Name   School   From  Sophia  Booij   Trinity  Anglican  School   Australia  Anina  Conradie   St  Philips  College   Australia  Hannah  Ware   Gordonstoun   UK  Taylor  Nagamatsu   St  Clements  School   Canada  Ellen  Taylor   St  Clements  School   Canada  Zarli  Skinner   Westminster  School   Australia  Jack  Agnew   Westminster  School   Australia  Henry  Prutton   Abbotsholme   UK    Adults:    David  Kyle  (Project  Leader)   Scotch  College,  Perth,  Australia  Meg  Chamberlin  (Deputy  Leader  1)   Collingwood  School,  Vancouver,  Canada  Anez  Katre  (Deputy  Leader  2)   Doon  School,  Dehradun,  India    Team  2  Students:    Name   School   From  Phoebe  Wiggins   Westminster  School   Australia  Bhawana  Dahiya   Vidya  Divya  Jindal  School   India  Chelsea  Aristone   St  Clements  School   Canada  Ketki  Balyan   Vidya  Divya  Jindal  School   India  Carl  Hentges   Gordonstoun   UK  Azeeza  Randhawa   Strathcona  Tweedsmuir  School   Canada  Ziyun  Zou  (Violet)   Shenzhen  (Nanshan)  Concord  College  

of  Sino-­‐Canada    China  

Yash  Jain   Mayo  College   India  Raghav  Banger   Mayo  College   India  Rudaksh  Nahar   Mayo  College   India                    

 

Itinerary  Date   Activities  

Dec  4th    

• Arrival  to  Siem  Reap  City  and  pick  up  to  hotel  for  Group  (A)  • Lunch  in  Siem  Reap  City  • R&R  Afternoon  while  waiting  for  whole  group  to  arrive  • Cambodia  briefing  from  Camps  International  staff  • Welcome  dinner  

Dec  5th            

• Transfer  to  Beng  Mealea  Camp  (90  minutes)  • Brief  and  orientation  in  camp  • Lunch  in  camp  • Local  language  study  • Community  tour  • Dinner  in  camp  

Dec  6th  -­‐  09th     • Community  project  days  

Dec  10th      

 

• Community  project  work  • Lunch  in  camp  • Transfer  to  hotel  in  Siem  Reap  • City  tour    • Dinner  in  Siem  Reap  City  

Dec  11th   • Sunrise  at  Angkor  Wat  • Group  back  to  the  hotel  for  breakfast  and  rest  • Returned  to  Angkor  Wat  temple  at  10am  • Lunch  near  Angkor  Wat  temple  • Visit  Angkor  Thom,  Bayon  • Visit  Ta  Prohm  temple  • Dinner  in  Siem  Reap  City  

Dec  12th   • Briefing  and  preparation  for  next  team  arrival  Dec  13th   • Arrival  to  Siem  Reap  City  and  pick  up  to  hotel  for  Group  (B)  

• Lunch  in  Siem  Reap  City  • R&R  Afternoon  • Cambodia  brief  from  Camps  International  staff  • Welcome  dinner  

Dec  14th   • Transfer  to  Beng  Mealea  Camp  (90  minutes)  • Brief  and  orientation  in  camp  • Lunch  in  camp  • Local  language  study  • Community  tour  and  visit  to  Ankgor-­‐era  temple  ruins  • Dinner/  in  camp  

Dec  15th  –  20th     • Community  Project  Days  Dec  21st     • Transfer  to  Siem  Reap  City  after  breakfast  

• Visit  Angkor  Artisan  Workshop  

• Visit  the  silk  farm  • Lunch  in  Siem  Reap  city  • Check  in  to  hotel  • City  tour  and  shopping!  • Dinner  in  Siem  Reap  City  

Dec  22nd   • Sunrise  at  Angkor  Wat  (with  packed  breakfast  from  the  hotel)  • Visit  Angkor  Wat  temple  • Group  returned  to  Hotel  at  10  am  • Lunch  at  Hotel  • Group  returned  to  Angkor  at  2.30pm  • Final  team  dinner  at  Khmer  Empire  

Dec  23rd   Departure  day    

The  Project  Work  The  project  work  was  based  around  two  sites.  The  first  saw  us  building  a  new  English  classroom  near  the  Beng  Mealea  Camp  and  the  second  saw  us  based  at  the  local  school  where  there  were  a  variety  of  smaller  tasks  to  complete.      We  woke  up  from  our  beds  at  6.30am  in  preparation  to  arrive  at  the  camp  for  the  first  time.  We  ate  a  yummy,  rice-­‐filled  breakfast  at  7am  in  the  hotel  and  headed  into  the  bus  for  the  90-­‐minute  drive  to  Beng  Mealea  camp.  Once  we  arrived  we  had  an  orientation  given  to  us  by  Han,  the  Camp  Manager  who  explained  some  of  the  history  of  the  area  and  some  of  the  camp  rules.      We  ate  a  delicious  lunch  and  headed  off  on  a  community  tour.  At  the  beginning  of  the  walk,  we  visited  a  monk  who  performed  a  water  blessing  on  us.  This  was  great  as  we  learnt  a  bit  about  the  local  culture  and  about  the  meaning  of  the  water  blessing.  The  walk  continued  and  we  made  our  way  through  the  community,  learning  about  some  of  the  history  and  families  that  lived  there  which  was  amazing.  We  made  our  way  back  to  the  camp,  getting  back  at  5.45pm.  We  had  showers  and  a  delicious  dinner  and  we  all  headed  off  for  an  early  night  after  a  long,  but  incredible  day!    New  English  Classroom  This  project  involved  a  lot  of  bricklaying  and  plastering.  Towards  the  end,  we  did  some  preparation  work  for  the  construction  of  the  beams  to  complete  the  roof  that  has  been  put  on  by  the  local  community  since  we  departed.  The  students  did  everything  from  mixing  cement  by  hand,  to  laying  bricks,  unloading  bricks,  and  setting  up  ‘brickie’s  lines’  up  to  the  work  site.  The  team  worked  alongside  local  labourers  who  showed  them  what  to  do,  and  they  took  on  their  new  skills  with  ease!      

   This  morning  when  we  woke  up,  the  weather  was  cool  and  the  sunrise  was  beautiful.  We  had  breakfast  and  then  walked  to  the  project  site.  Han  and  San,  our  team  supervisors  taught  us  how  to  lay  bricks  because  none  of  us  had  ever  done  it  before.  They  described  it  as  a  “hot  dog  and  ice-­‐cream”  activity,  relating  to  the  shape  of  the  cement  when  you  put  it  on  the  bricks:  “hot  dog  being  a  horizontal  slug  of  cement  along  the  brick  underneath,  and  ice-­‐cream  is  a  pyramid  shaped  slug  of  cement  on  the  side  of  the  new  brick  to  hold  it  in  place!  Luckily  the  project  site  was  shaded  so  working  wasn’t  too  difficult.  Over  the  lunch  break,  Han  taught  us  how  to  make  bracelets  using  colourful  string  –  this  was  a  great  activity  to  do  during  the  height  of  the  day’s  heat  so  that  we  could  work  better  in  the  afternoon.    After  working,  we  played  a  very  tense  game  of  volleyball:  Australians  vs  The  World  (“World”  meaning  Cambodia,  Canada  and  the  UK!).  Despite  a  very  close  game,  the  Australians  won  the  best  of  three  and  displayed  excellent  skill  and  teamwork  in  a  thrilling  final  set!    

   When  we  returned  to  camp  in  the  second  half  of  the  trip,  the  classroom  had  been  prepared  with  local  ‘scaffolding’,  which  would  allow  us  to  continue  to  work  there  doing  some  of  the  rendering.  The  site  was  about  300  metres  from  our  camp  and  set  amongst  a  group  of  eucalyptus  trees  that  provided  all-­‐encompassing  shade  through  the  day  which  is  not  to  be  underestimated  in  such  a  hot  and  humid  environment.    

 

A  huge  amount  of  work  was  completed  which  can  be  viewed  from  the  photos  that  are  designed  to  give  a  time-­‐lapse  of  what  was  achieved.  The  project  was  a  great  success  and  the  Camps  International  staff,  and  the  community  were  very  pleased.  The  plan  is  to  build  a  playground  to  the  north  of  this  building  in  future.        Beng  Mealea  School  Site    Project  2  was  based  at  the  nearby  well-­‐established  community  school.  Here  we  completed  many  different  tasks,  including  but  not  limited  to,  digging  of  holes  and  trenches,  plastering,  tiling  and  grouting.      While  these  were  very  scattered  jobs,  they  were  nonetheless  important  ones  to  get  finished,  and  the  different  tasks  were  very  rewarding  and  offered  a  variety  to  our  team.        

   

   

Community  Involvement  Initially,  there  was  little  community  involvement  outside  of  those  community  members  employed  by  Camps  International  to  help  with  the  project  building  work.  However,  as  the  group  began  to  engage  through  English  teaching  classes,  evening  volleyball,  and  through  working  at  the  school  site,  the  engagement  with  the  community  increased.  This  was  particularly  the  case  with  the  local  children  but  also  extended  to  teachers  and  incoming  Camps  International  staff.      By  the  end  of  our  time  at  Beng  Mealea,  the  community  involvement  was  everywhere  and  there  was  obviously  as  much  sadness  about  the  project  ending  for  our  group,  as  there  was  for  those  members  of  the  community  that  they  had  got  to  know  well.        

Information  on  other  activities  that  the  students  did  while  at  the  Project    Meg  Chamberlin  -­‐  Research  work  As  a  Master’s  student  in  the  Human  Security  and  Peacebuilding  programme  at  Royal  Roads  University  in  Canada,  I  am  undertaking  research  to  understand  the  impacts  of  international  service  learning  (ISL)  on  adolescent  participants  of  the  RSIS  2015  Cambodia  Service  Project.  During  the  trip,  participants  confidentially  shared  their  opinions,  interpretations  and  feelings  about  their  experience  through  four  methods:    

• opening  reflection/questionnaire  • individual  interview  • arts  based  method  reflection  • closing  reflection/questionnaire  

 The  questions  asked  of  students  during  the  trip  were:    Activity  A:  Opening  Reflection/Questionnaire    

1. What  were  your  top  two  reasons  for  signing  up  for  the  Service  Project?      2. What  do  you  personally  hope  to  learn  or  gain  from  the  experience  of  being  a  

participant    on  this  project?      3. What  are  your  three  wishes  for  this  experience?  (This  can  be  related  to  you  or  it  

could  be    a  wish  for  other  participants,  the  community,  etc...)      4. What  do  you  think  are  your  biggest  strengths  coming  to  the  project?      5. What  do  you  think  might  be  your  biggest  challenges  on  the  project?      6. Any  other  comments  or  reflections  that  you  would  like  to  share  as  you  begin  this  

 project?        Activity  B:  Written  Journal/Discussion  Questions    

1. What  stood  out  for  you  the  most  today?      2. If  you  could  change  one  thing  about  today,  what  would  it  be  and  why?      3. What  do  you  think  are  the  most  important  qualities  or  values  in  a  person?      4. What  are  the  most  important  qualities  in  a  leader?      5. What  motivates  you?      6. What  do  you  do  personally  to  try  get  the  most  out  of  each  day?      7. How  did  you  feel  throughout  the  day  today?      8. What  surprised  you  today?      9. Compare  this  host  culture  to  your  own.  What  similarities/differences  have  you  

noticed?    10. What  was  the  best  part  of  the  day  for  you?      11. What  was  the  most  challenging  part  of  the  day  for  you?  Did  you  learn  anything  from  

the  experience?  If  so,  what?      12. Today  we  immersed  ourselves  in  the  community’s  culture  and  learned  about  some  of  

their  daily  struggles.  What  did  you  learn  and  what  activity  helped  you  learn  it?  How  do  you  feel  about  it?      

13. If  you  could  ask  anyone  in  the  village  any  question,  what  would  it  be  and  why?      14. Reflect  back  on  your  opening  journal.  What  were  your  motivations  and  goals  for  the  

 project?  Do  you  feel  like  those  goals  are  being  met?        Activity  C:  Arts  Based  Methods  Reflection  Activity    Reflect  on  your  experience  as  a  participant  in  the  Service  Project.  Part  1:  Using  photography,  video,  poetry,  sculpture  or  another  form  of  art,  represent  the  most  powerful/meaningful/memorable  experience  for  you.  In  order  to  respect  privacy,  please  do  not  include  any  identifiable  people  in  your  work  –  only  friends  that  have  given  permission.  You  can  create  more  than  one  piece  of  art  if  you  like.      Part  2:  Describe  your  interpretation  of  the  artwork  you  have  created  in  the  area  below/journal.  What  does  the  image  you  have  created  mean  to  you?  Why  did  you  choose  to  create  it?  How  would  you  describe  your  image  to  a  friend?  If  you  wish,  you  can  create  a  story,  a  dialogue  or  put  captions  on  your  work.      Activity  D:  Closing  Reflection/Questionnaire    

1. Looking  back  at  your  top  two  reasons  for  signing  up  for  this  service  project,  do  you  feel  they  were  satisfied?  Why  or  why  not?      

2. Please  describe  your  “magic  moment”  or  favourite  experience  about  this  project.  Be  sure  to  include  what  happened  and  why  it  was  meaningful  for  you.      

3. What  was  the  most  important  thing  you  learned  about:  Yourself?    Others?    Host  culture?      

4. What  was  the  most  challenging  experience  for  you  on  this  project  and  why?      5. How  has  the  experience  changed  you  (this  could  be  perspective,  emotion,  attitude,  

 ideas)?  Can  you  identify  experiences  that  caused  those  changes?      6. Create  a  30  second  ‘elevator’  pitch  about  your  experience  here  in  during  this  Service  

Project.  When  you  return  home  you  are  going  to  be  asked  many  times  ‘how  was  your  trip’?  What  would  you  say?  Why  do  you  think  it  is  important  to  share  what  you  chose  to  share?      

 In  addition  to  the  research  data  collected  above,  students  wrote  in  their  personal  journal  and  participated  in  targeted  discussions,  guided  by  specific  questions.  This  was  not  part  of  the  research  as  such,  but  was  very  much  a  part  of  the  reflection  process  and  leadership  training  for  participants.    The  research  was  not  an  assessment  of  participants,  leadership  or  program  design.  All  design  of  research  activities  and  ethics  approval  have  been  under  the  supervision  of  Royal  Roads  University.  Round  Square  is  in  full  support  of  the  research  process  but  is  not  involved  in  the  development,  research  or  analysis  process.    Why  is  this  research  being  done?  This  research  is  designed  to  enhance  leadership  in  curriculum  development  of  international  service  learning  programs.  In  addition  to  sharing  results  with  Royal  Roads  

University  as  part  of  my  Master’s  degree,  the  final  report  will  be  shared  with  the  network  of  Round  Square  schools  and  by  presentation  to  various  global  service  learning  educators.  The  student  participants  of  RSIS  Cambodia  2015  will  be  helping  to  make  future  service  projects  more  impactful  and  meaningful  for  all  involved.    What  happens  next?  Over  the  next  five  months,  I  will  be  analyzing  the  data  collected  during  the  Cambodia  Project  and  writing  my  thesis,  with  a  plan  to  defend  my  work  at  Royal  Roads  University  in  July  2016.  I  will  be  releasing  my  thesis  to  the  Round  Square  community,  so  all  participants  of  the  RSIS  2015  Cambodia  Service  Project  can  read  it  if  they  would  like!  Recommendations  will  be  made  on  curricular  development  of  international  service  learning  programs  and  shared  with  global  educators  around  the  world  through  a  variety  of  networks.      Acknowledgements  I  am  hugely  grateful  to  all  of  the  participants  of  RSIS  2015  Cambodia  Service  Project.  Without  you,  this  research  literally  would  not  be  possible.  Your  ability  to  share  honestly  and  courageously  was  inspiring.  Thank  you  to  David  Kyle  and  Anez  Katre,  my  co-­‐leaders,  who  supported  the  integration  of  research  activities  wholeheartedly  throughout  our  time  in  Cambodia    Other  activities:  Other  than  building  work  at  each  site,  our  group  got  involved  in  a  range  of  other  activities  designed  to  show  them  more  of  the  local  area,  as  well  as  some  of  the  more  cultural  and  physical  activities  that  kept  everyone  bonded  as  a  group,  and  with  the  community.      

These  activities  included  vine  collection  and  basket  weaving,  local  Khmer  language  lessons,  visits  to  local  Buddhist  temple  and  community,  visit  to  temple  ruins  (from  the  Angkor  period)  near  our  camp,  Cambodian  sports  and  volleyball,  Cambodian  history  lessons,  the  always-­‐popular  card  games  of  Mafia  and  Assassin,  makeshift  Pictionary,  and  a  lot  of  reflection  and  evening  discussions!  

     

   

Most  of  the  activities  listed  took  place  in  the  afternoons,  either  following  the  morning  work  session,  or  following  the  afternoon  session.  We  were  keen  to  break  up  the  working  days  a  little,  so  that  students  had  time  to  rest  and  to  give  them  a  wider  experience  of  local  activities.                                    Over  the  past  two  days,  some  of  us  have  had  the  challenging  yet  amazing  experience  of  teaching  English  to  some  of  the  local  children.  The  class  size  ranges  from  8-­‐30  with  students  of  all  ages.  The  language  barrier  is  also  proving  to  be  a  challenge,  forcing  us  to  learn  to  communicate  in  different  ways.  Teaching  has  been  such  an  awarding  experience  as  the  students  are  eager  to  learn  and  are  improving  fast.      

Summary  of  the  Cultural  Phase  Angkor  Wat    During  December,   it   is   too  hot  to  visit  Angkor  Wat  during  the  middle  of  the  day.  Early  morning   and   evening   provided   the   coolest   conditions,   and   the   lower   light   provides   a  more   picturesque   setting   for   photos   and   appreciating   the   special   atmosphere   of   this  World  Heritage  Site.  We  followed  this  schedule:    04.30  –  leave  New  Riverside  Hotel  and  watch  sunrise  at  Angkor  Wat  07.30   –   Breakfast   at   restaurant   outside  temple  followed  by  tour  of  Angkor  Wat    09.30/10.00  –  return  to  New  Riverside  Hotel  12.30  –  lunch  at  New  Riverside  Hotel  14.30  –  return  to  Angkor  Wat  17.00  –  return  to  New  Riverside  Hotel    

   Silk  Farm  and  Artisans  Workshop  On  the  morning  of  the  visit  to  the  Silk  Farm  and  the  Artisan  workshop,  we  left  the  camp  at  Bang  Mealea  with  a  lot  of  sadness,  knowing  our  time  with  the  people  and  on  the  project  was  over.  We  took  the  bus  straight  to  the  Silk  Farm  which  is  located  about  16  kilometers  west  of  Siem  Reap.  The  Silk  Farm  was  wonderfully  set  up  to  show  visitors  the  methodology  and  skill  that  goes  into  producing  silk  goods.  This  included  seeing  the  silk  worms  at  work,  the  production  of  the  different  types  of  silk,  and  the  process  of  weaving  various  silk  products.  At  the  end  of  the  tour,  the  students  were  able  to  purchase  some  goods,  many  of  which  may  have  been  presented  as  presents  under  the  Christmas  Tree!      

The  Artisan  Workshop,  back  in  central  Siem  Reap,  was  more  focussed  on  artisans  working  with  wood,  clay,  and  stone.  The  large  range  of  creations  were  explained  with  regards  to  their  creation,  their  various  meanings  and  history,  and  their  uses.  The  group  was  able  to  see  the  artisans  at  work  and  recognise  the  finesse  and  attention  to  detail  that  leads  to  traditional  Khmer  art  work.    

The  students  also  spent  an  afternoon  looking  around  the  old  market  area  of  Siem  Reap.  Most  students  bought  a  delicious  fresh  fruit  smoothie  for  the  bargain  price  of  US$1  to  keep  them  sustained  as  the  focus  was  on  shopping.  Our  CI  guide,  San  invited  one  of  his  friends  along  to  help  as  we  navigated  the  large  market  area  and  the  bartering  and  negotiation  that  took  place  around  every  purchase.  By  splitting  the  group  into  three,  we  were  able  to  cover  more  ground  and  everyone  was  able  to  see  the  different  areas  of  the  market.  A  particular  focus  was  the  purchase  of  a  ’secret  santa’  gift  with  a  spending  limit  of  $3.      The  group  also  enjoyed  seeing  the  fresh  seafood  market  and  the  meat  market  too.  Henry  was  happy  to  eat  a  whole  chilli  and  Jack  was  very  focussed  one  ensuring  he  got  the  best  possible  deal,  at  all  times!  Many  purchases  were  made  and,  as  we  know,  

shopping  is  hungry  work,  so  the  group  met  up  for  an  early  dinner  at  Khmer  Kitchen,  a  short  walk  from  the  market  area.    

New  Riverside  Hotel  Beautiful!  Very  luxurious  and  we  all  made  the  comment  that  we  felt  guilty  being  at  the  hotel.  This  said,  as  the  trip  went  on,  it  was  a  fantastic  place  to  recharge.  The  staff  are  very  helpful  and  things  are  clean  and  well  maintained,  including  a  laundry  service  for  $1  a  kg.  Food  was  also  good  although  there  was  often  a  shortage  of  water  due  to  the  water  provided  being  in  small  bottles.  Camps  International  followed  this  up  and  provided  big  (15L  or  so)  bottles  for  us  to  use.    

   Camps  International  

As  an  organisation,  things  seemed  very  well  done  and  their  experience  shone  through.      Bunlay  (the  Country  Manager)  was  very  helpful  though  there  were  instances  where  things  changed  with  little  explanation.  This  said,  he  certainly  responded  to  assertiveness  and  nothing  seemed  much  trouble.      San  accompanied  us  at  almost  all  times  on  the  trip.  He  was  brilliant  and  a  lot  of  the  trips  success  can  be  attributed  to  him  His  cheerful  demeanor  was  a  great  example  to  the  students  and  he  could  not  have  been  more  helpful  in  all  situations.  Thank  you,  San!    

 Han  is  the  camp  leader  at  Beng  Mealea.  His  reputation  preceded  the  group  and  it  is  well  founded.  Like  San,  his  positive  demeanor  was  an  excellent  example  to  the  group  and  he  could  not  have  been  a  better  operator  to  work  with.    No  praise  of  San  and  Han  is  too  much!      The  other  staff  at  the  camp  were  brilliant  at  dealing  with  the  students  and  the  adults.  An  example  of  the  work  they  did  was  seeing  Truang  with  a  hammer  and  nails,  well  after  everyone  had  gone  to  bed,  ensuring  the  hammocks  the  students  had  bought  were  well  supported  and  secure.  This  is  an  example  of  what  was  seen  (but  often  probably  unseen)  

and  ensured  the  success  of  our  trip  while  at  Bang  Mealea.  Bunlay  should  be  very  proud  of  his  team  and  the  work  they  do.      

Siem  Reap  Time  in  Siem  Reap  was  organized  and  meaningful.  The  food  was  always  of  a  high  standard.  Bunlay  seemed  keen  for  us  to  visit  Red  Piano  a  number  of  times  but  after  expressing  that  we  thought  twice  was  enough,  he  listened  and  we  did  not  return,  until  the  last  night!  We  were  able  to  organise  Khmer  Empire  a  number  of  times,  which  was  high  quality  and  a  beautiful  setting.      Transport  in  Siem  Reap  was  done  very  well  and  no  changes  required.  If  there  were  multiple  airport  pick-­‐ups  at  once,  this  was  not  a  problem.    

 Beng  Mealea  

Camp  Beng  Mealea  is  situated  on  2  hectares  of  land  in  the  community  of  Beng  Mealea,  a  90-­‐minute  drive  outside  Siem  Reap.  It  includes  four  longhouses  for  sleeping  and  storage,  eight  composite  toilets,  eight  showers,  a  kitchen  and  a  large  communal  area.  All  the  beds  have  mosquito  nets,  and  a  generator  runs  from  6pm  to  10pm  providing  most  areas  of  the  camp  with  light  and  fans.  There  are  extensive  gardens  throughout  the  camp  which  are  not  only  interesting  and  very  pretty,  but  also  attract  a  lot  of  butterflies.    Our  time  of  outdoor  living  has  been  educational  and  incredibly  enjoyable,  with  the  majority  of  us  commenting  on  how  we  preferred  the  outdoor  showers,  sleeping  arrangements  and  eating  areas.  The  staff  at  the  camp  became  many  of  our  close  friends  over  the  trip  and  we  were  all  sad  to  say  goodbye  to  them,  several  of  us  vowing  to  return  soon  to  see  everyone  again  and  the  progress  at  the  site.  Our  time  here  has  been  one  of  joy,  learning,  laughter  and  lots  and  lots  of  rice  and  the  wonderful  memories  of  this  experience  will  be  with  all  of  us  for  countless  years  to  come.    The  longhouses  were  well  setup  and  gave  the  group  a  real  sense  of  ‘camping  out’.  It  is  also  a  very  healthy  way  to  be  sleeping  after  the  air  conditioning  of  the  New  Riverside  Hotel!  Facilities  were  on  the  whole  excellent.  The  kitchen  seemed  clean  and  the  food  was  presented  well.      

Han  was  able  to  sense  when  free  time  was  necessary  and  when  an  activity  could  focus  our  attention.  If  possible,  if  activities  were  not  repeated  for  the  first  group,  this  would  ensure  they  are  more  engaged  when  the  second  group  was  in  camp.    Bunlay’s  history  lesson  was  a  really  stimulating  educational  experience  that  had  the  first  group  scrambling  to  take  notes.  Bunlay  was  obviously  passionate  about  the  subject  and  really  relayed  that  to  the  students.  He  finished  the  lesson  with  the  first  group  at  1975  due  to  time  constraints.  This  allowed  the  first  group  to  give  the  history  lesson  up  to  1975  to  the  new  students.  Bunlay  then  took  over  and  we  had  another  comprehensive  history  evening.      

Leadership  Program  This  worked  really  well.  Han  supported  it  perfectly  at  camp  and  the  students  embraced  it.  There  were  a  lot  of  challenges  but  a  great  experience.      Leadership  day  The  leadership  day  in  between  the  two  groups  was  definitely  needed.  Despite  the  length  of  the  program,  time  seems  to  disappear  quickly.  The  issues  that  would  arise  through  the  leadership  period  was  a  constant  source  of  conversation  in  the  week  leading  up  to  the  day  but  it  was  a  great  opportunity  to  solidify  our  thoughts  and  responsibilities.  We  broke  the  day  up  into  a  number  of  sections  and  kept  in  mind  that  it  was  as  much  a  day  of  ‘R  and  R’  as  it  was  a  day  of  planning.  This  was  especially  pertinent  considering  the  big  day  at  Angkor  Wat.  The  first  session  was  focused  on  getting  to  know  Anez,  leadership  styles  (a  focus  on  the  helicopter  model),  itinerary  and  appointment  of  leaders  for  the  remaining  period.      During  the  middle  session  of  the  day,  the  group  split  into  pairs  to  brainstorm  and  discuss  the  various  areas  that  would  need  to  be  considered  when  the  new  students  arrived.  Each  pair  then  presented  their  findings  which  were  discussed  with  the  rest  of  the  group  and  added  to.  The  process  insured  all  bases  were  covered,  to  the  extent  possible,  and  that  we  were  all  aware  of  the  challenges  that  would  need  to  be  met  by  the  student  leaders.  The  session  was  particularly  valuable  and  would  be  referred  back  to  often  over  the  coming  ten  days.  After  a  nice  lunch  in  the  old  market  and  an  early  afternoon  lie  down  and/or  swim,  the  group  came  back  to  discuss  the  four  areas  which  had  been  brainstormed  before  lunch.  This  lead  to  detailed  and  valuable  discussion  that  allowed  us  to  make  firm  plans  as  to  our  roles  and  responsibilities  for  the  rest  of  the  trip.                  

An  example  of  one  of  the  strategies  the  student  leaders  came  up  with  is  outlined  below.  The  acronym  RAILS  allowed  them  to  go  through  a  checklist  and  ensure  they  were  covering  what  was  required.        Leadership  Train  that  follows  the  rails  …  

 Reminders  Arrangements  Inclusiveness  Language/Locals  Safety  

 Understandably,  the  quality  of  student  leaders  was  mixed  at  first,  but  all  rose  to  the  occasion  admirably  and  will  continue  to  take  these  lessons  into  their  future.  The  program  as  a  whole  was  meaningful  and  some  students  will  have  taken  more  form  it  than  others.  They  all  learned,  a  lot!      This  was  a  hugely  successful  trip  with  a  fantastic  team  of  students  who  bonded  well  

and  made  the  very  most  out  of  every  opportunity  they  were  presented  with.      

Thank  you!