Ponheary Ly Foundation

Good luck to all Grade 12 students who are applying for PLF university scholarships! 🙌 Our tertiary team has a full schedule over the next few days as they interview more than 60 students to assess academic ability - but also commitment and determination. Parents are required to join, as their moral support and encouragement is a key factor in their child embracing and rising to the challenges that lie ahead. 💛 ______________ www.theplf.org #schoolistheanswer

🧑🎓 Graduation Gold! 🧑🎓 Huge congratulations go to: Konga, graduating in Law at the Royal University Of Law and Economics (RULE) 🧑⚖️ Yimouy, graduating in Banking and Finance, also from RULE 🏦 Heng for successfully defending her thesis at the Royal University of Agriculture 🌾 Thank you for your hard work and determination. We are so proud of you all 🙌 💛 ______________ www.theplf.org #schoolistheanswer

🧑💻 Whether hoping to head to university, or preparing for the world of work, young Cambodians need computer skills.  ⏩ Our MS Office curriculum was first created and taught by Ponheary’s sister Sotheara way back in 2014, and continues to form the base of classes offered to Grade 10-12 students. During Covid, we took these lessons online with pre-recorded videos for each section of the curriculum - which proved to be a massive silver lining. Students today still learn via the videos in our labs, as they can work at their own pace and the teachers are freed up to focus on any problem areas. This has saved huge amounts of time, with students completing the courses much faster. This is another factor that has enabled us to offer spare seats to other students in the wider community, and award more IT certificates. 📈 It also means we've been able to expand the curriculum with the addition of Google lessons, piloted with Grade 12 students at SLC over the last two months. While MS Office continues to be used the most at universities, Google Docs and Sheets are becoming much more prominent in the workplace. The new Google curriculum will be rolled out to our other labs in the coming new school year, running alongside and supplementing the MS curriculum. 🔗 To read more about how our tech programs are preparing students for life beyond school, hop on over to the blog! https://lnkd.in/g72qxfqf 💛 ______________ www.theplf.org #schoolistheanswer

🧑💻 Closing the Digital Divide 💫 In today’s world, digital skills are life skills. But as with so many other missing pieces in the Cambodian curriculum, they are completely absent from public schools. With the job market increasingly demanding computer skills, but the cost of private classes being an impossible expense for families living in poverty, this can cause a learning gap that leaves the disadvantaged behind.  Starting in the primary grades, our technology program is a key strategy to engage students with learning and stimulate curiosity for STEM subjects, while preparing them for life beyond school – whether that be further education, or access to meaningful, better paid jobs. Tech offerings intensify as students reach secondary school with daily classes that cover all the computer skills students need. And with the addition of our lab at ULC in Siem Reap in 2022 and recent lab expansions at both Srayang and Chey Learning Centers, we are now reaching more and more students. Whereas before there was a waiting list for lessons, we now have enough capacity for all PLF students at our projects AND have been able to offer spaces to the wider community - friends or relatives of our students, all coming from similar backgrounds. This means that even more disadvantaged students are receiving IT certificates to, with a bumper total of 648 being awarded throughout 2024! Click through to the blog to read more about how our tech programs are closing the digital divide 🔗 https://lnkd.in/g72qxfqf 💛 ______________ www.theplf.org

🌟 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 🌟 "I recently joined an excavation program at Banteay Kdei temple in Siem Reap which is a part of strengthening my understanding of archaeology.  In this field, 'listening' to the ground has been a study of the life of the people since ancient times. The reason I chose this specialty is because I am from Siem Reap - around my house, there are many temples, shrines, as well as many ancient traditions. So I wanted to know how the people lived around the temple, which gives me a better understanding of living in the Angkor area too. Archaeology is an important subject for research. However, in Cambodia as a developing country, this field is not very prominent yet. But I believe that in the next few years, it will become more important, as in our neighboring countries.  In the future, I want to be an official working in the field of culture. And I will write a book, documenting lost articles for future generations." 💛 ______________ www.theplf.org #schoolistheanswer

On World Teacher Day, we recognize and salute all the torch-bearers of education in our midst! To all the teachers who inspire the next generation - and to that next generation who in turn step up for their younger peers. The importance of role models in bringing the light of education to disenfranchised communities can never be underestimated. One such role model, Chamnan, hails from remotest Preah Vihear and beat monumental odds to be able to go to school. She and her brother became PLF students when we heard of them living completely alone in Srayang, far from their family, so that they could access middle school. They moved into what was then our dorm, and have flourished academically. Chamnan has just graduated her Chemistry degree, and returns to Srayang for a month's internship at our Learning Center, sharing her knowledge with Grades 9 - 12.  "𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘫𝘰𝘣 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨. 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘦. 𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘚𝘳𝘢𝘺𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴. 𝘐'𝘮 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳. 𝘕𝘰𝘸 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥, 𝘮𝘺 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘰𝘤𝘶𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱𝘴 𝘴𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘫𝘰𝘣 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘴. 𝘐 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘮 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘧𝘧. 𝘐𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨!" 💛 ______________ www.theplf.org

With our newest library fully up and running, our project at Chey completes its transition to become a PLF learning center! 🥳 The installation of this library brings resources for Grade 7 and up to Chey for the first time, meaning that older students no longer need to travel to Siem Reap to access study material relevant to their grades. And we are loving seeing middle- and high-school students alike coming to use the space! Yary is flourishing in her role as librarian, and the students have eagerly assisted with the last few deliveries, helping to cover books and stock shelves, as well as enjoying the games and computers available.   We have also expanded solar lighting in the school grounds for students coming to evening classes, and installed new hand-washing stations for the whole school to use.  Welcome to the fold, Chey Learning Center! 💫 💛 ______________ www.theplf.org

Students in Srayang are having fun with their science classes as we near the end of the first year of this program in Preah Vihear. Recent experiments and activities included: 🥚 the Egg Drop challenge where they learn about laws of motion 🧠 a human anatomy project which models the different systems that make up our bodies 🔬 getting mind-blowing close-up views using microscopes for the very first time! With no practical activities in government science classes, these hands-on activities introduce students to the world of science in a totally new way. Cambodia's own development goals recognize that the future of the country lies in expansion of STEM capabilities; and STEM careers offer students good economic prospects for the future. But many youth perceive science subjects more challenging and, particularly in rural areas due to the quality of government classes, harder to pass at high school. 🔗 Click through to read how we are tackling this issue by: - switching on young brains to science as early as possible https://lnkd.in/gX_dYds4 - and offering extra support to those students who do embark on the science track https://lnkd.in/ghXiJApa

🙌 Very proud of our Explore Level 2 students who have completely nailed their latest projects about the Angkor temples with video presentations to the rest of their class. 🚀 Explore is our digital literacy class for middle school students, based around topics that are relevant to the government curriculum via a self-directed learning approach. Navigating the internet and a multitude of different apps, students learn important research and digital skills that are simply not taught in government school. 👉 Read more about this exciting new curriculum on the blog https://lnkd.in/gHnJnk9t 🙏 Big thanks to the Jaya Varman VII Museum & Library on the outskirts of Siem Reap who recently hosted the students to boost their research and answer their many questions! 💛 ____________ www.theplf.org

Our workshop team are absolutely crushing it with their data capturing! 💪 Program manager Vannak continues to lead Matt and Kao Ay to ensure we're all set for the new school year ahead - catching student feedback and valuable insights in order to make any tweaks to sessions, as well as of course being ready for end of year reporting. PLF's life skills workshops are a key pillar in our program offering. For disadvantaged students attending poorly-resourced government schools, there are so many knowledge gaps: how to navigate education, how to set goals, how to connect degrees to meaningful employment, how to understand our bodies and manage our health, how to be resilient and solve problems; the list goes on. These skills need to be mastered and when they are not taught at school - or discussed at home - students can go off into their life without understanding 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬. Read more on the blog about how these workshops fill those gaps, and how this growing initiative is often named by students as one of the most useful and meaningful supports we provide 👇 https://lnkd.in/e7Y-6UEN 💛