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Bergman was part of a group of high school students who traveled to Battambang, the country’s second-largest city, where they worked alongside community partners on a variety of service projects.
The teens worked with local laborers to construct outdoor latrines at a local school that previously had the use of only two toilets to serve 400 students. The group also made improvements to a local school’s hand-washing station that had improper drainage and standing water.
On the social services end, they developed lesson plans and led classes and outdoor activities for summer school students to help them to improve their English language skills, which in turn allowed the VISIONS students to learn more about the Cambodian culture firsthand.
The experience focused on cross-cultural exchanges and outdoor excursions. The group visited places of historic interest, including the Royal Palace, Mekong River and the Killing Fields. They also bicycled through rice paddies, visited a silk production facility and learned some of the basics of the Khmer language.
“The students who attend our programs tend to be interested in trying something new, working with people on hands-on projects and expanding who they are in some way,” explains Katherine Dayton, VISIONS executive director. “The friendships established during the summer include people from the community, as well as other teens and leaders from the group.”
Visit the VISIONS website for more information or contact Corinne Garcia at 406-551-4423 or Corinne@visions-service.com.
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