Camp Build

So this year, the volunteers in my province wanted to provide an equal experience not just for our girls but for our boys as well. We hosted another weekend camp called Camp B.U.I.L.D (Boys United in Leadership and Development). This was an opportunity that provided over 50 students with lessons and presentations on problem solving, future goal planning, health education, domestic violence, community project planning and career choices.

Koet Sam Ath, from KAPE, spoke to the boys about problem solving. The boys really enjoyed her presentation and wanted to get their picture taken with her.

For an evening activity, the boys decorated and created their Camp Build posters which had to incorporate everything they learned that day.

Irene taught the boys how to do yoga which I'm pretty much sure they have never done in their life before.

These two ladies, Chenda and Chenna, are from the Our Strength Organization. They spent the whole day Saturday teaching our students about reproductive health, domestic violence, STD's. It's interesting, in America we are taught about health education at such an early age and in Cambodia these subjects are rarely taught to any of the students.

Peace Corps love!

Me and my boys.

Art Olympics Workshop

These are the winning pieces from the Art Olympics project that my friend, Erik and I helped organized. Completing this project that took almost a year to plan was probably one of my greatest accomplishments while serving as a peace corps volunteer in Cambodia. I was completely amazed by not only having 280 submissions but by the quality and talent that most of the students displayed in their art pieces. I'm also grateful that 19 volunteers signed up for this project to help bring art into their communities and to teach their students how to draw and paint.Great job guys!
The 4 categories for this years contest were: landscape, animals, portraits and feelings/abstract. 

For the contest winners, we brought in 10 students and their chaperones (teachers, parents and older siblings) into Phnom Penh and provided a fun filled weekend of cultural sightseeing, an art gallery presentation and an art workshop that taught them how to do portraits.

Some of these students had never been to the Royal Palace or even to Phnom Penh.It was really awesome to be able to share that experience with them.

Chov Theanly was the guest artist who spoke about his work series called "Surviving" that was displayed at the Java Gallery. It was really important for the students to meet an amazing self taught artist and to see his artwork in a gallery. He spoke about how his abstract drawings are sometimes conjured from a mixture of his dreams and from the people he meets.

On the day of the workshop, Oeur Sokuntevy, who was another guest artist of ours and who also taught at last years art workshop taught the students how to draw portraits. She picked Erik to be the model, which forced him to sit for three hours without talking or moving around.

Other volunteers and teachers also participated in the drawing activity.

Volunteers working in action. :)

This student is returned winner from last year. She did an amazing abstract piece which I believe she took to heart in what she learned in last years workshop. She brought her mom and it was always so encouraging and sweet to see a smile on her mom's face. She was giddy the whole time embracing every moment with her daughter. I'm glad that they both got to come to Phnom Penh to enjoy this experience together.

Erik surrounded by drawings of Erik.