Join a small team to learn in-depth about the lives of contemporary Cambodians, to record their stories, and to shape this material through the lens of your personal impressions to prepare as a team a production that fuses Cambodians’ accounts with your perspectives. Present your team’s work at Yale University at the conclusion of the program.
- Dates:
- June 30, 2012 - July 29, 2012
- Eligibility:
- Students completing grades 9-12
- Focus:
- Global Awareness in Action
- Typical Group:
- 14-16 Students, 2 Leaders
- Duration:
- 4.5 week(s)
Overview
Cambodia is a nation of friendly, energetic, and hopeful people who struggle daily with the scars of genocide and the challenges of poverty. They have fascinating stories to tell that we capture with video, still photography, and sound recordings, combine with our own impressions, and refine into a multi-faceted collage portraying the faces, sounds, colors, sensations, aspirations, and challenges of contemporary life.
Gathering and re-telling these stories accurately and sensitively requires that we engage directly and in depth with Cambodians, and that we go below surface impressions and simple explanations to understand the complexity and inter-relatedness of the challenges they face. We join them as active participants, not passive observers, as they work, play, dance, and sing. Creating an informative, accurate, and moving final production also requires that we learn about the story-telling process, and explore a variety of effective approaches.
Build your story-telling skills as you explore Cambodia in depth.
We meet and work directly with students and instructors at a school that trains young people to be circus performers (as well as providing them with daily living skills and support) and at another school that trains students in the intricate skills of traditional Khmer performance arts, and with peace activists, rural villagers, Buddhist monks, NGO workers, and local leaders, among others.
After a brief orientation in Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital, we travel to the smaller city of Battambang, where a relaxed atmosphere allows us to focus on our collaboration with the circus school. At the mid-point of the program, we travel to the southern coast of Cambodia on the Gulf of Thailand where we stay at an eco-lodge, work with rural villagers, and enjoy the lush jungle and undeveloped beaches. The next stop is Phnom Penh where we spend several days collaborating with schools, and exploring ornate temples, and the memorials of the Khmer Rouge genocide. Our last few days in Cambodia take us to the small city of Siem Reap, where we visit the spectacular ruins of Angkor Wat, and devote ourselves to final preparations for our presentation at Yale University. Students generally complete between 10 and 20 hours of community service work over the course of the program.
“The Cambodia trip was such an innovative concept–the mix of global awareness, service, and the documentary film-making piece were all equally impressive components. The final presentation was exceptional–giving both the participants and their families a culminating experience which brought cohesion to the trip. The documentaries they produced were awe-inspiring. Lucy emerged a global citizen and activist, armed with tools to tell her stories. She also matured in many ways–more respectful, thoughtful, caring, adventurous–and more independent.”
–Susan Bolle and Harold Sogard, Tiburon, CA
Throughout the program we live in small hotels and guest houses. Accommodations are simple but safe and comfortable, and typically feature air conditioning, western-style bathrooms and showers, and reasonably reliable electric service.
Our focus is our story-telling mission, but there’s time for some recreation, too. Ride an elephant at the Wat Phnom temple, join the mass step-dancing session at Phnom Penh’s Olympic Stadium, watch the sunrise over the enormous central temple complex of Angkor Wat, and swim in the warm, clear water off Rabbit Island in the Gulf of Thailand.
Highlights
- Learn and practice story-telling techniques as you work with a team to create a presentation based on video and still pictures, sound recordings, writing, and performance.
- At his rural home on the banks of the Mekong River, discuss peace activism with a former boy soldier.
- Get to know Cambodian teenagers attending a special circus school as you join with them in their activities, and record their classes and performances.
- Watch the sunrise at the central temple complex at Angkor Wat.
- Present your team’s finished work, Cambodia: Telling a People’s Story, at Yale University.
What to Expect
You will be directly involved with local people every day, and must be eager to engage with them. Expect to be an active participant, not a passive observer. While language obviously presents an issue, many Cambodian young people speak some English, all are eager to learn, and we will have several translators available.
The process of shaping scattered images and impressions into an effective story requires care and patience. You must be willing to take the time to do the detail work that will insure an effective and moving presentation. Since you will be working intensively with an interdependent team, you must be committed to constructive critiquing, collaboration, and shared responsibility.
A love of taking video or still pictures, interviewing interesting people, and/or recording your impressions in effective written narrative, is essential. Note that this is not a film-making or documentary production program.
At Putney we take pride in our reputation for careful, thorough planning and attention to detail. The descriptions of our programs are based on our experiences in previous summers and our plans for this summer. It is inevitable that some things described here will not happen exactly as presented. To get the most out of the Putney experience, participants need to be flexible in responding to unforeseen situations, and creative in taking advantage of unexpected opportunities. We expect Putney participants to share responsibility for the success of their experience.
Fees
Tuition: $5,990
Itinerary
Click here to read last year’s trip blog.
This program begins at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and ends at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.
Departure from New York • June 30. Join your team as you embark on a month-long project in Cambodia. The group flight departs from JFK International Airport where you meet one of your leaders who flies with you to Phnom Penh.
Phnom Penh: Orientation • Spend two days recovering from your long flight, getting to know our group and leaders, and participating in orientations about Cambodia and your project. Meet with Arn Charn-Pond, a peace activist and former boy soldier during the Khmer Rouge era for an in-depth presentation and discussion about Cambodia’s recent past and the contemporary challenges its people face.
“The thing that I will take away most from this program is how to tell people’s stories. I now understand the importance of educating people about real events and experiences through film making, writing, journalism, or performance and feel it is my duty to pursue that in my career as an adult. I have learned that the best way to maintain and learn from history is to immerse oneself in culture, and tradition.”
–Ella Kaplan, Hanover High School, Norwich, VT
Battambang • Travel by private bus to the smaller city of Battambang for an extended stay and collaboration with a circus school. Get to know the students, participate in and record their activities, and visit their homes and families. Discuss your experiences and impressions within your team, and learn and implement effective story-telling approaches.
Kep • Spend several days at a small, simple eco-resort in rural southern Cambodia, near the Gulf of Thailand. Work with local villagers on a short-term service project. Explore the lush jungle environment and enjoy undeveloped tropical beaches.
Phnom Penh • Return to Cambodia’s capital for several days to collaborate with and record students at a school dedicated to keeping alive the nation’s rich history of traditional performing arts, and to explore the city’s ornate Buddhist temples and royal palaces, as well as the grim monuments of the Khmer Rouge genocide.
Join a traditional procession.
Siem Reap • Your last stop in Cambodia is in Siem Reap, and small city adjacent to the magnificent ruins of the Angkor civilization. Spend a day exploring the dramatic art and architecture of this massive site, but focus most of your time on finalizing your presentation.
New Haven, CT – Yale Univeristy • Fly from Cambodia to New York and connect by private bus to Yale. After a day of final preparation, make your presentation to the assembled Global Action groups (July 28), your friends and relatives, and other invited guests. Share your plans for continuing involvement with the people, organizations, and vital issues you encountered during this life-changing summer.
Head for Home • July 29. Depart for home by train, bus, or a flight from nearly Bradley Airport in Hartford, CT.
This itinerary represents our best projection of the group’s schedule. However, we may implement changes designed to improve the quality of the program.
Destination
Background • Cambodia is now a peaceful place, but its people, social structures, and institutions remain deeply scarred by the turbulence of its recent past. The extraordinary ruins of the Angkor civilization, the ornate royal palaces and Buddhist temples of Phnom Penh, and that city’s wide avenues dating to the French colonial period all mark periods of stability and prosperity in Cambodia’s history. Reminders of the Vietnam War, and the Khmer Rouge genocide provide a stark contrast. Today, for all but a small elite, daily life can be difficult, with limited access to work, education, housing, and healthcare. Many NGOs help supply basic services that the government is unwilling or unable to provide, but their efforts are inadequate to meet the need. Despite the challenges they face, the Cambodian people are upbeat, forward-looking, and hard-working. Their openness, and their enthusiasm for meeting and getting to know outsiders, is remarkable. People have fascinating stories to tell, and are eager to share their thoughts and experiences.
Shooting video in a Phnom Penh School.
Population • Cambodia has a population of about 14 million, with about 2 million living in its capital, Phnom Penh.
Language • Khmer is the official language of Cambodia. Through the 1960s, educated Cambodians also learned French. In more recent years, English has become the predominant second language for Cambodians, and many educated people, including some teenagers, are conversant in English.
Climate • Cambodia’s climate is tropical, with high humidity and temperatures reaching into the 80s and 90s every day. We visit at the beginning of the rainy season, so intermittent heavy showers can provide a welcome break from the heat. Our accommodations are air conditioned.
“I am just starting to hear about all the wonderful experiences Maya had: interviewing Buddhist monks at a temple, feeding an elephant, bonding with a child who does not understand a word of English, biking at a Cambodian village, filming and getting to know a Cambodian woman in a slum, and much more. I don’t think she has the perspective yet to fully comprehend how unique these experiences are. I think with time she will come to cherish these experiences even more.”
–Ofri Felder, Katonah, NY
Cuisine • The delicious and healthy Khmer cuisine has similarities to that of its immediate neighbor countries, Vietnam and Thailand. It features noodle and rice dishes, stir fries, curries, soups, salads, and abundant fresh tropical fruit. Vegetarian options are available. Though it is possible to buy a pizza in Phnom Penh, you should expect to eat Khmer cuisine at most meals.
On a visit to a shadow puppet-makers’ workshop, test his latest creations.
Voltage • Cambodia uses 230V. Plugs vary, with many being the same as in the US, and some being the two rounded prong variety common in Europe. You may need a voltage converter to power some of your electronic devices. Throughout the program there is easy access to electricity for charging electronics.
Currency • The US Dollar is an official currency in Cambodia. The Cambodian Riel is sometimes used for small transactions, particularly in rural areas. An ATM card is the most convenient way to access cash.
Visa Requirements • A visa is required for travel in Cambodia, but it is issued on arrival in Phnom Penh. There is no need to apply for a visa in advance of travel.
The Global Awareness in Action Cambodia program is directed by Jim Olivier. If you have questions, are interested in receiving more detailed information, or would like to talk further about the program, please get in touch!
Jim Olivier
Jim Olivier: Middlebury College, B.A., History; Harvard University, Ed. M., J.D. As a boy, Jim lived for extended periods in Brazil and Switzerland, and he has traveled extensively in Europe, Central America, Africa, Southeast Asia, China, and North America. His children are Putney alumni and have worked in leadership roles at Putney as well. A lawyer, educator, and former college president, Jim’s interests include European and Asian history, soccer, sea kayaking, and baking bread in his wood-fired oven. He coordinates programs in Asia.
How To Apply
Step 1: Log On.
If you are new to Putney Student Travel, visit our Online Application.
If you are a Putney Student Travel alumni family, use your existing account information to Log In.
Step 2: Hold A Space In The Program.
You can hold a space in a program by completing the Online Application Form and providing the $700 Application Deposit by Mastercard, Visa, or Discover Card through our secure online system or by sending a check to our office. Our admissions staff is also available to take credit card information over the phone. We will hold a space in a program for a reasonable time, pending completion of the full application process. See Step 3.
After March 15, to hold a space in a program an application must be accompanied by full payment made by check or wire transfer and the signed Agreement Form.
Step 3: Complete the Application Process.
Before we can make a final admissions decision, an application must be complete. In addition to the Application Form and Application Deposit described above, a complete application includes:
- Applicant Statement
- Two Teacher References
- Signed Agreement Form
These documents are available as part of our Online Application. We review a completed application within a few days, and notify families of our admissions decision by e-mail.
For a full description of eligibility, admissions policies, and terms of payment, please visit our Terms & Conditions.
