Schools Helping Schools Club finds international solutions locally.
By Janie Rosman
Scarsdale Patch
7th June 2011
See more pictures here.
This summer, Scarsdale High School students Natalie Sun, Kailyn Amory and Sam Gallager will escape the summer heat with cool plans – a trip to Southeast Asia.
“They’re going Cambodia through Schools Helping Schools Club,” said Elisabeth Huh, co-president of the club. “We started the club three years ago to raise money for a school that was destroyed by an earthquake in Indonesia.”
Huh and co-president Laura Isby – who visited Cambodia last summer - are guided by teacher advisor is Gwen Johnson, a World History and AP Comparative Government teacher at the high school.
“For me, the highlight of the trip was the home stay,” said Isby, who stayed with the head of the English school. “It brought the country to life far more vividly than I had anticipated.”
Last year, students raised money to build an edible garden at the Children’s Development Village so children there would a sustainable food source.
“For the past two years, the club has mainly been working with the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawaii, to help support programs from the Life and Hope Association in Siem Reap, Cambodia.” Huh said.
Club members will spend three weeks this summer in Cambodia on a trip run by the East-West Center and will visit the Children's Development Village.
“Our club has been raising money to establish a literacy program at the Children’s Development Center,” Huh said.
Fundraisers included October's “walk-around-the-track” on SHS Upstanders Day and a presentation by Scarsdale resident Marshall Kim, who escaped from the Khmer Rouge and has a business in New York City.
“Cambodia was much more than I expected,” said Isby, one of eight Scarsdale students – and one of 11 nationwide – selected for the 2010 trip. “I felt that I had a fairly good appreciation of the rich history and culture of Cambodia.”
Studies in Cambodian history and culture with Johnson helped tremendously.
“I don’t think any of us will forget the sound of tuk-tuks, or the tantalizing taste of fresh lychees sold in the marketplace,” Isby said. “On the other hand, I think I am happy to forget the local delicacy of crickets.”
In addition to the many lessons learned from the Cambodians, Isby said, “Some of the most valuable lessons learned there came from our peer interactions within our group.”
Isby said her Cambodian hosts made her feel at home.
“We lived very close to the market, and nearly every day, we mixed with and interacted with the shoppers and the vendors,” she said. “I like to think I did a respectable job haggling, at least for an American.”
Isby wasn’t prepared for the natives’ reactions, however.
“Nearly every day, at least one Cambodian would remark how pale I was,” she said. “Despite the physical differences, I always felt welcome and part of my Cambodian family.”
To learn more about Schools Helping Schools, contact the club at Schoolshelpingschools@gmail.com.
This summer, Scarsdale High School students Natalie Sun, Kailyn Amory and Sam Gallager will escape the summer heat with cool plans – a trip to Southeast Asia.
“They’re going Cambodia through Schools Helping Schools Club,” said Elisabeth Huh, co-president of the club. “We started the club three years ago to raise money for a school that was destroyed by an earthquake in Indonesia.”
Huh and co-president Laura Isby – who visited Cambodia last summer - are guided by teacher advisor is Gwen Johnson, a World History and AP Comparative Government teacher at the high school.
“For me, the highlight of the trip was the home stay,” said Isby, who stayed with the head of the English school. “It brought the country to life far more vividly than I had anticipated.”
Last year, students raised money to build an edible garden at the Children’s Development Village so children there would a sustainable food source.
“For the past two years, the club has mainly been working with the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawaii, to help support programs from the Life and Hope Association in Siem Reap, Cambodia.” Huh said.
Club members will spend three weeks this summer in Cambodia on a trip run by the East-West Center and will visit the Children's Development Village.
“Our club has been raising money to establish a literacy program at the Children’s Development Center,” Huh said.
Fundraisers included October's “walk-around-the-track” on SHS Upstanders Day and a presentation by Scarsdale resident Marshall Kim, who escaped from the Khmer Rouge and has a business in New York City.
“Cambodia was much more than I expected,” said Isby, one of eight Scarsdale students – and one of 11 nationwide – selected for the 2010 trip. “I felt that I had a fairly good appreciation of the rich history and culture of Cambodia.”
Studies in Cambodian history and culture with Johnson helped tremendously.
“I don’t think any of us will forget the sound of tuk-tuks, or the tantalizing taste of fresh lychees sold in the marketplace,” Isby said. “On the other hand, I think I am happy to forget the local delicacy of crickets.”
In addition to the many lessons learned from the Cambodians, Isby said, “Some of the most valuable lessons learned there came from our peer interactions within our group.”
Isby said her Cambodian hosts made her feel at home.
“We lived very close to the market, and nearly every day, we mixed with and interacted with the shoppers and the vendors,” she said. “I like to think I did a respectable job haggling, at least for an American.”
Isby wasn’t prepared for the natives’ reactions, however.
“Nearly every day, at least one Cambodian would remark how pale I was,” she said. “Despite the physical differences, I always felt welcome and part of my Cambodian family.”
To learn more about Schools Helping Schools, contact the club at Schoolshelpingschools@gmail.com.
2 comments:
May God continue to bless my cambodia and cambodian people...
If there's believers,...whoever believed in me! I will heal your lands...God said!
Post a Comment