Overlake in Pailin, Cambodia

When Head of School Frank Grijalva learned of American Assistance for Cambodia (AAfC), a non-profit organization led by journalist Bernie Krisher that builds schools in rural Cambodia, he knew that Overlake's students and faculty would be excited by the plan. He was right. They were so enthusiastic that they held student bake sales, talent shows and even sold gourmet dog biscuits to raise the $15,500 needed to build the school. The funds were matched by the World Bank, and The Overlake School in Pailin opened in 2003.

The school in Pailin serves over 400 students in kindergarten through sixth grade, although the age range of students is well into the teens. There are five classrooms and five teachers, each with about 55 students.

The first group of Overlakers traveled to Pailin for the school's dedication in 2003. Upon return, they immediately recruited additional students, faculty and parents and launched a campus-wide effort to make The Overlake School in Cambodia school even better by funding the salary of an English teacher, providing internet access via a satellite dish and creating a small computer lab.

In the spring of 2006, Overlake piloted a global service program and sent a second group of students and faculty to Pailin where they taught English, arts and crafts, music and dance, distributed backpacks and school supplies to all students and learned about the culture of Cambodia. One student was so moved by her experience that she has privately raised over $5,000 to buy playground equipment for the Pailin school.

Involvement with the school in Cambodia has had such an impact on both students and faculty that the next Project Week trip is planned in April of 2008, when students will have the opportunity to teach in the classroom, install the new playground equipment and experience Cambodian culture.

Next trip scheduled for Project Week 2008!