Availability:
Accepting applications for Summer 2011.

Over the years Where There Be Dragons has developed a network of talented and reliable staff in Cambodia.  After a successful middle school custom program in Cambodia in 2008, Dragons has developed this age-appropriate travel experience for 7th and 8th grade students. 

Where There Be Dragons' staff are there to nurture, guide, and empower young students as they encounter Cambodia's complex history and culture, leading participants to think about their world from multiple perspectives.  Two teachers and two guides accompany this exceptional group of 10-12 students for an intimate, educational and ultimately life-changing experience.

Ancient temples, powerful monsoons, devout monks clad in saffron robes: this is Cambodia, a beautiful land whose people retain warmth and dignity despite widespread poverty and a tragic history. 

This unique Dragons program invites exceptional 7th and 8th graders to explore the complexities of a nation in rapid transition.  Cambodia is now enjoying a period of political stability, but how the country develops and who benefits from this development remain open questions.

From discovering the skills needed for safe and educational travel, to learning about sustainable development and ecological issues, students on this two-week program discover the power of human potential in one of the most culturally fascinating and ecologically diverse corners of Southeast Asia. From the moment they arrive in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, participants  immerse themselves in Khmer culture and are confronted by the contrasts that define Cambodia today. On the very first ride from the airport, students see displaced peasants cooking in huts by the roadside, and are passed by government officials driving luxury SUVs.  Whether taking a trip to the market to buy locally made clothing for home-stays or engaging in their first Khmer language lesson, our 7th and 8th grade students are fully engaged with the Cambodian way of life. 

Before journeying into Cambodia's rural interior, we take a ferry to a quiet island on the Mekong River for an in-depth orientation, where we set collective goals and familiarize ourselves with practices of safe travel and culturally appropriate behavior. With our goals in mind and our excitement building, we step out of our comfort zones and begin our two-week journey of challenge and discovery.  In the days that follow our orientation, we visit the homes of artists, search the waters of the Mekong for freshwater dolphins, and live with Cambodian families in a rural village. Five days of family stays allow students to experience life in small-town Cambodia while gaining an understanding of how an at-risk community is looking after its own future.  By helping out with their sustainable technology projects - frog farming, enhanced fish ponds, bio-digestors, and rainwater collection units - we learn about appropriate community-based development and gain an appreciation for community service. Most importantly, we spend quality time with our home-stay families, developing close friendships and lifelong connections. 

The remainder of the program rounds out the Cambodia experience with rich discussion and intense travel days.  In remote Mondulkiri Province, we trek through highland forest and examine the efforts of an elephant conservation project.  In Siem Reap, we explore the awe-inspiring Angkor Temple complex. 

Our New Beginnings program takes in the "must-see" sights of the Cambodia, but we also look for more subtle, unique and lasting experiences.  We seek out remote, jungle-clad temples on the fringe of the Angkor complex.  We dig beneath the surface of Cambodia to find people and places that are often overlooked, and in so doing, create a lasting relationship with an awe-inspiring land and culture.

The Cambodia New Beginnings progam is informed by our highly successful Cambodia summer program for high-school students, along with our Mekong Semester program for gap year students, which examines human ecology along the 'Mother River' of Southeast Asia.  Teachers are encouraged to apply for our Professional Educator course in Cambodia, which focuses on practices of sustainable development.