Cambodia Tomorrow

Students Send "Happy New Year!" Wishes

2011-12-31T09:30:00.001-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012!

We – the students, teachers and nannies from the Cambodia Tomorrow School – would like to express our profound, sincere and honorable gratitude to all contributors, scholarship sponsors and board members who always devote their own valuable finances and time to support us.

In the New Year 2012, we wish you all good health, strength, happiness, longevity, and success all the time!

Hur Thinearng, Teacher

Hai Poch, Teacher

Happy New Year from Cambodia Tomorrow

2011-12-30T12:15:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year from all of us at Cambodia Tomorrow

We are grateful for those who support us through scholarship sponsorships and general donations throughout the year. With your help and generous gifts, Cambodia Tomorrow continues to support our school and our outstanding teachers, and provides each child with the preparation, vision confidence and skills that will help to ensure a successful future.

With sincere thanks this holiday season and always,

Elizabeth, Wendy, Scott, Cathy, Kathleen and Myles

Cambodia Tomorrow Board of Directors

We invite you to continue your support of Cambodia Tomorrow and join our list

of year-end contributors. There is a donor level right for every family.

Annual sponsorship contributions are included in determining donor level.

Leader: $50

Advisor: $100

Teacher: $250

Mentor: $500

Visionary: $1000

Every dollar helps.
Please click on the Paypal link above or mail a check to:

Cambodia Tomorrow
195 Santa Ana
San Francisco, CA 94127

Forward email

Cambodia Tomorrow 195 Santa Ana San Francisco CA 94127

Opening Doors – Community Students Enrolled

2011-12-04T14:42:00.000-08:00

We are pleased to announce that 24 community students from families living in Kompong Speu province are now enrolled at the Cambodia Tomorrow School! The new students join the 75 Cambodia Tomorrow School students who reside at Kompong Speu Orphan Center.

The prospective students were nominated by their school principals and with assistance from a social worker from our aligned NGO Enfants d'Asie, students and their families were interviewed. Upon receipt of scholarship, the families attended orientation at the Cambodia Tomorrow School to meet the teachers and review agreements governing attendance, behavior and learning expectations.

Attending the orientation meeting by phone from the United States, I must say that it was a really great moment. We have worked hard to provide opportunity for the residents of the Kompong Speu Orphan Center. To expand English education to students in the surrounding community has always been one of our goals. As I fielded questions from the students' parents, their excitement and anticipation was clearly evident, even through the Khmer-English translation provided by our Program Manager.

We are very proud to reach this milestone. Thanks for your on-going support which allows us to provide outreach into the community and welcome our new community students and their families to the Cambodia Tomorrow School.

Please consider Cambodia Tomorrow as part of your holiday giving!

Elizabeth Gullam

President, Cambodia Tomorrow

www.cambodiatomorrow.org

FW: Fall Newsletter Cambodia Tomorrow

2011-10-07T13:56:00.001-07:00

Cambodia Tomorrow Fall 2011

Alumni Sponsor provides ongoing scholarships

Priscilla and granddaughter Charlotte

Priscilla MacNeal visited Kompong Speu Orphan Center when she traveled to Cambodia in 2002. That fall, she became Cambodia Tomorrow's first sponsor, providing a scholarship for Sum Srey Rath for the past nine years. Srey Rath has just begun her university studies and Priscilla has generously agreed to continue her support for Cambodia Tomorrow School with an annual alumni scholarship.

Priscilla is an educator. She served as Fine Arts Chair and Head of the Drama department at the Agnes Irwin School in suburban Philadelphia for 27 years. Two of her granddaughters were residents of Kompong Speu Orphan Center.

Thanks to Priscilla, Mary Ellen Haley and Myles Gullam for supporting our recent graduates and to all our donors for your continuing to support Cambodia Tomorrow as we enter our tenth year!

The Cambodia Tomorrow School Celebrates the Start of the School Year with a "Green Party"

Last Saturday, October 1st, we celebrated the beginning of a new school year with a Green Party when the greens we grow at the school are ready to eat.

The two teachers Thinearng and Poch were cooks for the party. The older kids were very happy to help us prepare water green and ingredients for cooking. All the children were really excited to join the party. They expressed their enthusiastic thanks to us and nannies for this event in the center and hoped it would be done again.

We would like to share our happy time with you all and wish you good health, luck and happiness.

Best regards,

Teachers, director, nannies and kids in Kompong Speu Orphan Center

Cambodia Tomorrow School

INTERNET ARRIVES!

Expanding the Realm

of Technology

We recently added internet service to the Cambodia Tomorrow School. The children will be able to wirelessly access the internet from their XO computers to enhance the classroom instruction.

We are committed to internet safety for the students. This has been made possible through a donation of an iBoss router which will allow Cambodia Tomorrow to set internet filters and monitor internet usage from here in the U.S. The monitoring will be done with volunteer services of Vladimiro Hart-Zavoli, a computer technology specialist in Syracuse, New York.

Every dollar helps.
Please click on the Paypal link above or mail a check to:

Cambodia Tomorrow
195 Santa Ana
San Francisco, CA 94127

FUNDING NEEDS

Scholarships: $400 per year

Provide tuition and supplies for one student attending the Cambodia Tomorrow School.

Internet: $375 per year

Now available in Kompong Speu, this improvement will enable the students to access English language programs.

Staff: $180 per year

KS Orphan Center has asked that we support a fifth nanny.

Happy Fall from everyone at Cambodia Tomorrow!

We are pleased to have four graduates of the Cambodia Tomorrow School attending university in Phnom Penh. Through our partner Global Children, student Soeng Kosal is entering his 4th year of study, focusing on English education. The Sharing Foundation has provided scholarships to 3 recent high school graduates, who have all worked hard and have great aspirations for their future. We are appreciative of the support and cooperation of Global Children and The Sharing Foundation!

As we enter our tenth year, we reflect on the amazing support we have received from you - our donors. We have built a strong educational program in a purpose-built school, established partnerships with organizations who share our values and goals and most importantly, provided opportunity to the students of Kompong Speu Orphan Center. It has always been our goal to provide quality education to the larger Kompong Speu community - watch for next month's updates on our Community Program!

Sincerely,

The Board of Cambodia Tomorrow

Cambodia Tomorrow Board Members volunteer their time so that nearly 100% of your contribution goes directly to the children.

COLLEGE BOUND!

Last spring I interviewed three of our longtime Cambodia Tomorrow high school students about their plans for their futures. Keo Savun, Sum Srey Rath and Sum Serey Ratanak are all outstanding students. Ratanak and Savun recently took exams for outstanding student at their high school and ranked # 1 in their respective classes.

Savun would like to be a doctor or architect, Ratanak would like to attend business school and Srey Roth would like to work as an accountant. All three have received scholarships from The Sharing Foundation and are now enrolled in university.

These students are also outstanding in their English studies. They have consistently earned high scores on their presentations and tests and have good verbal skills. All three took a placement test at ACE (Australian Center for Education) and received level 6 for General English Program.

We wish you "Soam a-oy ban choak chay"! Good luck!

Kathleen Hart-Zavoli

Director of English Education

MEET OUR GRADUATES

MY FUTURE PLAN - Keo Savon

Best subject in High School: Mathematics

Aspirations: Doctor or Architect

Post-secondary Goal: University to study Chemistry, Math & Biology

Study outside of Cambodia for her MD

My name is KEO SAVON. I am an orphan living in Kampong Speu orphan center and I have four brothers living with my father in Kampong Speu. I am in the 12 grade at SOKHA PHALLY High School. Anyway, my favorite subject is math; however, I am good at chemistry, physics and biology, too. As the result, I am really happy that I am good at those subjects.

When I study at the university, I am going to study medicine in order to become a doctor. I really want to become a doctor. According to the subjects that I am good at, I hope that I am able to study this major very well. Especially, the doctor can help a lot of patients and can save people's life from death. But to achieve it, I must try to study when I study at the university. Moreover, I have to search all the documents that related to my studying. The best way is, I need to pay much attention to it. So, I really have a good occasion to become a good doctor.

After I become a doctor, I will cure the patients and concentrate to their lives. It is a good chance for me to help my self, family as well as my country. However, I am an orphan, I must try hard to achieve it, for I really want to contribute to upgrading my country to become a develop country.

MY FUTURE PLAN -Sum Serey Ratanak

Recently took exam for outstanding student in his class and is a leader in public school.

Post-secondary Goal: University for business

My name is Sum Serey Ratanak.I was born in 1992 in Kompong Cham province and I moved to live in Kompong Speu with my sister in 2006. I stay in Kompong Speu Orphan center. Now, I am nineteen years old and I am a student who studying in 12th grade in Kompong Speu high school. I am studying English in Cambodia Tomorrow School. I'm a school leader, too. My favourite subjects are math, physic, literature and English. And in my family, I have three sisters. I'm a son in my family.

In my future, I want to be good businessman in my country and all over the world. Before my plan became true, I must try to study in order to pass my exam in 12th grade. When I pass my exam, I will be able to continue my studying at university. University is a kind of place that I want to study. All the students try to study, because they want to study at university. So, I am a harder student I must learn at university. The reason is that, I can have high knowledge. I can improve my subjects that I have learned. And it is easy to search all the documents that I need to study. Especially, I can prepare everything about my future plan. Moreover I can achieve everything when I have job. So, I must try to finish four years at university in order to have certificate. After I finish my studying, I will find one job to do. My favourite job is a businessman; however, I have to work in a company. I must try to work hard until I have enough money to open my own company. If my work is better, I will do the business. That why, I must have a strong ability.

The reason that I want to be a businessman, because I want to be a director of a company. I can change my life from poor to have a lot of money and I can support my family, my relative also people live in my community. I will make a lot of job to help them. When they have job to do, they will have enough money to support their family. Especially, I can develop my country to have everything like other country. Finally, I must do good thing to make my dream became true. So, I must pay attention to my studying.

MY FUTURE PLAN - Sum Srey Rath

Best subject in High School: Chemistry

Aspiration: Accountant

Post-secondary Goal: University for business & accounting.

My name is Sum Srey Rath. I am 18 years old and I live in the orphanage where is located in Kompong Speu province. I study in grade 12 at Sokha Phally High School. My favorite subject is Math Chemistry and English. I have two brothers. The youngest sister is me.

After I finish High School, I am going to the university. I want to study an accounting subject. Because I am interested in working in the office. The accountant can work in the company, in air-conditioning, wear smart uniform, and have communication with many people in the society. The best way to achieve it, I must study hard, pay much attention, try to get the knowledge from the teacher and searching more about things that relates to my study.

Later on, This skill will help me to have good job to do. I can earn money by myself to support my family. I do not make my family worried about me anymore. I have my own job, my own salary, I can do everything what i want. If it is possible, I help my community and my country too. Moreover, If I have knowledge I can share to young generation. I can show them to the right way not spend study time with the bad things that effect to their future. This point that I can help my country to become develop. However, I do not have job now, but I will have it very soon. I hope to have a bright future.

Cambodia Tomorrow Green Cooking Party!

2011-10-05T10:33:00.000-07:00

Check out the fun cooking party at the Cambodia Tomorrow School!

Dear Cambodia Tomorrow,

We are sending you a letter all about the green party celebrated for our green water plant which is grown at school site and enough for cooking. We decided to choose one Saturday afternoon to make the event happen. Below is a short summary of our celebration.

Cambodia Tomorrow School Green Party

We are teachers, orphanage director, nannies, and kids at Kompong Speu Orphan Center celebrated a Green Party where our water green is grown up enough for food.

The two teachers Thinearng and Poch were cooks for the party. Thinearng made hot water green dish and Poch made water green dish with instant noodle and fried rice with eggs. It happened on Saturday afternoon when all the children relaxed from the new school year celebration at the public school in the morning. The older kids were very happy to help us prepare water green and ingredients for cooking and they also were supposed to assist the cooks to hand kitchen kits and other things.

All the children were really excited to join the party with their smiley faces in the dining room eating the food cooked by teachers and drank cold soft drinks in the small plastic cups. They expressed their enthusiastic thanks to us and nannies for this first event in the center and hoped next time it would be done again. We enjoyed it a lot. Attached are the photos of Green Party.

We would like to share our happy time with you all and wish you good health, luck and happiness all the time.

Best regards,

Teachers, director, nannies and kids in Kompong Speu Orphan Center

Cambodia Tomorrow School

Pchum Ben letter from student Soeng Kosal

2011-09-18T18:41:00.001-07:00

Cambodia Tomorrow university student Soeng Kosal sent a note regarding the new school year and the Pchum Ben holiday.

Dear Cambodia Tomorrow,

How are you? For me, I am pretty well and I enjoy with my studying very much.

I completed my year III successfully, and I am going to continue year IV next month. I have been holiday since July at Norton University, but I have been learning BA at Cambodia International Cooperation Institute for these three months. CICI has not allowed me to stop because I am the first year, but it let the second year students. I work hard to study both English and Economics to improve my knowledge and to get real skill for the two subjects every day.

In this month, Cambodia has a special festival called "Pchum Ben" which people need go to pagoda [Buddhist temple]; at least 7 pagodas in order to reveal their esteem to ancestors. Pchum Ben always celebrates in September which is on irregular date and lasts 15 days, but the national holiday is only three days. Most people visit their hometown and the go to pagoda with their relatives. I am going to my hometown on 24^th of September, and it is my favorite religious festival. Here is an article that I found that I would like to share with you.

Finally, I would to say thank you very much for all your support, and I hope that you enjoy Pchum Ben article and understand more clearly about Cambodian culture. I wish you and family all the best.

Love,

Kosal

Pchum Ben (បុណ្យភ្ជុំបិណ្ឌ) ("Ancestors' Day") is a Cambodian religious festival, culminating in celebrations on the 15th day of the tenth month in the Khmer Calendar. In 2011, the national holiday will fall on the 26^th - 28^th of September in the Gregorian calendar.

The day is a time when many Cambodians pay their respects to deceased relatives. Monks chant Pali overnight (continuously, without sleeping) in prelude to the gates of hell opening, an event that is presumed to occur once a year, and is linked to the cosmology of King Yama originating in the Pali Canon. During the period of the gates of hell being opened, ghosts of the dead are presumed to be especially active, and thus food-offerings are made to benefit them, some of these ghosts having the opportunity to end their period of purgation, whereas others are imagined to leave hell temporarily, to then return to endure more suffering; without much explanation, relatives who are not in hell (who are in heaven or otherwise reincarnated) are also generally imagined to benefit from the ceremonies.

In temples adhering to canonical protocol, the offering of food itself is made from the laypeople to the (living) Buddhist monks, thus generating "merit" that indirectly benefits the dead;however, in many temples, this is either accompanied by or superseded by food offerings that are imagined to directly transfer from the living to the dead, such as rice-balls thrown through the air, or rice thrown into an empty field. Anthropologist Satoru Kobayashi observed that these two models of merit-offering to the dead are in competition in rural Cambodia, with some temples preferring the greater canonicity of the former model, and others embracing the popular (if unorthodox) assumption that mortals can "feed" ghosts with physical food.

Pchum Ben is considered unique to Cambodia, however, there are merit-transference ceremonies that can be closely compared to it in Sri Lanka (i.e., benefitting the ghosts of the dead), and, in its broad outlines, it even resembles the Taiwanese Ghost Festival (i.e., especially in its links to the notion of a calendrical opening of the gates of hell, King Yama, and so on).

Congratulations to Thinearng! Cambodia Tomorrow teacher's commencement

2011-08-12T11:34:00.001-07:00

Cambodia Tomorrow is pleased to provide on-going educational support to our teaching team, as well as our school-age students. We are very proud that Hur Thinearng has received his BA in English, joining fellow teacher Hai Poch. Congratulations!

Dear Board of Directors,

My name is Hur Thinearng employed by Cambodia Tomorrow Organization since 1^st April 2008. I have been teaching English to the kids at Kampong Speu Orphan Center from Monday through Friday. Today, I am very pleased and much honored to inform you all that I have received my bachelor degree.

After getting educated for two years in the major of teaching methodology at Regional Teacher Training center, I attended another two years the bachelor degree of art in English for Communication at Human Resources University. I graduated my degree since July 2010, and I got the commencement at National Institute of Education (NIE), presided by the prime minster of Cambodia, on August 11, 2011.

Having this result is the contribution part of Cambodia Tomorrow Organization which always supports and encourages me to have this chance for my degree. My qualification provides me more knowledge and experience to work more effectively at Cambodia Tomorrow School, and also it has really been used for the purposes of my work in the right direction. In addition, I feel more confident that Cambodia Tomorrow develops its program to help offer the community students opportunity to attend the English school. And I will do my best to collaborate work with the organization to achieve its goal for the bright future of Cambodian children.

Finally, I would like to express my sincere and profound thankfulness to Board of Directors for the sponsor and encouragement. I wish you all good health, success and happiness all the time.

Best regards,

Hur Thinearng,

Teacher of Cambodia Tomorrow

Happy Khmer New Year! The Year of Rabbit!

2011-04-12T18:50:00.000-07:00

Sour Sdey Chhnam Thmey! Chhham Thors!
Happy Khmer New Year! The Year of Rabbit!

It’s a new year!!

It is like a sunrise of Cambodia Tomorrow together with the sponsors, giving us Hope, Prosperity and Happiness by providing basic needs (food, clothes…) and mainly powerful education. They are a map and a compass showing a better way to a better future. In order to extend our grateful thanks, we would like to wish you Longevity, Prosperity, Good Health, Strength, and Wisdom. May the Year of Rabbit bring more opportunities and success to all of you.

With best wishes,

Students
Cambodia Tomorrow School

7th CamTESOL REPORT by Dara Poch, Hur Thinearng

2011-03-21T16:27:00.000-07:00

- Date of Conference: 26 - 27 February 2011
- Place of Conference: National Institute of Education
- Topic of 7th CamTESOL: “English for Mobility”
- Supported by IDP Education
- Attendees: Cambodian and international participants

The 7th CamTESOL conference on English Language Teaching (ELT) was called English for Mobility. The conference is the result of a collaborative effort of individuals from both local and international institutions. In addition, the aim of conference is to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and dissemination of information on good practices with ELT, to strengthen and broaden the network of ELT teachers and all those involved in the ELT sector in Cambodia, and to showcase research in the field of ELT (by Paul Mahony).

The wonderful Khmer traditional dance was welcoming to the 7th CamTESOL at the beginning of the conference to honor fellows from the Cambodia Ministry of Education, Australia Embassy, US Embassy and other institutions. First speech was delivered by Penny Richards, from Australian Embassy and the second speech was done by Carol A. Rodley, US Ambassador along with Her Excellency Sakhe Na, the representative of the Ministry of Education in Cambodia, mentioning the history of Cambodian education and her experience of English.

The opening plenary was presented by Christine M. Bundensen about Mobility through English which means basically an inherent characteristic of the current global community which depends to a significant extent on opportunity of English as a tool or skill, seen as a means to multiple ends in the motivation to achieve one or more of these mobilities. English language proficiency and competency can be a key life skill to enrich and expand an individual’s ability to access opportunity and to move and adapt to new circumstances for population in both developing and developed countries.

At the end of the wonderful conference, Donald Freeman, who held the closing plenary, talked about learning, teaching and learning to teach English by questioning “What does it mean to teach and learn English in a glonacal world?” He defined it through the influences of global, national, and local—or ‘glo-na-cal’.

Professor Donald Freeman had four sections to argue: first, defining the challenges of this ‘glonacal’ word for students, teachers, and schools; and then examining how these challenges play out on practical and general levels of English language learning, classroom teaching, and teacher preparation in-service development.

After the meeting at the conference hall, we got into the separate rooms based on preferred topics on the schedule guide. Thinearng attended:

How to Teach Vocabulary to Students with Bad Memories
Teaching Pronunciation
Songs for Pronunciation
Knowing When to Let Go
The Well-organized Academic Paragraph
Rockin to English - Rhythms for Effective Speech
Developing an ESL Discussion Course by Using the Radio Talk-show Format
Lexical Profiling - Controlling Vocabulary and Language Input and Gains
Using Authentic Materials to Teach Cambodian ESL Students
Pre-writing Activities - How to Get Your Students on the Write Track
Buddhist Temples and the Well-organised Academic Paragraph

The most interesting presentation is Buddhist temple and well-organized academic paragraph which stimulates the students to build the paragraph writing with the picture in mind of the temple building associated with the organizing ideas. Moreover, teaching strategy on vocabularies to students with bad memories is also useful for the students in our school to be used.

In order to help students acquire the language with positive attitude, Mr. Poch attended some of the presentations regarding motivation and methodology together with teaching macro skills.

Developing Speaking Skills Through Role-play and Drama
Teaching Writing to Primary Learners Can be Fun
Using Positive Psychology Concepts to Improve Students’ Well-being
Intonation Patterns North American English
Games for Language Learning
Vocabulary is More Words
How to Melt Clouds With the Moon
Activity-based Teaching
Teaching EAP to Lower Level Students
The Pivotal Role of the Teachers
Using Song with Content for Reading Comprehension

For young language learners, games are the most interesting tools to help motivate them in learning process. Importantly and typically, the workshop—Intonation patterns in North American English provided us a lot of knowledge of the English. Also, it helped differentiate between American and British English about pronunciations.

Finally, we teachers would like to thank Cambodia Tomorrow for providing us a marvelous opportunity to attend such a great conference to bridge the gaps of teaching methodology along with contemporary techniques which we are able to bring about the positive change to Cambodia Tomorrow School. Importantly, we are using as many techniques as we can improve the students at our school.

Using the XO Laptops at the Cambodia Tomorrow School

2011-03-20T20:38:00.000-07:00

We are excited that the Cambodia Tomorrow School teachers will join our friends @PEPYCambodia this week study best practices for incorporating the XO laptops into the English school curriculum.

Here are a few clips of the Cambodia Tomorrow School students composing brief animated movies based on their English lessons. Volunteer Lorna Hochstein, visiting from Boston, talks with teacher Thinearng about the connectivity of the laptops.

Thanks to One Laptop Per Child for the great tools!

March 8: International Women's Day

2011-03-08T03:08:00.000-08:00

Blessing Dancer

On the occasion of International Women’s Rights Day, we the teachers, children and nannies of Cambodia Tomorrow School would like to bless you all:

May the love that you share give you strength
May the life that you share bring you joy
May the dreams that you share bring you hope
May the faith that you share bring you peace
And wherever you are in your journey through life
May your hearts always find their way home

May your days and years to come be filled with the
highest integrity and joy that will enable you to live
through those times ahead which may be tough.
And may your deep affection for us grow, thus enriching
and strengthening all of us, flowing like a river never-ending.

Sincere thanks,

Children, Nannies, and Teachers
Cambodia Tomorrow School

Images from the Cambodia Tomorrow School

2011-02-21T17:42:00.000-08:00

Director of English Education Kathleen Hart-Zavoli with student

Younger students peeking into class

Interviewing the advanced students

A teacher prepares

Class discussion

listening to the lesson

volunteer Lorna in class

volunteer Geoff with the XO computers

working with the XO's

On the way to school

Proud of their work

Attentive students

In class

ready to learn

All smiles

Waiting for the answer

Wednesday, Feb 16 - Cambodia Tomorrow School (Kompong Speu)

2011-02-16T03:26:00.000-08:00

February 16 – Kompong Speu

Today we drove the 1 ½ hours from Phnom Penh to Kompong Speu. Before arriving at the Cambodia Tomorrow School at Kompong Speu Orphan Center, we stopped at the market in town to pick up oranges, baguettes and candy.

Pol Sok Ly is the Director of the Kompong Speu Orphan Center and very good at her job. She is skillful at building a network of support for the children in her care. KSOC is a government orphanage which receives basic funding supplemented by several NGOs. The Sharing Foundation pays for electricity and cooking gas. Enfants d' Asie supports a wide variety of basic needs. And Cambodia Tomorrow covers all educational expenses. Pol Sok Ly recently had an opportunity to meet with the King of Cambodia. She explained her model of multiple funding sources. His Majesty was impressed and graciously asked what he could do to support her work. She noted that in the past, the children really enjoy a weekend trip to the beach. Between the King and a French NGO, Pol Sok Ly has secured the funding for the beach trip. All the children and staff will travel on February 26 – 27 to Sihanoukville

In addition to her role as Director of KSOC, Pol Sok Ly is the head chief of several committees, on the recommendation of the provincial governor. She is on a total of 5 committees which address issues including orphan care, child protection, women's development, food security and nutrition.

While our Program Manager Ken and I met with Pol Sok Ly, Kathleen and Lorna observed the students in the classrooms. Our teachers are incredibly dynamic and motivated. We could not be luckier. Much more about the classrooms tomorrow!

One of the subjects that Pol Sok Ly, Ken and I reviewed was the "path" for the oldest students. Two young men have recently move to a nearby vocational program run by a Korean NGO, providing hospitality training. Through the assistance of Enfants d' Asie, another high school graduate has moved to Siem Reap to study at the prestigious Ecole Paul Dubrule hospitality training center. There are 3 high school seniors scheduled to graduate this year who are great candidates for university. As a matter of fact, 2 of the 3 are Gold Students, at the top of their Khmer government high school classes! There are several options for university placement in Phnom Penh that we'll be investigating before the students graduate.

Elizabeth
Golden House guesthouse, Kompong Speu
this is new! western style hotel built since our last trip

images - Ken and Lorna at the fruit stall, baguettes and in the off-topic category Obama batteries

(Please excuse any/all typos & spelling errors. Notes put together on small netbook in guesthouse lobby.)

Tuesday, Feb 15 - Getting Started (Phnom Penh)

2011-02-16T03:15:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, Feb 15 – Phnom Penh

Great first day here in Phnom Penh. Kathleen and I met with Ken, our Program Manager, to review the current status of our programs and finalize the schedule for our days here in Cambodia. We plan as many appointments as possible before arriving in Cambodia, but we always find that we need to make adjustments once we arrive.

We picked up visiting supporter Lorna and headed over to Java Cafe. With iTouch and laptops all connected to wifi during lunch, it was a very different scene from when we all first traveled to Cambodia in 1999 and 2000.

The afternoon was spent meeting with several of the University program students.

Chhiev Kim Hak – Kim Hak has his bachelor's degree in law and has been a court clerk in Kompong Speu for several months. He is now awaiting his permanent court clerk placement in Pursat. We're very proud of his accomplishments!

Sok Neardey – Our young friend Neardey did not graduate from National University of Management last year as scheduled. He left Phnom Penh and went back to KS province, leaving without letting us know his plans. He has returned to Phnom Penh and asked if we will restore his scholarship for university. Let's just say we're in talks.

Vann Sarin – Sarin has an associate degree and has been asking for continued assistance to study for his bachelor's. However, we talked today about consequences. When Sarin was in high school, he started goofing off and had to repeat 12^th grade. At the time, we made an agreement that if he successfully graduated from high school, he could study for his associate degree. With his associate degree in hand, he is now job-seeking and finding it would be better if he had a bachelor's. To help him add his first job to his resume, we are discussing different ways he could assist Cambodia Tomorrow. As an intern or helper at the Cambodia Tomorrow School with a small stipend, he will improve his chances at his next job.

Seong Kosal – I'm sure we've mentioned before, but this kid is s-m-a-r-t. Kosal is a junior at Norton University, scheduled to graduate with his bachelor's in Economics in 2012. On his own, he sought out and successfully applied for a scholarship to study English for 4 years at Cambodia CCI. He has started on his second degree and will graduate with a bachelor's in English in 2014. Makes me grin just to think about this student.

Elizabeth

images - Ken negotiates with a tuk tuk driver, sponsor/volunteer Lorna and Boardmember Kathleen

(Please excuse any/all typos & spelling errors. Notes put together on small netbook in hotel lobby.)

Who are the children of the Cambodia Tomorrow School?

2011-02-13T10:49:00.000-08:00

We often receive questions about the student population of the Cambodia Tomorrow School...

Q. Are all the children at the school orphans?
A. The Cambodia Tomorrow School was built at the Kompong Speu Orphan Center (KSOC). While some children have no living parent, many children living at KSOC have one or two surviving parents who are unable to take care of their child due to poverty or illness. Some children have siblings at KSOC, as well as siblings still in their home village.

Q. Where do the children come from?
A. Some of the children have been placed at KSOC by relatives or their village chief. Most children are referred to KSOC by MOSALVY, the Ministry of Social Affairs, Labor, Vocational Training and Youth Rehabilitation.

Q: Do the children ever go back to their families?
A: Happily, yes! If the circumstances of a child's parents or family improve, students may sometimes leave KSOC and the Cambodia Tomorrow School. Our goal is to be sure that we provide the best education possible to all residents of KSOC, no matter how brief or extended their residency.

Keep updated on the students of the Cambodia Tomorrow School. Follow us @CamTomSchool and like us on Facebook.

photo credit Greg Cohen

University graduate Sok Neardey: only $180 away from a great new job

2011-02-12T13:50:00.001-08:00

Can you contribute $180 to help a university graduate during job training?

Sok Neardey is one of the young men who attended our English school and successfully graduated from university in Phnom Penh. We provided housing and a stipend for a transition period after college graduation while he looked for work, eventually landing a job as a clerk at an army office in Kompong Speu province. He writes now that he would like to rejoin his former room-mates in Phnom Penh for a few months:

I would like to say hello to you and Cambodia Tomorrow. I am well. I just get job to do in Amret Micro-finance Institute this month. My position is General Credit Agent in Kompong Speu Province Branch. But I will train in Phnom Penh for 3 months. Will you let me me stay at the Cambodia Tomorrow apartment? I will not be working, so have no money for food during the training, can you help?

Truly,

Sok Neardey

With $60 a month, Neardey would have enough to cover all his food and expenses during the training and be one step closer to a great job!

Can you help? camtom@cambodiatomorrow.org

Featured Student: Seong Kosal, Junior, Norton University

2011-02-11T10:00:00.000-08:00

Soeng Kosal is a Junior at Norton University and has always been an outstanding student.

I am really busy with my study which there are a lots homework and assignments. Now, my school start to take mid-term test, and I prepare lesson for it, more homework and assignments everyday. I would like to apply for a job, but I think that it effect my university class, because I study full time. Most jobs advertise for full time candidate such as bank, micro finance and non-profit organization. I will complete my bachelor degree, then I will get a good job and well paid.

I try to help my friends like Vann Sarin and Kim Srouch find for a job. I always read the announcement board at my school. Many companies stick notes there, so I write name of company and organization for them. They try hard to apply for jobs, they buy newspapers and search internet for job page every day.

I wish you with all the best.

Kosal

We are seeking donors to provide scholarship assistance for Kosal. Please contact camtom@cambodiatomorrow.org today to help this bright young man.

Update from Cambodia Tomorrow: thank you, upcoming trip

2011-02-09T14:54:00.000-08:00

2011 is off to a great start!

Board President Elizabeth Gullam and Director of English Education Kathleen Hart-Zavoli are off to Cambodia next week, accompanied by a longtime supporter and joined in Cambodia by one of our wonderful volunteers.

Kathleen will spend several days at the Cambodia Tomorrow School in Kompong Speu, observing classes, meeting with the teachers and evaluating our program. Elizabeth will meet with our program director Ken, our university graduates and make a trip to the Cardamom Mountains to observe the elementary school program Kari Grady-Grossman has developed for Sustainable Schools International. Cambodia Tomorrow may host students from this program when they arrive in Kompong Speu for their high school education.

Look for new photos, video and follow us on Twitter @CamTomSchool during this exciting trip!

Our successful holiday appeal will enable us to invite more community children into our school, as we continue to support our teachers. We also contribute to basic needs at Kompong Speu Orphan Center. Thank you to our donors and scholarship sponsors.

If you haven't yet contributed, it's not too late! Please consider making a contribution of Cambodia Tomorrow and join our list of contributors. There is a donor level that's right for every family.

Leader: $50
Advisor: $100
Teacher: $250
Mentor: $500
Visionary: $1000

With sincere thanks for your continuing support,

The Cambodia Tomorrow Board of Directors
Elizabeth, Wendy, Scott, Cathy, Kathleen and Myles

Cambodia Tomorrow Board Members volunteer their time so that nearly 100% of your contribution goes directly to the children.

University students are stylin'

2011-02-05T21:50:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Matt G of Phnom Penh who called us when it was time to clean out his closet. Our university students cleaned up - with a great donation of gently used clothing.

Vann Sarin

Soeng Kosal

Kim Srouch

Chhiev Kim Hak

Guidelines for Living

2011-01-28T10:37:00.000-08:00

Each month, our Program Manager Ken visits the Cambodia Tomorrow School. He meets with the teachers and Pol Sok Ly, the director of the Kompong Speu Orphan Center. Ken writes that during their January meeting, he and Pol Sok Ly reviewed guidelines with the students...
Study: all group leaders must help those who lack in studying or always absent in their studying

Living: good behavior, prepare their bedroom, clothes, hygiene, health, play

Eating: behavior in eating, good nutrition

Solidarity: be kind and loving to each other

Good rules for living - for any of us!

Updated Pricing on Staple Items

2011-01-25T21:49:00.000-08:00

Our Program Manager, Ken, has provided an updated inflation index on the prices for staples. Slightly lower prices on a couple of items this month.

	Dec 24, 2010	Jan 25, 2011

gas (liter)	US$1.40	US$1.25
rice (50kg bag)	US$25.00	US$23.00
chicken (per kilo)	22,000 riel= $5.70	22,000 riel= $5.70

Happy Faces

2011-01-23T21:36:00.000-08:00

The smiling students of the Cambodia Tomorrow School with the staff of the Kompong Speu Orphan Center.

The Daily Life Shines Like the Sun

2011-01-01T22:03:00.000-08:00

A Happy New Year message from one of our Cambodia Tomorrow School teachers:

Dear friends,

The year 2010 has gone while the new year 2011 has come with the new things. We would welcome to this new year which will bring us the new strength and wisdom. The daily life shines like the sun to everyone. We start the new things together.

I wish you all to have a Sweetest Sunday, Marvelous Monday, Tasty Tuesday, Wonderful Wednesday, Thankful Thursday, Friendly Friday, and Successful Saturday.

Have a great year! Happy New Year 2011!

Best regards,

Thinearng

Studying in the library

2010-10-06T20:00:00.000-07:00

Students needing scholarship sponsors

2010-10-05T12:25:00.000-07:00

Cambodia Tomorrow School Meeting - May 5, 2010

2010-05-12T07:00:00.000-07:00

We are very lucky to have two dynamic, committed teachers at the Cambodia Tomorrow School. Hur Thinearng and Hai Poch recently convened a meeting with the students and nannies at Kompong Speu Orphan Center to review school guidelines and appoint new student leaders.

Minutes of Meeting

Date of Meeting: May 05, 2010
Time: 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm
Place: Cambodia Tomorrow School
Chair persons: Teachers, Three nannies
Present: Seventy-three students
Absent: Three students

Items:
1. Mr. Hai Poch greeted the meeting and started checking his students’ attendance and Mr. Hur Thinearng did his classes too later.
2. Mr. Hur Thinearng talked about the punctuality both Khmer and English school mentioning as following.

a. All students must come to class on time every session not only English school but also government school.
b. All students must respect the school rules and obey their nannies as well as older persons.
c. The students must be punctual to submit their home works and assignments to teachers.
d. If anyone of students comes to class late, they should say sorry and tell the suitable reason.

3. Mr. Hai Poch stated the school program as including.

a. All students must ask permission if they have urgent matter to do or sort of illness.
b. All home works or assignments the teacher has assigned, students must do at home before the next class, not during the class.
c. During the lesson, students should participate in all class activities such as game activities, answering the questions, pair work, group work, words repeating and so on.
d. When the teachers have school labor, the students have to help and accept what the teacher indicate the task. Particularly daily classroom cleaning must be followed because good environment brings learners good health.

4. Poch reviewed the short course [high school] students about their regular attendance in each course to make sure that students attend at every part time subject. If anyone of them has necessary matter that can not go to school, please borrow his or her friends’ book to copy the missed lessons. He also confirmed that short course books must be checked every end of month by teachers and asked to notify any missed session on any special cases.

5. Then, Thinearng proved the new leaders and told the reason for choosing them to be leaders because they have better ability on education both English and Khmer. The tasks are divided to each one.

a. Serey Ratanak is responsible for controlling, checking and counting XOs every Friday and he is an advisor.
b. Srey Rath is conscientious about helping teach weak students and she is also an advisor.
c. Savon is accountable for recording students’ score result and attendance from public school. She, indeed, has assistants to represent each school.
> Representatives at Phoum Thmey Primary School: Chanroeun and Leakhena
> Representatives at Sam Buor Primary School: Bopha and SereyTith
> Representatives at Chhay Chhob Lower Secondary School: Savoeurn and Reaksmey
> Representatives at Sokha Phally High School: Sophara and Sophea

6. Each leader expressed their strong commitment to help and do their given job seriously to teachers, nannies and all other students.

7. Nanny Yeng impressed her opinion on students’ behavior which encouraged them to get up and have breakfast early in order to arrive school before 7:00 o’clock in the morning. Moreover, she advised the younger and older kids to contribute to taking care of school and orphanage property.

8. At the last time, Thinearng followed up the outcome of meeting and closed the meeting with the fun atmosphere and ovation.

As there were no other matters to discuss, the meeting finished at 6:30 pm.

Minutes taken by,

Hur Thinearng and Hai Poch,
Teachers

University Student Profile: Chhiev Kim Hak

2010-05-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

May 7, 2010

Dear Cambodia Tomorrow,

How are you? My friends and I are very good.

Everyday I always get up at 5:00am to review my subject, and after I clean my house.

Now I change university study time to night because I study clerk profession at the morning and afternoon. My studying at university is good. Now I'm very busy with my university because I have a lot of assignment. So I try to do it for high score from my teacher. I'll have graduate exam in July.

I would like to say thank you that Cambodia Tomorrow support me and my friends to study university and live in Phnom Penh.

Finally I wish you and all of Cambodia Tomorrow good luck, health and successful in your work.

Yours sincerely,

Chhiev Kim Hak

Kim Hak is a leader and role model for the other students in our University Program. He is studying law at the National University of Management in Phnom Penh - we are so proud that he will graduate with his Bachelors degree in July.

As he transitions from student to professional, he will remain in Cambodia Tomorrow housing for one year after graduation, with a small stipend that decreases over the course of the year. Sincere thanks to Cambodia Tomorrow scholarship sponsors B.K. and P.P. of Minneapolis, who have provided a life-changing educational opportunity to this student!

April Inflation Index

2010-05-06T07:00:00.000-07:00

Our Program Manager, Ken, periodically provides an inflation index on the prices for basic goods. Last month saw a slight increase in gas prices.

	April 6	April 28

gas (liter)	US$1.20	US$1.25
rice (50kg bag)	US$24.00	US$24.00
chicken (per kilo)	22,000 riel= $5.70	22,000 riel= $5.70

What's New at the School

2010-05-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

April is a time of celebration in Cambodia. The children have a two-week holiday from public school for the Khmer New Year. Some children leave the orphan center and return to their villages to spend time with their extended family. Our teachers are very busy during this time preparing for the new year.

The children are advancing nicely through their studies. Earlier this year over 50% of our students advanced to a higher level in the curriculum. For children who need extra help, the teachers have set up remedial classes to give them individual attention. Other children have the opportunity to work with the XO computers, play English learning games on our PCs or utilize audio materials to improve their listening skills.

We also have a large class of young children just beginning public school and other older children who are new to the Orphan Center and to English studies.

> Kathleen Hart-Zavoli, Director for English Education

Student Presentations

2010-05-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

Topic: Importance of English for my job in the future

by Reaksmey, March 29, 2010

In the future I want to be an accountant. I have to study hard. I have to study math and computer and I have to study English too. If I can speak English and I can read in English and I can write in English it very easy to help my job.

First, It easy for me to use computer and calculator and I can read a lot of English books about accounting. Second, I can speak English with my friends, my teacher and I can speak English with expert accountant or visitors. When I know English I can have a good communication with customers. Third, It easy to searching the book and easy to use the Internet for more knowledge.

In conclusion I think English is very importance for my job in the future. Thank you for your listening to me. I wish you good luck, good heath, success in your study and your work forever!

> Reaksmey is thirteen years old. She has been studying English since November 2006 and is in the sixth level of the Let's Go curriculum. She is currently in grade 5 in public school.

by Savoeun, March 29, 2010

Hello everybody! Let's talk about importance of English for my future. In my future I want to be a doctor. So I must know English well. If I want to have a good future I must do some point as:

First, I have to study English... Because now I am young I can learn English for a long time. It is very important for me to speak English with my teachers and my friends.

Second, English is an important language for a doctor. When I know English I will have a good communication with my customers.

Third, When I know English it easy for me to search on the Internet for a lot of information that talk about health because some medicine use English language to introduce the people to use it. In conclusion I think English is very important for my future and my job.

> Savoeun is 15 ½ years old and is in grade 7 in public school. She recently advanced to the fifth level in the Let's Go curriculum. Her average test scores are in the low to mid 90s.

Thank You!

2010-05-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all who contributed so generously to our Annual Holiday Fund Drive last December! The contributions of almost $25,000 ensures Cambodia Tomorrow School programs will continue to thrive, providing high quality English language, computer training and public school. The donations will also allow us to continue to provide basic needs support, including rice, nanny support and other necessities.

Our Teachers Talk about the Program

2010-05-01T21:17:00.000-07:00

The Cambodia Tomorrow School Teachers, Hai Poch and Hur Thinearng, filed this report on the English and computer programs:

English is a basic knowledge to help Cambodian students get the opportunity into their higher education at university where the future place brings good job to them. Therefore, Cambodia Tomorrow School has been providing suitable course of English to the children in Kompong Speu Orphan Center basing on the following curriculum.

Eight classes are set for each level of students' ability. The older and the younger students are placed into different course - Let's Go (third edition) and Reward series. The older students are taught with Reward course book which basically offers them to get the competence of social and cross cultural awareness and the students are also able to practice their grammar from each lesson through their practice books and additional materials. Now the Reward course is conducted in two differences - Reward pre-intermediate and Reward Intermediate, which are more challenging for the students than the lower ones. Each component of the levels is included Reward Student's book, Reward practice book, Reward Vocabulary and Grammar book, Reward Teacher's book, Reward Resource pack, CD-Rom and Cassettes. Moreover, the further helpful learning for the students at home is to get them to get accustomed to English native speaker by providing VOA audios and scripts downloaded from Internet to them. Usually, teachers give the students the gap-filling work sheets and assign them to do at home by listening to the audios.

On the other hand, younger kids are being taught under a certain curriculum conducted by ACE. Let's Go course -third edition- is colorful, attractive, and practical. It emphasizes communication within a carefully controlled grammatical syllabus. Beginning with the first lesson, students are provided with a variety of activities that focus on interactive communication. The activities gradually increase difficulty. The students are regularly presented with new vocabulary and structures so that they have adequate language to communicate with at each new level.

For example in Let's Begin, students are provided some classroom phrases, useful vocabulary, and the letters of the alphabet and their sounds. In Let's Go 1, the language focus on first-person use of Be, Like, Can, along with both Wh- and Yes/no question forms. Because students are familiar with question-and-answer patterns, grammatical structures, and vocabulary, Let's Go 2 builds concepts including further expansion of third-person plural forms and the present continuous tense. Besides, Let's Go 3 contains reading passages which reinforce students' reading skills by recycling language while Let's Go 4 expands on vocabulary and grammar from the previous. Let's Go 5 also continues to recycle language from the previous levels while introducing new structures. It provides thematically-linked reading passages of up to 100 words. At Cambodia Tomorrow School, Let's Go course requires Student Book, Student Book with CD-ROM, Audio CD, Workbook, Skills Book with Audio CD, Let's Sing and Let's Chant, Teacher's Book, Teacher Cards and Students Cards, Readers, and Tests and Quizzes.

Besides attending the English class, XO program is also instructed every Friday and the students enjoy their personal one which is allowed to take home and explore other things; indeed, they are able to create activities and play games when they need a break from study. In addition, the students bring their XOs back to the class on Fridays and show new things they have found and done to their class. XO is funny and helpful for students to learn especially to search because it is a new machine in Cambodia. XO hardware is not easy to find and fix when it is broken. However, both teachers learned how to update programs and fix it from Trainer Philipp Kocher.

Cambodian Recipe - Loc Lac

2010-04-30T11:06:00.000-07:00

If you didn't celebrate Cambodian New Year in April, here's a recipe to bring Cambodia to your table. Enjoy!

Loc Lac (Beef Salad)

2 lbs. beef sirloin, cut into narrow 2" strips

For marinade:
7 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. soy sauce
1 T. sugar
1 tsp. black pepper

To cook:
2 T. oil

Sauce:
1 T. lime juice
1 tsp. water
1/2 tsp. black pepper

Place cubed sirloin in mixture of minced garlic, soy sauce, sugar and pepper.. Marinade for 30 minutes or more.
Heat the oil, remove beef from marinade and place in skillet. Saute until browned - 8 to 10 minutes. Mix together lime juice, water and black pepper and add to beef. For an authentic presentation, serve over lettuce (romaine or iceberg) with tomatos, wedge fried potatoes and top with a fried egg. Also good over rice.

Serves 4 to 6.

Get Involved

2010-04-30T09:56:00.000-07:00

The Cambodia Tomorrow Board of Directors believes its work will be most effective and relevant if voices from a variety of backgrounds is represented at its (virtual) boardroom table. To this end Cambodia Tomorrow invites you to apply for a one-year position serving on its volunteer Board of Directors in the Treasurer position.

Does Cambodia Tomorrow inspire you?
Can you imagine yourself as a voice for Cambodia Tomorrow representing education for children?
Is your work already focused on empowering children through education in your community?
Are you interested in sharing your professional training and skills to ensure the financial stability and accelerate the success of Cambodia Tomorrow programs?

Eligibility Criteria
1. Background in financial management, preferrably including non-profit organizations. Experience building donor foundations and grant writing a plus.
2. A demonstrated ability to work with diverse groups and help build consensus.
3. Frequent access to the Internet and a flexible schedule allowing participation in Board meetings via conference calls six times per year, for two or more hours each, typically on weekends.

Application Guidelines
1. Applicants must submit an essay (300-500 words) describing their qualifications in relation to Cambodia Tomorrow's mission: To provide educational opportunities in Cambodia, and assist with fundamental needs inherent to learning. The essay should convey ideas on how the applicant would contribute to the effectiveness of Cambodia Tomorrow's mission by serving as a representative to current and prospective donors and ensuring the organization's financial stability.
2. Prepare a bio or resume listing your qualifications, relevant financial and nonprofit experience and evidence of leadership. Email your bio or resume to Elizabeth Gullam, President at egullam@cambodiatomorrow.org.

Final Selection
Cambodia Tomorrow will select three candidates for final review and selection to the position of Treasurer and member of the Board. If you are chosen as a final candidate, you will be interviewed via phone by members of the Cambodia Tomorrow Board, will be asked to provide references, and, if available, recommendations by other Cambodia Tomorrow members.

Application deadline is May 31, 2010
Applicants will be notified by June 30, 2010.

CamTESOL 2010 - Education Conference Report

2010-03-01T07:00:00.000-08:00

We believe that Cambodia's children will achieve a brighter future through the power of education. We also believe strongly in empowering our Khmer colleagues through mentoring and professional development.

The Cambodia Tomorrow School teachers attended the CamTESOL 2010 conference February 2010 in Phnom Penh.

Teaching of
English to
Speakers of
Other
Languages

Dear Cambodia Tomorrow Board of Directors,

We, teachers at Cambodia Tomorrow School, are writing the report of CamTesol 2010 to the board members of Cambodia Tomorrow Organization.

CamTesol 2010 conference lasted two days in Phnom Penh city, Cambodia, where the participants from 28 countries and 24 provinces around Cambodia attended the conference to exchange experience and culture, particularly on educational field at school. The following program was set into different stages.
The opening plenary was delivered by Professor Andy Kirkpatrick from Hong Kong Institute of Education, China, and the closing plenary was delivered by Dr. Joan Kang Shin from University of Maryland, Baltimore County of the United States of America.

Furthermore, the speeches were also delivered by ambassador of America in Cambodia, ambassador of Australia, and the representative of education, youth and sport, Kingdom of Cambodia.

In each session of presentation, we attended strongly and learnt some more techniques of teaching and experience from those presenters and other participants that may be helpful and useful at our school program which is now implementing our education step by step.

We have a great honor and profound gratitude to all of you who allowed us to participate in the wonderful conference. We would like to wish you all great success at your work all the time.

Below are our pictures of that conference.

Warm regards,

Hur Thinearng and Hai Poch,
Teachers

Teachers to attend CAMTESOL

2010-01-09T09:00:00.000-08:00

The Cambodia Tomorrow School teachers will be attending the 6th CamTESOL Conference on English Language Teaching in Phnom Penh.

We have already registered to participate in the Camtesol 2010 and we will be attending it on 27, 28 of February soon. We will hopefully get many more techniques to stimulate our students more actively and effectively in our site.

Moreover, we also have good chance to talk on phone with Kathleen about our students and receive some comments on teaching in order that the process of working on education is going better.

We wish you all good luck, long life, success, healthiness and happiness all the time.
Thank you.

Best regards,

Teachers

Wall of Gratitude

2009-12-27T09:00:00.000-08:00

The WALL OF GRATITUDE is a unique opportunity to honor someone in perpetuity by placing their name in the Cambodia Tomorrow School.

A minimum donation of $100 is all you need in order to be part of the wall. Your gift will help the Cambodia Tomorrow School educate the children currently at Kompong Speu Orphan Center and the hundreds more who will pass through our school in the years ahead.

To have your name included on the Wall of Gratitude, send the name(s) you would like listed on the Wall to wendy@cambodiatomorrow.org, forwarding your $100 donation to Cambodia Tomorrow via Paypal or directly to:

Wendy Wisniewski
Vice President, Cambodia Tomorrow
195 Santa Ana, San
Francisco, CA 94127

Holiday Greetings from the Cambodia Tomorrow School Students

2009-12-24T10:49:00.000-08:00

Dear Board of Directors, Donors and Sponsors of Cambodia Tomorrow,

During the glittering occasions of Xmas and New Year, we, teachers and students at Cambodia Tomorrow School, would like express our genial, sincere gratitude to all of you who always initiate by all means of your constant diligence in order to illuminate lives such as food, clothes, education, etc to Cambodian children. Confidently, we are so proud of being one part of yours.

By the power of god, you are all blessed lifelong, high ranking, healthy, powerful, and prosperous with always.

Best wishes,

Teachers and students
Cambodia Tomorrow School

How We Put Your Contributions to Work

2009-12-23T12:00:00.000-08:00

"Growth, Hope, Success", the motto of the Cambodia Tomorrow School, reflects what we strive to bring to the children of Cambodia through our education programs and the contribution of basic needs and supplies. The Cambodia Tomorrow Board of Directors volunteer our time, so that nearly 100% of every dollar you contribute goes directly to the children.

What your dollars can do for one child:

$15 - One month of English school for a community child

$20 - Books for one year of English school

$50 - School uniforms and supplies

$100 - Contribute to English teacher's monthly salary

$500 - Provide an entire year of English and computer school

$1000 - Support one semester of university tuition and living expenses

Please consider making a contribution to Cambodia Tomorrow.

Holiday Greetings from University Student

2009-12-22T16:30:00.000-08:00

Cambodia Tomorrow is particularly proud of the students in our University Program. Having grown up at the Kompong Speu Orphan Center, the young people have completed their studies at the provincial Khmer schools and the Cambodia Tomorrow English program, before moving to Phnom Penh to attend university.

December 21, 2009

Dear Elizabeth

How are you? I and my friends are pretty well. I would love to say happy Chrismas Day to you and all Cambodia Tomorrow memberships.

Where will you go during this holiday? Do you have any plans to celebrate party with your family and friends? Does Christmas Day a national holiday in United States? In Cambodia it is a religious ceremony and school is not allow to rest.

My study is working smooth and I get new something every days from lecturers and research. I have lots of assignments to do. I am really busy with my university class and enjoy it very much.

Ken always gives me and my friends very good advice and experiences and encourage us to overcome, learn hard and always check our lesson books. I am very lucky that Cambodia Tomorrow support me for college, apartment, food, and all things. To respond these helping, I try my best to study hard every days and become a good person for my country.

Finally I wish you and Cambodia Tomorrow member good health, succeed in working, and happy in Christmas Day.

Love,

Soeng Kosal

Sophomore at Norton University, Phnom Penh
Member of Cambodia Tomorrow University Program

Holiday Greetings from Cambodia Tomorrow

2009-12-21T11:35:00.000-08:00

With the Cambodia Tomorrow School at Kompong Speu Orphan Center now providing first-class English and Computer classes for the children, we begin to look eagerly to the future.

Our goals and hopes for 2010 and beyond include raising funds to assure the continued operations of the school, to welcoming more local children into the program, and perhaps expanding our exceptional curriculum of English Education to additional orphan centers throughout Cambodia. In order to make these dreams a reality, we ask for your help.

Won't you please join our list of year-end contributors and help the children of Cambodia achieve a brighter future? There's a donor level right for every family. (Annual sponsorships will be included in determining donor level.)

Leader: $50
Advisor: $100
Teacher: $250
Mentor: $500
Visionary: $1000

"Growth, Hope and Success", the motto of the Cambodia Tomorrow School, reflects what we strive to bring to the children of Cambodia through our education programs and the contribution of basic needs and supplies. As Board members, we volunteer our time so that nearly 100% of every dollar you contribute goes directly to the children.

So, please, consider making a contribution to Cambodia Tomorrow today. Contributions also make wonderful holiday gifts for friends and family.

With sincere thanks for your support this holiday season,

Elizabeth, Wendy, Scott, Cathy, Kathleen and Myles

Happy Thanksgiving, Happy Thursday

2009-11-26T07:24:00.000-08:00

Sngin Sokoeun, our Program Manager, writes:

Cambodia has a people meeting like Thanksgiving after harvest, after the farmers have collected their products from the field. The villagers are invited by a chief of village to join in the discussion about how they should contribute some of their production to the pagoda or to help poor families. This tradition has almost disappeared, but the people who live in rural areas or the countryside still keep the tradition.

Thank you to the supporters of Cambodia Tomorrow - thank you for being part of the Cambodian harvest tradition of giving back to poor families. The children in our programs, economic or actual orphans, are from Kompong Speu province's poorest families. Your donations of time, money and materials are impacting these families in a positive way every day. We are thankful for all you give!

On Thanksgiving Day, I'd also like to extend a personal message of thanks to:

Pol Sok Ly, Director, Kompong Speu Orphan Center, who originally invited Cambodia Tomorrow to help the children under her care, a dedicated advocate for her charges.

Sngin "Ken" Sokoeun, Cambodia Tomorrow's Program Manager, whose hard work make it possible for a volunteer Board of Directors halfway around the world to know what's happening in Cambodia.

Hai Poch and Hur Thinearng, Cambodia Tomorrow's teachers who were hired to teach English, but have proven themselves enthusiastic mentors and guides to the students for a variety of topics and lifeskills.

Wendy Wisniewski, Vice-President - A long-time supporter of Cambodia Tomorrow, Wendy joined the Board of Directors this year. Her business acumen and skills in policy development and strategic planning have already had a positive impact on our organization and plans for the future.

Scott Nichols, Founder, Secretary - His compassion helped form our organization, while his calm and steady guidance over the years have kept us stable and growing

Catherine MacNeal, Founder, Development Director - While she has held various titles on the Board, we know her as the "heart" of our organization. She has dedicated herself to helping donors and supporters feel a personal connection to Cambodia and the children we serve.

Kathleen Hart-Zavoli, English Program Director - With a background in special education, Kathleen is a great resource for our teachers, providing mentoring on methodology and feedback on student progress during monthly conference calls and weekly e-mail.

Myles Gullam, Tech Program and Volunteer Director - Through repeated site visits to Kompong Speu and a year-long residency in Phnom Penh, Myles has built deep connections with our Cambodian friends and colleagues, bringing their voice to our planning efforts.

Wishing you and your family all the best on this Thanksgiving Day. (Happy Thursday to our international friends!)

Elizabeth Gullam
President

Holiday Giving That Keeps on Giving

2009-11-25T15:43:00.000-08:00

If you're thinking about holiday giving, Cambodia Tomorrow is working with Razoo to raise money for our programs. Instead of a fruit basket, tie or ITunes card, how about a gift that keeps on giving??

CAMBODIA TOMORROW INC - Razoo
www.razoo.com
By supporting Cambodia Tomorrow, you are helping Cambodia's children achieve a brighter future through the power of education.

Um Vanndeth Reports on His Internship with World Vision

2009-11-23T07:23:00.000-08:00

by Um Vanndeth,
BA English,
National University Management, Phnom Penh,
Cambodia Tomorrow University Program graduate

Dear Elizabeth

How are things going?

I am pretty good. How is your work?

Now I work as a sponsorship translation intern with World Vision Cambodia. I really like this job even it is unpaid job. I'm responsible for translating children letters and package to send to the sponsors around the world. I am so busy with my first job; all children letter which is come from the provinces in Cambodia is translated by my groups.

With loves,

Vanndeth

Newest Children at the Cambodia Tomorrow School

2009-11-07T06:57:00.000-08:00

We are pleased to welcome the newest students to the Cambodia Tomorrow School!

Two sets of siblings have recently come to live at Kompong Speu Orphan Center. Phen Saro and Phen Chetra are sister and brother; Suen Saron and Suen Saro are brothers.

Proud of their new school uniforms and backpacks

Phen Chetra

Phen Saro

Suen Saro

Suen Saron

XO Laptop Training Report

2009-10-29T06:40:00.000-07:00

by Hur Thinearng, Cambodia Tomorrow School Teacher:

Hello! I am writing the report of XO’s training. The interesting lessons from XOs were being trained for three days from the 26, 27 and 28 of October.

The first day we studied how to install the updated program and we set up all the XOs with new program.

The second day, the meaning of XO, what OLPC were questioned, and the reasons OLPC gives children XOs. And then the answers were also defined. XO is for children because if we look at XO, it looks like a child. OLPC stands for One Laptop Per Child this means each child should have own laptop most of the time because it is active and creative program. It provides specially fun for students. It helps children improve the best way of education in poor countries, making learning more interesting, helps children develop life skill problem solving, and other things. Furthermore, we learnt some activities and to use function with hardware like on keyboard, power off/on, camera, microphone, something like that.

The third day, we focused much on special activity that is call SCRATCH. It is used to design the program for fun and learning. On the other hand, the documents we do with XO can be transfer to our real desktop computer through the flash drive and more things.

Finally, we asked for the website related to XOs from the trainer for searching online. Now we feel that we know much more about XOs.

This is the XO's training report from Cambodia Tomorrow School supported by Cambodia Tomorrow Organization.

Collaborating and Learning

2009-10-26T19:32:00.000-07:00

By Catherine MacNeal:

Our final day working day in Phnom Penh. We had a good meeting with Leoung Ponlok of Global Children, the organization which provides the dance and music program at Kompong Speu and another orphanages, a university program in Phnom Penh and educational outreach in several provinces. As in some of our other meetings, we discussed possibilities for collaboration.

Global Children

After lunch, we attended our last NGO meeting - with Nuon So Thero of American Assistance for Cambodia. The organization has built over 500 schools in Cambodia, with ongoing involvement in 120 of them. Thero could not have been more gracious in briefing us on their programs, and works with many of our mutual friends - John and Kathy Tucker, Kari Grady Grossman, Elaine Negroponte and more. The meeting was humbling. Bernie Krisher, who chairs the organization, also publishes the Cambodia Daily, an English language newspaper. We are very grateful to all who took time to meet, greet and brainstorm.

American Assistance for Cambodia

Homecooked Khmer Food

2009-10-25T20:39:00.000-07:00

By Elizabeth Gullam and Catherine MacNeal:

None of Cambodia Tomorrow's work would be possible without our stalwart Program Manager, Sngin "Ken" Sokoeun. Ken has worked with us many years, building language and cultural bridges between American and Cambodian communities.

We were honored to be invited to Ken's home on Sunday night. Ken's wife Sokheng had made the most delicious Cambodian dinner - traditional chicken curry, a fantastic and delicate ginger pork dish, mixed vegetables (bamboo shoots, mushrooms) bread and rice. Lovely. Such hospitality. Sokheng even had Elizabeth's favorite waiting - brewed coffee with sweetened condensed milk.

When living in Cambodia, Elizabeth spent many hours at Ken's house, working on our programs, providing mentoring and skills-building for Ken. While she had previously seen a noteworthy feature of Ken's home, it was the first time Catherine and Wendy had seen...the ant hill.

An anthill. That’s right. It’s nearly five feet tall and is a symbol of good luck that must not be destroyed. The house originally was on one floor and the anthill started in the garage.

Eventually, Ken had to park his car outside, as the anthill grew and grew. It’s been incorporated in the remodel, in a tiled room with an opening in the floor - the family also has a shrine and their offerings - typical of a Cambodian Buddhist house. It’s a great tribute to the industrious ant - looking somewhere between a Gaudi building and those drippy sandcastles you make at the beach.

While we would be loathe to compare Ken to an insect, the traits of industry and diligence are certainly similar!

New Hope for Cambodian Children

2009-10-25T19:57:00.000-07:00

By Wendy Wisniewski:

Sunday afternoon afforded us a little time to head about 15 minutes away from our school in KS over to the New Hope for Cambodian Children Village. I think it was supposed to have taken 15 minutes, but we got lost on some dirt roads, ran smack in to a dead-end with a pagoda and realized that we had taken a wrong turn. Our substitute driver (Program Manager Ken was sick today) kept calling sick-Ken to get directions. I wish I could explain it better - but remember that we are off the paved streets, we are back amongst the rice fields and farms. The road is single lane, hole pitted, dirt. There are no street signs, no road markers, nada. Sub-driver had a "map", but for the life of me I don't know what he was using to determine where he was. The funniest thing was that he would not stop and ask any of the villagers for directions. Typical man. But indeed, we reversed our direction - took a "right" instead of a "left" and an arbitrary fork in the road and made it to New Hope. (Note: Yes, sub-driver had a cell phone. In fact, lots of Cambodians do. There is no electricity past about 500 yards from the main road, there is no water, no sewer, no other utilities, but there is cell phone reception. You can't see in the dark past 8:30 p.m., you have to go out to the woods to do your business, you need to haul up water from your well - but, hey! You can make a call on your cell phone while you are doing all that)

All I can say about this place is it is a veritable power-house of an NGO. In three years, a couple of ex-catholic missionaries (still catholic, but no longer missionaries) have managed to put together the largest HIV/AIDS village in Cambodia. They have an amazing paradigm. Bill Clinton supplies all the meds. They got funding to buy 21 acres. The built 8 pods of buildings. Each pod has several sleeping dorms connected to kitchens. They have enough pigs to supply all the methane gas they need. (Although I have to say that when we were touring one of the pig houses, they were cleaning out the pig-pooh to make the pig-pooh-water that creates the methane gas and I nearly puked as the shovel of pig-pooh passed too near my face - no farmer am I!) In addition, they raise something like 2000 chickens a cycle and sell them to KFC (while keeping the ones they need to eat). The kids are loved and hugged and it's like a giant family. In a million years, this is not what Cambodia Tomorrow is going to be doing - but it was one of the best "field trips" I have ever taken. They are awesome. Check out their website if you get a chance. This is an organization that is 100% HEART.

New Hope for Cambodian Children

Family-style housing in clusters around the site.

The buildings are well-built and clean, painted and decorated by volunteers.

The children are gathering morning glories, a vegetable that's delicious stir-fried with garlic.

The proud pig-keeper.

By Catherine MacNeal:

We went to visit a large orphanage (village would be more appropriate) called New Hope for Cambodian Children. John and Kathy Tucker run this residential program for over 200 children orphaned by HIV, all of whom are HIV positive, healthy, and receiving their drug protocols courtesy of the Clinton Foundation, and everything else- English, computer, dance and music, basketball, food and clothing - from John and Kathy’s efforts. There are village clusters, with four houses built around one courtyard and kitchen - probably 7 or 8 of those. Eight children live in each house, cared for by a couple who lives with them. Water towers are brightly painted by volunteers (spiderman, farm scenes) and the ground are filled with flowers. There are basketball and volleyball courts, bicycles, swings and happy children everywhere.

The Tuckers have created a new model for sustainability - they have pigs and the pig poop is turned into methane and then biodiesel to run the generator. They also collect cooking oil from restaurants in Phnom Penh and manufacture biodiesel that they sell. Some of the pigs get sold too (cleanest pigs I’ve ever seen) and they also breed piglets - we saw the mama pig center. There are chickens and chicks - those are sold as well 9they mentioned KFC, which is in Phnom Penh, as everywhere). All of this provides about half of their operating expenses. Oh, and there was a team of Irish guys installing solar so that the orphanage can have some light once they turn the generator off at 8:30 (after the nannies’ soap operas are over).

An area of land had just tilled and 45 children have signed up for their own garden plot. They will grow vegetables, sell them to the orphanage and get some spending money. It’s a great idea - a way to get children in an institution to have some independence and responsibilities.
Wonderful field trip for us - kudos and admiration to them. If you’re looking for a worthy organization to support (besides Cambodia Tomorrow), please check them out.

Hanging Out With the Cambodia Tomorrow Students

2009-10-25T16:01:00.000-07:00

By Wendy Wisniewski:

Sunday here in Phnom Penh. We headed back out to KS Orphan Center for the visit that we planned specifically to bring gifts to the children. I think that the grinning face on the first photo pretty much summed the whole afternoon up...

We once again stopped by our favorite fruit dealers in the Kompong Speu Town market and picked up a "branch o' bananas" to take with us along with about 80 baguettes!

Along with the "healthy stuff", we brought along all the gifts from the children's sponsors - those wonderfully generous folks who support each child for English lessons, computer lessons, and some other basic needs like rice and nanny support. We are eternally grateful, and as you can see - the children are too!

I got a shot of some of the boys in their "new" blue jeans. After lugging more than 240 pounds of stuff with us from the US - most of it gifts and blue jeans, it was rewarding to see them being immediately put to use. It does seem a bit odd to see them in jeans when the thermometer reads in the high 90's - but yesterday I saw a woman walking down the street in a winter coat. Why? Maybe she was chilly.

As I mentioned before, an old friend from HS of mine lovingly hand poured some lovely lollipops for all the kids. And, BOY, were they a hit. The kids were initially very circumspect - I mean it is unlikely that they have had a lollipop before, but once they took the first few tentative licks - all was right with the world. Interestingly, the lollipops were all poured in primary colors and in different shapes, so the kids had fun calling them out loud "THIS IS AN ORANGE OVAL!!" as they were handed to each. Smiles, smiles and more smiles.

Finally, we gathered for a last group shot. When I look at the picture I am reminded of the Sesame Street Song - "One of These Things is not like the other" - but we managed to squeeze in amidst the loud sucking noises and the gifts from sponsors and took our last kodak moments.

So sad to leave. So pleased to see that they are well taken care of, that their needs are being met and the the school is a success.

I said to our two teachers before we left that what Cambodia Tomorrow built was just a building. It was just a building until they joined us, and, together as teachers, they made it a "school".

Lovely Sunday Visit at Cambodia Tomorrow School

2009-10-25T15:15:00.000-07:00

By Catherine MacNeal:

What can I say? I love these kids. Among the smiling faces are girls and boys I first met in January 2002. While I’ve only spent a cumulative 20 hours with this group, their names and faces have been with me for the last seven years. The Sok girls, who shared a bed with my daughter Rosalie, are now in 8th and 9th grade. Srey Tey, the girl I sponsor, is an eighth grader. Srey Rath, who my mother sponsors, is a junior in high school, student leader and her English is understandable. I have high hopes for them and I am delighted to see them and share a laugh and a hug.

On Sunday, we passed out our duffle bag of gifts and letters from sponsors - a huge and generous haul. Most of the children were wearing the blue jeans Wendy and I had brought, with only the oldest boys not fitting into our selection. I feel confident that Pol Sok Ly will trade the remaining 30 jeans at the market for ones that fit. The children looked very pleased.

For those sponsors who are now reading this and thinking, “Oh no, I didn’t send anything!” rest assured that every child got a gift. In addition to blue jeans and a large pile of comic books sent by friends and sponsors, we had lovely lollipops handmade by a friend of Wendy’s (and these survived heat and travel). We went through our list and picked a book or small gift (some of them consolation gifts from EVA when Wendy’s video screen didn’t work) and no one was emptyhanded.

A few speeches from the older kids, bread and bananas for all, and we had to say our goodbyes. The children lined up on either side of the path to the car and I processed down the center of the crowd, with Pomp and Circumstance humming in my head. I certainly can feel their appreciation and hope.

English teacher Hai Poch and Hur Thinearng, Kompong Speu Orphan Center Pol Sok Ly, Cambodia Tomorrow Boardmembers Catherine MacNeal, Wendy Wisniewski and Elizabeth Gullam

Building the English School Library

2009-10-24T23:56:00.000-07:00

By Elizabeth Gullam:

Sincere thanks to those Cambodia Tomorrow donors who sent money for school books!

We took Thinearng and Poch shopping in Phnom Penh this morning. Their selection included both practical and fun choices: Khmer-English picture dictionaries, posters for the classrooms, traditional tales in Khmer-English, word puzzle games and more.

While the teachers' primary role is to teach English, we are fortunate that they take a holistic approach to the students' education. Thinearng and Poch also purchased a few math books and other materials that are crucial for Khmer government school. The Cambodia Tomorrow teachers understand that the students will thrive if they are learning a combination of Khmer subjects, English and computer skills.

Hur Thinearng

Hai Poch

Pizza With the University Students

2009-10-24T00:05:00.000-07:00

By Catherine MacNeal:

We picked up pizza for our dinner with the university boys. So, no big deal. Except three years ago, the idea of picking up pizza from a modern fast food restaurant, with Cambodians eating in and taking out and motorcycles fitted with ovens for delivery, was unthinkable. Among the choices were Aloha pizza (pineapple, among other things), pepperoni, vegetarian - mmm.

When Wendy, Elizabeth and I headed to the students’ apartment, all seven students and graduates were there. Our large group did a good job of polishing off pizza (which they eat with ketchup - packets included in the box!)

Elizabeth reviewed the scholarship funds and household budgets, particularly for the three young men who have finished their studies and are allowed to stay one more year in the apartment while they find a job. They got a pep talk and a wake-up call that they need to be self-supporting, while Wendy gave them more help with their resumes.

We said our goodbyes - I’ve watched these boys from the provinces become men in the city. I hope they can find jobs and opportunities. Of the four still at university, one is studying law and one is majoring in economics. Brave new world.

XO Laptops, Changing Education in Cambodia

2009-10-23T23:50:00.000-07:00

by Elizabeth Gullam:

Our first three days in Cambodia were packed with trips out to Kompong Speu and meetings in Phnom Penh. On Friday night, it was a pleasure to relax and spend the evening with Elaine Negroponte whose support and insight are a valued resource to Cambodia Tomorrow.

Elaine and husband Nicholas Negroponte first visited Reaksmy, Cambodia in 1999 when they donated their first government primary school in Reaksmy. At the time, the village was so remote that it could only be reached by a four-hour drive over bone-jarring dirt roads from the nearest town. While the villages lacked running water, electricity, or any of life's modern necessities, the Negropontes brought in a satellite dish and generator for connectivity, and provided the children with laptops - an initiative so successful that Nicholas Negroponte credits this as the inspiration for the "$100 laptop" One Laptop Per Child initiative. Since then, the effort in Cambodia has expanded to build three additional schools, and wells have been dug at the sites to provide water for school gardens and surrounding areas.

Fast forward to early 2008 and a Learning Workshop in Phnom Penh that Elaine organized, featuring Professor Glorianna Davenport from MIT’s Media Lab. I had the opportunity to join other NGOs to gain insight on experiential and creative learning tactics. Not long after the workshop, Cambodia Tomorrow was thrilled to receive our first donation of XO laptops from One Laptop Per Child. We have since received a second donation of XO laptops, and tutoring from associates of Elaine's.

Tonight, we had a wide-ranging discussion about technology, the ripple effect of NGOs, motivating students - you name it.

A big THANKS AGAIN to Elaine for her advice and to OLPC for the XO laptops!

Cambodia Pride
One Laptop Per Child

Smiles Under Rainy Skies

2009-10-23T23:41:00.000-07:00

By Catherine MacNeal

Oh, that’s why they call it the rainy season. The main event of the day was taking Maithé of Enfants d'Asie Aspeca - of yesterday’s “Sent from Heaven” comment - and her husband out to the school to see our English teachers and the curriculum in action. (I will be very happy when a guesthouse or hotel opens in Kompong Speu so we don’t have to make this trip daily. Today’s traffic seemed worse than ever and we inched our way through the motos, tuktuks, bicycles, trucks and buses out to the orphan center.) The teachers, Poch and Thinearng, are enthusiastic and captivating. The kids are up and moving - slapping the board when they find the right color: "Green!" - throwing paper balls at the correct verb tense: "Dances!" and working on Always, Usually, Sometimes, Never: "She sometimes plays soccer in the bathroom!" (Really?)

The skies opened up (sent from heaven) and we were in one of the biggest thunderstorms I've ever witnessed. I was glad the school was new and sound. Speaking of sound, the tin roofs made it incredibly noisy.

Eventually the rain and noise let up, we got to see six classes in action, including a level 3 class of 9 girls and one boy (lucky or unlucky Yin Ny) - all the girls about the same age as my daughter Rosalie, some who roomed with her when she lived at KSOC - the same hairstyles, outfits and giggling that I see at home in Berkeley.

From all that I saw, the kids LOVE the school and love the teachers. Me too. I'm very happy we built the school and got to show another NGO how our program works.

Spending Time in the English Classroom

2009-10-23T23:31:00.000-07:00

By Wendy Wisniewski:

This afternoon we headed back out the KS Orphan Center to see the Cambodia Tomorrow School in action. All I can say is... AMAZING. While the building looked great when we looked at it on Tuesday - putting children in it with two incredibly creative and enthusiastic teachers took it from fabulous to - well, supercalifragilisticexpialidocious - or however that word is spelled. What a treat to see them in action.

The little ones were working on colors and shapes. They were having a two team race to see which team could identify the colors first by running to the board and slapping their hands on the right colored blob as the teacher called it out. The giant smile that you can see on the teacher's face? CONSTANT. He was so wonderful with them.

Now they are working on shapes. Repeating after the teacher: "Is this a rectangle? Yes it is!!" Repeating might be down-playing the response a little. Perhaps screeching might be a better descriptor for them with their high lilting Khmer voices (except for the one boy whose voice was clearly in the middle of changing and kept cracking - obviously a universal problem for 13 yo boys!)

Next class was the level 3 kids - slightly more advanced. The were working in their work books to a CD that prompted them to circle the correct picture by narrowing it down with clues. "It is round", "It is a toy", "It is a yo-yo", and so on. The laughed and giggled when they got it right!

And finally on to the Big boys and Level 4. They were working on using the words "Sometimes", "Always" and "Never" in sentences. They were really very good at it. At first they just made up logical sentences "She always plays soccer in the park". Then, as you can see they beat out the syllables on drums while they said it. Finally, with their heads together, they were tasked to come up with sentences that didn't make sense, "He sometimes plays baseball in the kitchen." They really cracked themselves up over these.

Bottom line, these teachers keep these kids engaged. They are smiling, they are working, the teachers get them up and moving around. We're pleased as punch with the environment that we have helped to create. And, perhaps a more stark comparison could be looking at the photos of these kids in the KS orphan center compared to the photos yesterday of the less fortunate ones out at Wat Prey Cheum. What a difference. Our hope is to see the changes at Wat Prey Cheum over the next months and years.

And for some fun and games - - in the middle of all the lessons a ferocious thunderstorm broke out. A thunderstorm of biblical proportions. The rain beat down so murderously that the din of the water on the tin roof was deafening! At one point, a massive flash of lightening coincided with an ear-splitting crack of thunder so loud that Cathy screamed and threw her hands over her head! The older boys laughed and laughed. Still, the class continued with the boys just screaming louder to be heard over the clangor. We smiled and thought that, in any US school, classes would have taken a break until the worst had passed. Not so here. I think that you might be able to see from the photo the amount of rain that was pouring down...

Finally classes were over and the kids ran back to the other center buildings through the rain to get over to dinner!

Meeting With Our French Counterparts

2009-10-22T19:29:00.000-07:00

By Catherine MacNeal:

The main event of today was our meeting with the French NGO Enfants d’Asie Aspeca (EAA or Aspeca.)

EAA has a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Kingdom of Cambodia to provide service and oversight for 23 government orphanages in Cambodia. EAA has long experience in Cambodia, having had staff working in the country for nearly 20-years. We are fortunate to collaborate with EAA since Kompong Speu Orphan Center falls within their service area. EAA provides a foundation of basic needs support at KSOC, which Cambodia Tomorrow complements with our education and enrichment programs.

In a lively 2 1/2 hour meeting with their program director (speaking Khmer and French), in-country director (Khmer, English, French), intern (French and English), Treasurer (French), Board member and volunteer (French and great English), our program director Ken (Khmer, English), Elizabeth, Wendy and me (cobbling together some French with my English), we had a great meeting of the minds on current programs and ideas for future collaboration. I learned that, while I could follow the French of the French, my ability to understand a Cambodian speaking French was pretty poor. We knew it was all going well when Maithé, the vibrant schoolteacher from Lorraine, called Cambodia Tomorrow “sent from heaven” in reference to sharing ideas and resources. It doesn't get much better than that.

Enfants d'Asie Aspeca

Reviewing Resumes

2009-10-22T19:22:00.000-07:00

by Catherine MacNeal:

Our first Cambodia Tomorrow appointment today was a meeting with the three young men from our University Program who have graduated from university. They live in an apartment (with the four students who are still attending school) about a five minute walk from their college, National University of Management. Their place was neat and we got a warm welcome.

Of the three, Vanndeth is the most comfortable in English, eager to talk and helpful at communicating for the other boys. We had him stop translating so that all would practice their English.

We've been talking to the graduates about internships and volunteer opportunities as a way to build their experience. Elizabeth chided them for not following up on job opportunities (calling Habitat for Humanity, for example, after we provided a lead.) She and Wendy got down to work looking at their resumes and doing lots of editing. Wendy gave them handshake lessons and pep talks. Elizabeth had brought newspapers and reviewed the job posting and articles, providing ideas on how to best find prospective employers.

Wat Prey Chum

2009-10-21T19:12:00.000-07:00

by Wendy Wisniewki:

After a visit to the Cambodia Tomorrow School, we headed to visit Wat Prey Chum.

We stopped by the local market in Kompong Speu Town to grab some fruit and drinks to take as a treat for the children. Our Program Manager here in Cambodia was extremely helpful in negotiating with several fruit vendors to make sure we got the best prices.

Our next stop was a loooong, buuuuumpy ride down a dirt road. The trip was only 30 km (about 15 miles), but it took about an hour plus of bone jarring driving to finish. The rains have been exceptionally bad this year and had we tried to make this trip even last week, it is doubtful that we would have been able to finish it. But, beyond the travel comfort, I can honestly say it was some of the most beautiful country I have ever seen. The end of the rainy season means unbelievable green and blue skies with huge clouds. For the most part, the farmers look like they are doing well. Lots of cows (albeit skinny ones), lush rice fields and cisterns filled to the brim with water. Of course, this will not last and it is mostly a lovely optical illusion.

Where we were headed was a Wat where an impromptu orphan center has been operating. It was heartbreaking. There are about 50 children there from baby to teen living under the most basic of conditions. Rough wooden shacks with wooden palates for sleeping. About the size of a double bed, four palates for 26 girls.

The children of the make-shift orphanage greeted us as we rolled up. They all greeted us individually - hands clasped in the "prayer" under their chins, some using a highly chirped "hello!" in English, but most with the traditional Khmer greeting of "joom-ree-up soo-a" (And yes, that's a phonetic thing I've got going there - my keyboard isn't set up to write in the swirly twirly that is Cambodian writing!)

We spoke to the director, an ex-monk that takes care of this group. He has begun to get some funding from one NGO, but nothing else. We're not sure what this means and so we will tread carefully over the next few days to find out more. Every fiber in you wants to just start putting together some kind of sponsorship program to help. Sending clothes, sending money for rice, buying 6 bikes so that older kids can get more easily to school. But, there may be a reason why they aren't getting recognized by the authorities and we need to know that before we do anything. It's heartbreaking, but a stark reality. Certainly we will end up doing something - the question remains, what?

We brought them some fruit and drinks. The little ones were trying to hold the stems of longan fruit, their bananas and their canned drinks all at once. They didn't want to give any of it up so their hands would be freed to be able to eat one piece of it. I finally convinced one of the littler ones to let me hold her bananas while she ate her longan fruit. She was wary, but then realized I was just going to sit there and wait while she finished. Later she came over to see if I would also open her drink for her. A short-term trust pact, so to speak.

As we were leaving, the children came over to give us pictures that they had painted. Beautiful chalk drawings of fruits, and interesting collages made of tamarind and other local leaves and shells. We discovered that the art teacher was trained by World Vision and comes to teach the children for less than $15 dollars per month. One idea that we had was to scan some of this artwork when we get back and design some note cards to earn money. We will see.

Meeting the Children of Wat Prey Chum

2009-10-21T19:03:00.000-07:00

by Catherine MacNeal:

After our visit to Kompong Speu Orphan Center, we grabbed some fruit and drinks and headed to Wat Prey Chum, about 30 kilometers from Kompong Speu town. That 18 miles took over an hour to travel, since the recent record rains have left the dirt roads full or holes. But we were more than compensated for the bumpy ride by the absolutely stunning scenery on the rural roads. The rice is impossibly green, the mountains were visible and the going slow enough to peer into yards and houses, cattle hanging out in the shade under the houses on stilts, people selling from stands in front, children coming from school on bikes, motos and on foot, boys fishing, farmers herding cows. This area looked lush, the people having success as farmers.

Wat Prey Chum is a Buddhist temple that houses an improvised orphanage on its grounds. Two of our board members visited in March at the request of EAA (Enfants d’Asie Aspeca, the NGO we partner with at KS). The orphanage needs more support, so we visited to find out more about them. The children, about 50 of them, live in very small rooms in simple huts. The director has obviously made an effort - there is an outdoor classroom, three teachers are employed and two cooks. The children were excited to see us (and the fruit and soda) and seemed happy and well cared for. They could use more supplies, more money for food and some help. We will talk with EAA tomorrow to find out where they stand.

As a few drops of rain fell, the children came to us and gave us artwork - pencil drawings, collages with leaves, folded paper. Real treasures. I took lots of photos and will not forget them.

I am moved by the kindness and friendliness of the Cambodian people. The children touch me. I am glad to be back.

Growth, Hope, Success

2009-10-21T18:54:00.000-07:00

by Wendy Wisniewski:

Our first stop was the Kompong Speu Orphan Center. It is about an hour's drive from Phnom Penh on paved roads. We arrived to an enthusiastic reception from the children - - all greeting us in English, showing off their skills learned at the English language school. Since this was my first time there, it was not as emotional for me as it was for my two traveling companions who have personal relationships with the children and the director. But, it was pretty amazing to see the connection that they have with the center.

For me, the real thrill was seeing the school building in person! The classrooms are bright and cheerful, and the teachers are very proud of their space and their program. I stood next to the big (too big) sign with our name on it for the photo op. Thankfully it has already started to patina nicely and soon it will be a faded memorandum. Perfect.

We met with the director for a couple of hours and tried to get a handle on what the needs were at the center as we move forward. She is a shrewd woman, that director. This is best for the needs of the children. She's a stalwart subscriber to the "never put your eggs in one basket" and in these times when NGOs come and go at their whim, this makes perfect sense.

Checking Out the New School

2009-10-21T18:51:00.000-07:00

by Catherine MacNeal:

I’m filled with emotion tonight. My first visit to Kompong Speu Orphan Center in 3 1/2 years was thrilling. I burst into tears as the children gathered around Ken’s car to greet us. This is the spot where I greeted my daughter Rosalie (Kunthea) in 2003, moment before she and her friends danced the Blessing Dance and she left Kompong Speu Orphan Center to become my daughter. This is the place where my mother and I brought Charlotte two days after her adoption, to see where she had been living. I’ve never really left.

There was Srey Rath and Srey Tey, the Sok girls, the Yim girls - some I knew, some I had only seen photos of, all in the room together. Greetings and appreciations, then the walk to the Cambodia Tomorrow School, which is tucked into the far corner of the property.

It’s wonderful. There is school work and lessons posted on the walls. The classrooms are cheery and a comfortable size. The teachers, Thinearng and Poch, are terrific. We are so lucky. They are smart, enthusiastic and have great English.

We spent some time visiting dorms and then had a meeting with Pol Sok Ly (the orphanage director) to talk about her needs and our budget. She is having a very successful career, not only managing the orphanage and being a deputy minister of the province, but also chairing a committee dedicated to the protection of children, overseeing the program in the entire country.

Our Program Manager Ken was amazing - translating, driving in very busy traffic and bridging language and cultural gaps for us.

Again, lucky us.

Visit to Cambodia!

2009-10-18T21:36:00.000-07:00

Board members Elizabeth Gullam, Catherine MacNeal and Wendy Wisniewski are preparing to travel from the U.S. to Cambodia to visit the Cambodia Tomorrow School, review our programs and meet with our aligned partners at Enfante d'Asie Aspeca (EAA) and Global Children, among others. Watch for updates about the students' progress, info from the teachers and notes from Kompong Speu and Phnom Penh.

Follow Us on Facebook

2009-10-10T00:11:00.000-07:00

Are you on Facebook? Become a fan of Cambodia Tomorrow.

Not a member of Facebook? No problem, you can follow the posts on our Cambodia Tomorrow Facebook page

In Memoriam

2009-10-09T23:56:00.000-07:00

The Cambodia Tomorrow Board extends our deepest sympathy to the family of Kate Obert, of Coatesville, Pennsylvania, who died on August 19, 2009. Kate was a sponsor and donor to Cambodia Tomorrow and is survived by her loving partner, Regina Towers and their son, Alexander Towers.

We have placed Kate's name on the Wall of Gratitude at the Cambodia Tomorrow School. Donations in her honor can be mailed to

Cambodia Tomorrow
1515 Madrona Drive
Seattle, WA 98122

You may also use paypal to contribute by entering donations@cambodiatomorrow.org as the recipient.

Scholarships for Community Students

2009-10-09T11:50:00.000-07:00

In August we began an exciting new chapter at the Cambodia Tomorrow School. In partnership with the French NGO Enfante d'Asie Aspeca (EAA), Cambodia Tomorrow welcomed our first five students from the Kompong Speu community to our English classes. Cambodia Tomorrow is committed to providing scholarships to local children and we will be expanding this program as EAA helps us to identify students seeking scholarships.

Look for an update on our community students and opportunities to provide scholarships in our next newsletter.

Donate to Purchase Bilingual Books

2009-10-09T11:25:00.000-07:00

We're collecting money to purchase more bilingual English/Khmer books for the students. A small contribution of $10 - $15 goes a long way towards buying these books in Cambodia.

PayPal is easy - contribute by entering donations@cambodiatomorrow.org as the recipient.

Or mail checks made out to Cambodia Tomorrow to:

Cambodia Tomorrow
1515 Madrona Drive
Seattle, WA 98122

Planning Meeting & Board of Directors Update

2009-10-09T11:20:00.000-07:00

In June 2009, the Cambodia Tomorrow Board of Directors gathered on Vashon Island, Washington for a planning session and Board retreat. It was a productive weekend, reviewing our mission and strategic objectives. Why take time to do that? And why mention it here? Because we believe it is critically important to the children we serve - and you, our supporters - that Cambodia Tomorrow be stable and reliable as we provide educational opportunities in Cambodia, and assist with fundamental needs inherent to learning.
We also completed the election of Board members, realigning duties:

Elizabeth Gullam - President
Wendy Wisniewski - Vice-President
Scott Nichols - Secretary
Myles Gullam - Tech Programs, Volunteer Coordinator
Kathleen Hart-Zavoli - English
School Catherine MacNeal - Development

We want to say thanks to retiring Board members Sheila Pompan and Bo Zawadsky for their hard work and enthusiasm. Bo has joined Melanie Curtright on our Advisory Council.

Sponsors will get to know Wendy Wisniewski, who will be handling sponsorship coordination. Kathleen Hart-Zavoli works directly with our teachers and the students at the Cambodia Tomorrow School. Myles Gullam (formerly Michelle Moon) will be overseeing our computer programs and volunteer applicants. Watch for new marketing initiatives as Catherine MacNeal focuses on our website, newsletters and communication, including our fundraising campaigns.

With Scott Nichols' election to Secretary, we are actively recruiting a volunteer to join Cambodia Tomorrow's Board of Directors as Treasurer. Do you have financial experience and want to donate your time? For details on the job description and duties, which include managing our contracted part-time bookkeeper and tax preparer, please contact Elizabeth Gullam at egullam@cambodiatomorrow.org

First step is always to get everybody's ideas out there...

Starting Day 2, we're making progress.

(Elizabeth Gullam, Wendy Wisniewski, Myles Gullam, Melanie Curtright, Kathleen Hart-Zavoli, Scott Nichols)

While we were working, Tom Dalzell kept all our kids busy & amused.

(back row: Henry Nichols, Rosalie MacNeal, George Wisniewski, Henry Wisniewski. middle row: Lydeth Gullam, Kounann Gullam. front row: Charlotte MacNeal)

Smiling faces at the end of a productive working weekend.

(back row: Catherine MacNeal, Wendy Wisniewski, Scott Nichols, Kathleen Hart-Zavoli. front row: Myles Gullam, Elizabeth Gullam)

A huge thank you to Catherine MacNeal and Tom Dalzell for hosting our meeting at their home
http://www.lavenderhillvashon.com/Lavender_Hill_Farm/Home.html

New Cambodia Tomorrow Video on YouTube

2009-10-07T16:12:00.000-07:00

We were so lucky to have professional photographer and cameraman Greg Cohen travel to Cambodia in 2008 - his short film is now up on YouTube.

Cambodia Tomorrow's Story

Or search for Cambodia Tomorrow's Story

Hot Fun in the Summertime

2009-08-09T09:24:00.000-07:00

The children in Cambodia were on summer break from public school from July through September. During the summer holiday, learning continued at the Cambodia Tomorrow School. Our teachers, Poch and Thinearng moved classes to the morning and late afternoon in order to avoid the heat of the summer midday.

Poch and Thinearng have been offering additional opportunities for the children to practice their English. In their free time, students have been able to listen to audiotaped stories. Tracy Smith, a founding board member of Cambodia Tomorrow, donated these audiotapes when she visited the Cambodia Tomorrow School this spring. The stories have complete texts that the children follow to help them with comprehension. This activity is provided as a self-study opportunity.

We have received more XO laptops from One Laptop Per Child in recent months. The teachers have set the computers up in their office for students to use during the day. Their philosophy is "the children should not have a lot of useless time. Their time is better spent improving themselves."

Finally, the children have been busy writing letters to their sponsors and pen pals in the U.S. These letters were mailed last week, with envelopes for sponsors to write back to the students. All in all it has been a busy summer at our school.

Congratulations to Student Leaders

2009-08-08T20:56:00.000-07:00

Two students from the Cambodia Tomorrow School have been chosen as Student Leaders. San Sok (17) and Sum Srey Rath (15) will act as mentors for their schoolmates. They will assist with reading, homework and encourage students to practice English outside the classroom.

San Sok and Sum Srey Rath were selected based on their consistently high test scores and their ability to speak and understand English. San Sok studies English in the Rewards curriculum at the elementary level and consistently scores in the mid 80s to mid 90s on monthly exams. He is very confident when speaking and uses English well. He is a hard worker both in and out of class.

Sum Srey Rath also studies English in the Rewards curriculum and has advanced to the pre-intermediate level. She also scores in the 80s to mid 90s on monthly exams. Sum Srey Rath is very serious about learning English and is able to understand and report on readings she is assigned. She learns quickly and is proud of her accomplishments.

http://www.cambodiatomorrow.org/

Shop On-Line and Earn Money for Cambodia Tomorrow

2009-05-10T18:04:00.000-07:00

Shop and Give: Many of us use the internet to shop. Now you can shop and earn cash for Cambodia Tomorrow. I-give.com is an online shopping mall with over 700 stores and on-line services, such as Eddie Bauer, J C Penney, Target, Expedia.com and many, many more. When you shop your favorite stores through the I-give mall a percentage of your purchase is donated to Cambodia Tomorrow.

How it Works: Go to www.igive.com and create an account with a username and password. Cambodia Tomorrow is a listed charity with I-give. Select Cambodia Tomorrow as your charity, then each time you make a store purchase through the I-give mall anywhere from 1.5% to 10% of your purchase will be donated to us. These donations are tax deductible and can be tracked through your I-give account.

Browse the Web: I-give is also beta testing a web browser. Go to www.igive.com and download the ISearchIGive browser. Each time you browse the web with the I-give browser $.02 is credited to Cambodia Tomorrow. If you visit CNN five times in one day, we are credited with $.10. It is that simple.

Log on today at www.igive.com, create an account and help Cambodia Tomorrow while you are shopping on your computer.

Letters From the Kids

2009-05-06T18:06:00.000-07:00

"My teacher is Hur Thinearng, he is a good teacher, he always speak English in the class, because he wants all students can speak it fluently to make communication with foreigners well, and he always give me some good advise to students, and he is good in teaching as well. You know, my studying English at Newtown school and here is different. At New Town I cant speak it well like I study here, because my teacher there never speak it in class with students, and can't explain well."

Thy, grade 9

"I would like to say thank you to you that you support me to study English, because English is very important language around the world and in Cambodia also...I'm very happy when I study in Cambodia Tomorrow School because I have a good teacher teach me he always pay attentions and speak English to me all the time so I can speak English better than before. I saw your name and your family name on the wall in Cambodia Tomorrow School and I'm very happy to see that."

Srey Roth, grade 10

Does Cambodia Tomorrow own and Run Kompong Speu Orphan Center?

2009-04-18T00:20:00.000-07:00

Kompong Speu Orphan Center (KSOC) is a government-owned orphanage, run by the Ministry of Social Affairs, Labor, Vocational Training and Youth Rehabilitation (MOSALVY). The orphanage director is Pol Sok Ly. The orphanage employs nannies and cooks. Cambodia Tomorrow provides English education and other support. Other Non-governmental agencies (NGOs) have programs or provide support to KSOC, including Enfants d’Asie Aspeca (EAA), The Sharing Foundation and Global Children.