Quarter Overview

This has been one of the busiest quarters of PEPY Empowering Youth, with many different things happening with different projects, as well as some changes to our team. For the next fiscal year, PEPY Empowering Youth will introduce more activities at the Learning Center, so more people are needed to help us do the job. We are extremely delighted to welcome three new members to our team: Romina, who will help us provide students with an intensive English program; Kim Ann, who will help make sure that our Scholarship students are well taken care of, as well as helping students to learn about globalization, and Dena will support deliverables related to Finance and Admin. We are so happy to welcome our new team members! While we are also sad that Gemma Marshall, Communications and Fundraising Director, decided to pursue a new career adventure after being with our team for two years, we are also very glad that she has shared so much of her experience with us, and she will continue to support PEPY Empowering Youth in many different ways. We are currently in the process of finding someone who can help with Gemma’s role. Sarakk, our Executive Director, is intensifying his efforts in this department to ensure that it will be more sustainable and, as a Cambodian, he will be able to stay at the organization on a more long-term basis.

This quarter, we had the privilege of hosting the exchange program between PEPY Empowering Youth and Donabate Portrane Educate Together National School (DPETNS) in Ireland. We spent three weeks learning from each other; for example, the PEPY Empowering Youth Team shared with the DPETNS visitors how to make videos and graphic design. At the same time, the Irish teachers worked with the students and introduced them to different topics such as music, Irish dancing, trading games, the education system, mental health, positive thinking, stress management, football, problem solving skills, team building activities, presentation skills, CV writing and interview skills to promote creativity, positive thinking, teamwork, problem solving and collaboration.

Quarterly Report 4June - August 2016

GENERAL STATISTICS

FINANCE

COMMUNICATIONS

9,590

27168

WEBSITEVISITORS

NEW TWITTERFOLLOWERS

FACEBOOKFANS

NEW

Education’s purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one.

Malcolm Forbes

“ “LearningCenter

Students

StaffScholarshipStudents

Full-timeVolunteers

CoreValues

Boardmembers

26

950

1

6 8

$ 132,258.74

$ 34,028.64 4

$ 52,801.83Total donation

Sep 15 - Aug 16

ExpenditureJun - Aug 2016

Monthlydonors

Need Requirement for more funds to

support Scholarship and Learning Center

projects

Total donationJun - Aug 2016

pepyempoweringyouth.org

Quarter Overview

During this visit, the Irish teachers also spent time with PEPY Empowering Youth’s Dream Management Project Team to learn more about how we can encourage students to have their own dreams and work harder to pursue them. The Irish teachers also learned about the differences in learning style and behavior between Cambodian and Irish students. It is not always only the students from developing countries who learn from the students of developed countries - it goes both ways. There are so many things we can learn from one another.

PEPY Empowering Youth also had the opportunity this quarter to host two different training events. The first was about Management and Leadership, provided by Nadine and Micheál, to leaders, managers and staff from seven different NGOs in Siem Reap. The training session focused on personality types, ‘one thought at the time’, receiving and giving feedback, proposal development and how to talk to donors. All the participants found this training very useful and have voiced their wishes to have more in the future. The second training was about teaching English and working with students, provided by Mary, Sarah and Rosemary. This teacher training session was open to teachers from other NGOs in Siem Reap and focused on different types of learners, curriculum development, and student approaches. Although the training period was only two days long, participants saw it as an added special ingredient to their profession.

In July this year, we were once again able to send a Scholarship student and a member of staff to join the annual Sustainability Field School Conference in Hoi An, Vietnam. This year saw participants from Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos joining together to discuss and learn about Team Building, Sustainable Tourism, Business & Marketing Tools and Gross National Happiness. Our Scholarship student, Yoeum Seen and our Finance Assistant Officer, Yang Sovannmelea, spent a week in Vietnam visiting businesses in Hoi An, learning about self-employment and observing the practical application of Gross National Happiness (GNH) on the local business level. Seen and Sovannmelea had a terrific experience and are thankful for the warm welcome in Vietnam, to the organizers for taking care of them, and to Irish Aid for making it all possible.

This year for the first time, PEPY Empowering Youth opened its doors to a new Summer School project, which offered a 3 month program of ICT, English and Youth Empowerment lessons. Not only were our existing Scholarship students able to benefit from this new program, but we also gave other young people in Siem Reap the opportunity to apply. Students from Siem Reap made the most of our 3 months’ free training in our core subjects of ICT, Youth Empowerment and English. We had a total of 26 participating students, consisting of a mix of Scholarship and Summer School. We hope that the combination of these three subject areas will give the Summer School participants an extra boost when it comes to applying for jobs or study opportunities in the future.

Scholarship Program

PEPY Empowering Youth provides university and vocational training scholarships for students from Kralanh. Recipients are supported with tuition fees, study supplies, a bicycle, use of a computer, a living allowance, and access to health care. Scholarship students also attend the Learning Center for additional training.

Quarterly Overview

We spent a total of 4 days in Kralanh and Srei Snam to select the new scholars who will join us for the 2016-2017 academic year. We interviewed a total of 62 students from both districts; in these interviews, they demonstrated their commitment to pursuing their dreams and their inspiration to continue their studies. We still have a few more steps to complete in order to select the bright young students who will be offered scholarships. These are students that we will support and train so they can give back to their community by supporting the development of education themselves.

The PEPY Scholarship Program has a unique model, based on creating a generation of role models and supporting community development. We hope that, with the continued support of our donors, we will also be able to continue helping the students of rural Cambodia through further education and skills training.

We would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate Vat Vy and Vor Vouet, who have worked very hard over the last 4 years to become the first two PEPY Empowering Youth Scholarship students to graduate from university. Voeut is working in a school teaching young children about technology, whereas Vy is working for an NGO. Sakkra, one of our Scholarship students from promotion (intake) 4, has also finished his studies at hospitality school, majoring in Restaurant and Bar Management. He is now working for Brown Café in Siem Reap. We believe that these three graduates will use their skills and knowledge to serve and create a positive impact on their families and communities. We are looking forward to seeing more students graduate from university in the first quarter (September – November 2016) of the new fiscal year.

Year 2 students from promotion (intake) 3 have put a lot of their energy into learning how to write CVs and cover letters, interview techniques, and also searching for job opportunities. We are pleased to share that 14 out of 16 students have already found suitable employment. Six of them work for NGOs, and the remaining 8 work for hotels and companies in Siem Reap Province. One of the two students who are yet to enter employment will soon start working as a government teacher in early November 2016, while the other student is finishing his scholarship from a vocational training institute.

Year 1 students from promotion (intake) 4 attended lots of ICT, English and Youth Empowerment sessions at the Learning Center. It was a great opportunity for them to be exposed to new and different ideas by attending the three weeks of sessions on mental health, team work, self-management and problem solving= facilitated by the visiting Irish teachers from DPETNS. 7 students from this promotion took the entrance test at a culinary school and were successful! Their course started on the 1st of September 2016 and we are looking forward to hearing all about their success.

A group of ten students from promotion 3 and 4 attended the rock climbing competition in Siem Reap Wall and Rock Climbing Club to build their confidence

in their physical ability. Congratulations to Rin Mory, a student from promotion 4, who ranked 1st place in her level!

We are also very proud to report that a group of promotion 3 students has decided to a form a group called “Youth of Cambodia” to give back to their own community. The first project that they have decided to conduct is tree planting. They wrote a proposal for a grant from USAID through YSEALI. Their proposal was accepted and they were granted 1,600 USD to plant 1,200 trees in Kralanh District, Siem Reap Province. They will conduct the tree planting event in December 2016 in collaboration with the local District Governors and USAID representatives. Our senior students from promotion 2 have also planned to contribute to PEPY Empowering Youth and their own communities by initiating a fundraising event called “Cycling for a Bike”. The aim is to raise funds to buy some bicycles for our incoming PEPY Empowering Youth Scholarship students. This cycling event will be held at the end of October 2016.

The participants will cycle around 120 km and stay overnight with the local families in Kralanh to learn about the local culture before cycling back to Siem Reap Province. You are welcome to join and make their first project a success!

pepyempoweringyouth.org

pepyempoweringyouth.org

Quarterly OverviewYouth Empowerment Class

At PEPY Empowering Youth, students are empowered to identify the risks that may happen to them. In order to do so, PEPY Empowering Youth collaborated with Friends International to conduct a workshop with 26 students on the Child Safe Policy. The aim of this workshop was to raise young people’s awareness of different types of abuse and how they can protect themselves and others from it. Moreover, they learned how to reach out to other relevant people or agencies if they see abuse taking place. This will help the students not only protect themselves, but others as well.

To build confidence, improve public speaking, and develop critical and problem solving skills, students need to be given the opportunity to assess the

problem, talk about it in a presentation and display teamwork to come to a solution. This quarter, the students learned about the concept of the ‘debate’, as well as finding information for their debate topics. This not only helped the students do research on their own as preparation, but it also allowed them to explore information on their own and become more self-aware in the process.

A parent meeting was organized by our students in promotion 4. The goal of this meeting was for the students to share what they have learned, their challenges and successes with their parents. It was an emotional start, with the students sharing their heartfelt apologies to their parents for their past failures and showing their gratitude for the unconditional love and unending support they receive from their families. The parents were so proud and thankful to see their children’s growth and maturity, and thanked the PEPY Empowering Youth staff and supporters for a job well done.

Learning Center Project

The PEPY Empowering Youth Learning Center seeks to increase the employability of Scholarship students through the provision of English, Information & Communications Technology, and soft skills training (Youth Empowerment classes). Students also receive English tuition externally at an English language school. Our English classes in the Learning Center seek to enhance the students’ levels of reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Through inspirational speakers, career mentorship, internships, and volunteers, students are also connected to new ideas and potential career opportunities. Four non-scholarship students also attend the Learning Center to benefit from the classes which we provide there.

pepyempoweringyouth.org

English ClassWe provide students with both internal and external English classes. The English classes in the Learning Center supplement the English Classes that the students attend at external language schools. In addition, we go beyond the textbook curriculum to provide practical skills through the English language, such as critical thinking.

The English classes for the Summer School focused on reinforcing the correct usage of the different parts of speech, highlighted by increased activity with listening, speaking and writing exercises. The Summer School agenda included a review of basic grammar and its usage, and storytelling via reading and writing exercises. Listening exercises were conducted using informational videos about the nations in Asia. The remote cultural immersion experience introduced them to ancient and modern Japan, the story of the King of Thailand and the Hindu temples of Indonesia. The students also took an assessment profiling their English language level. We are proud to say that our students performed well at the Elementary level and some have even progressed to Pre-Intermediate level.

Information & Communication Technology Class

In the modern world, communication through technology is really important for securing jobs. Students learn industry-standard software applications, including Microsoft Office, in preparation for future employment.

In this reporting period, PEPY Empowering Youth Scholarship students learned about how the wireless

mode works, MS Word, MS Excel with the financial function, MS PowerPoint, and how to use Google Drive. These skills will support their studies at university and their work. In addition to MS Office, students learned how to design and create leaflets for advertisements via Adobe Photoshop. They were also taught how to make videos using the ProShow program. Learning how to create spreadsheets in about Excel was both challenging and fun for the students. Being able to use the formulas in Excel was very useful for the students currently studying Accounting and Finance at university. They also learned the basics of webmail. The end of the year final exam produced a 100% pass rate for our PEPY Empowering Youth students. A year’s worth of preparation, hard work and dedication proved beneficial in the end.

pepyempoweringyouth.org

Quarterly OverviewThis quarter, the students in Dream Management Class were provided with many different sessions:

Through these lessons, students absorbed effective techniques and theories from one another. Furthermore, students were able to develop their confidence, teamwork and speaking skills. Students attended a one-week workshop conducted by the Irish teachers during their three-week exchange program this year. They learned about goal-setting, how to overcome the challenges in their lives and how to keep their dreams alive. Through the energizer games and discussions, students had the chance to learn more from the Irish teachers with regards to motivation, discipline and how to work as a team, especially with people from different backgrounds. This is the last quarter of the year for Dream Management Project to work with students in the academic year 2015-2016. The PEPY Empowering Youth Dream Management Project Officer conducted the end of year project evaluation with students and the results show that at least 80% of students found Dream Management Project really useful in terms of

setting goals, building their confidence, connecting them to opportunities and learning resources, broadening their mind to see the bigger picture, motivating them to work harder at school and ultimately pursuing their dreams. They requested that PEPY Empowering Youth continue Dream Management at Kralanh High School in the future, as they want their brothers, sisters and friends to benefit from this project.

Dream Management Project

Dreams are very important to us at PEPY Empowering Youth. Many of the students we work with are only exposed to a limited range of opportunities. We believe it’s important for young people to dream big and see how they can make their dreams a reality. Through our Dream Classes, we aim to nurture those big ambitions for their future and give them the resources and connections to take the necessary steps to make their dreams a reality. In the PEPY Empowering Youth Dream Classes, young people are given a forum to identify and discuss their ambitions for the future, and any challenges they may need to overcome. The classes provide career resources, mentorship, and group workshops. Successful Cambodian professionals present to our students, thereby giving them exposure to different ideas and aspirations.

The students in Dream Management Class were provided with many different sessions:

Confidence Building Reading 10 Things Successful People Will Never Do Again How to Talk as a Team Leader Continuous Self-motivation through a Positive Attitude Approach to Working with Difficult People Continue to Learn, Continue to Grow.

We are extremely delighted and are looking forward to welcoming all new Scholarship students who will come to Siem Reap in early November 2016. We are supporting the 2013 scholarship students’ ‘Cycling for a Bike’ event in October to raise money to buy bicycles for 2016 Scholarship students who will use for them to travel from home to school.

Work on training manual development and training system preparation to make sure that we are ready for our new students. Continue to run our annual campaign to raise funds to cover school fees, health care, and part of the living costs for all 2016 Scholarship students.