Youth Delegation Trip to Cambodia

Overview

On February 12, 2005, as part of the Global Care Cambodian Humanitarian Initiative, six student members of the Tenafly Middle School Global Care Club (Adam, Ben, Ella, Emily, Jessica, Michaelangelo) -- accompanied by teacher and Global Care founder, Mark Hyman, Tenafly Assistant Superintendent, Dr. Judy Greenwald, filmmaker, Jay Dorfman, parent chaperones, and guides from our partner organization, Clear Path International – flew from Newark Airport to begin a two-week odyssey through Cambodia. This journey provided the Youth Delegation and Global Care an unprecedented opportunity to encounter and document Cambodian history, culture and living conditions firsthand, to make personal connections, and to research the work of Cambodian-based humanitarian organizations. 

Click here to review the trip itinerary.

The insightful and touching written responses of the youth delegates to this journey are beautifully documented in a trip blog maintained by trip coordinator, James Hathaway, while the delegation chaperones captured a plethora of fascinating photos documenting all aspects of our trip.  The students’ candid reactions and oral reflections, as well as extensive video documentation, led to the creation of a 50-minute documentary by filmmaker Jay Dorfman entitled, “Cambodian Journal.”

Click here to read student reflections in the trip blog.
Click here to watch a trip photo montage.
Click here to read a promo for the premier screening of “Cambodia Journal.”

Additionally, visits to a handful of Cambodian humanitarian organizations and post-trip discussion among the youth delegates led to the development of the following service objectives for the Cambodian Humanitarian Initiative:

• To raise at least $5,000 toward sponsorship of a Master teacher and classroom through The Master Performers Program founded by Arn Chorn-Pond to restore traditional Cambodian performance arts following its destruction during the Khmer Rouge Genocide.

Click here to read a Sponsorship Report regarding the beneficiaries and the impact of our Master/Class sponsorship.

• To raise $4,000 to sponsor purchase of 10 computers for use in teaching rural Cambodians English and computer literacy through the organization, Cambodian Volunteers for Community Development

Click here to read a Student Profile that highlights the impact of our sponsorship of 10 computers for English and computer literacy.