I’ve had a terrific summer at JWOC and thought I would (finally!) share some highlights that have really inspired me during the last 3 months!
International Youth Day
On August 12, JWOC joined not only with 11 other civic-minded, youth-oriented organizations in Siem Reap, but with thousands (maybe millions!) around the world to celebrate International Youth Day 2015.
This year’s theme was “Youth Civic Engagement.” In Siem Reap, more than 150 of us got up at the crack of dawn to start our day together with a balloon release and bike ride. Tied to each balloon was a message from one of us celebrating and encouraging youth and all of their potential to shape the world in positive ways.
We rode together to one of the rural primary schools where the youth in our group taught the children games, did art projects and gave speeches about what “civic engagement” means to them. The speakers included our very own Eng Kea!
For me, the best part of the day was every time Vantha pointed out another JWOC alumni/a who was part of the event. One of our Free Classes graduates works with the NGO that was the lead organizer, and she was the MC for the entire day! One of our Scholarship program graduates started an NGO that teaches students traditional dance, using the proceeds from performances to pay for scholarships for their educations – they were remarkable, especially one dance where each member was an interconnected section of a very green centipede. It feels kind of like each of our students is a rock that we are able to drop in a pond and watch the ripples spread outward into the community – very cool!
Go, Kea!
“Centipede” dance – incredible athleticism!
More than 150 total riders!
Messages to celebrate our youth and their impact!
The JWOC crew, bright and early
Vantha, Kimchhay & Kea
A few of our sister NGOs who participated in the event:
“Our View Our Story” Photo Exhibit
An exhibit of some of our students’ work at a local arts café made for another very special evening.
In partnership with PhotoForward, an international media arts program, JWOC scholarship students participated in a two-week photography workshop where they learned skills in digital photography, editing and visual storytelling. The result was a catalog of captivating images of the world around us, seen through the eyes of our scholars.
Each image embodied a different aspect of Cambodia… the determination of working villagers, the serenity of the countryside, the hustle-and-bustle of daily life.
And each of our students both brought and took away a different perspective on their photography experience. In their own words:
For more on the photos, the students and the evening, check out JWOC’s blog or PhotoForward’s website.
34tunate
At JWOC, we get a number of volunteers who come for a day, a week, three months and more. All have made wonderful contributions to JWOC ranging from teaching art class, to curriculum development, to a total computer lab overhaul, to developing a strategic plan for our Microfinance program.
But this summer, one of them has inspired and energized me – and reminded me about how I want to look at life.
Tracy Stayton has spent the last couple of weeks with us, working with our scholarship students on their career plans, CV development and job search skills. But we are only one small part of Tracy’s incredible journey this year. She has decided to spend her 34th year doing 34 service projects around the globe. We have been lucky enough to be one of those and to gain an incredible new member of the JWOC family….
You can follow Tracy’s journey on the 34tunate Community Facebook page.
JWOC’s New Crew
My last highlight is the new team members that we have brought on this summer to help carry forward with the mission of JWOC. All of our team members are amazing, but I just wanted to do a quick shout-out and welcome to the newbies who have just come on board – I am so looking forward to working with you all!
Kneath Heard, Managing Director
Liz Offner, Fundraising & Communications Manager
David Cunningham, Education & Volunteer Manager
Lita Vuth, Microfinance Program Manager
The Next Chapter 