Projects Abroad Teen Volunteer Abroad Program in Cambodia

This July I joined many other volunteers from around the world on a Care and Community High School Specials Project with Projects Abroad in Cambodia. During my time on this project, I got to experience many different aspects of the country including their culture and their way of life. I got to spend several days in two remote schools on Silk Island, this was truly a big eyeopener. In these schools I got to teach the kids basic English and create friendships during different activities, such as games, singing and dancing. I also got to leave my mark on the school by doing some renovation work, such as painting and plastering walls and concreting paths just outside of the schools. While working with the kids was our main priority, we also went on many cultural and historical trips to give us a better insight on the country we were working in. We visited land marks such as the Killing Fields and the S-21 Genocide Museum, Angkor Wat and its surrounding temples, The Silk Factory on Silk Island and many more. The staff had us busy every evening, be it taking us out for dinner, planning sessions at the hotel, or showing us around the beautiful city of Phnom Penh. The accommodation was very satisfactory and I experienced no issues. I have made some lifelong friends on this trip and will never forget it. There were a mix of staff from all different countries and every one of them were so friendly and helpful. They made sure we got to experience Cambodia as best we could and really made this the trip of an lifetime.

My experience with Projects Abroad was amazing and I can't wait to partake in another trip. I travelled to Cambodia for two weeks to join one of theirCare & Community High School Special volunteer programs. I was given plenty of resources and information prior to my trip in order to prepare and arrange my travels and was provided a lot of support from Projects Abroad in order to make sure that I was given every little detail of information and reassurance that I needed before heading off on the journey of a lifetime.
On my trip I got to experience the unique culture of Cambodia with the help of the Projects Abroad staff that accompanied the school aged volunteer group that I was with. They provided us with resources and materials to use at our placement in the local schools to help teach the children as well as to restore the school facilities.
I got to meet many new people whilst on my trip and made many amazing friends with people from many different countries around the world. A highlight of my trip was spending one of my final days at the school playing games and singing songs with all the smiley children and other volunteers as we had a farewell lunch in the schoolyard.

I took the leap at the young age of 16 and decided to fly half way around the world to volunteer with Projects Abroad. I signed up for their High School Projects without evening knowing where Cambodia was!!! Projects abroad helped and assisted me with everything. My trip leader was beyond amazing, a real support buddy and I later learned that the team did an incredible job at supporting my Mum with all her nervous questions!!

The Staff at Projects Abroad were there to support us 24/7 in country and back Home. It was a well run program and I felt I was in safe hands. I recommended this program to someone else and they had an experience very like my own which was great to hear. It’s great to know that the team at Projects Abroad believe in what they do.

Accommodation was great, basic but very comfortable. I had my own bed, shared bathroom and space for my suitcase at the end of my bed to store my belongings. Accommodation was always clean, neat and tidy. Drinking water was always available. At night there was a night guard although it did feel it was in a pretty safe area.

I am so glad that I went with Projects Abroad for this trip and couldn't imagine having gone with anyone else.

I volunteered in Phnom Penh, Cambodia for 2 weeks in December 2015. I was 17 years old at the time and have never traveled outside of the United States, so all of it was totally new to me. There were 13 volunteers and we were from 4 different countries, and we all got along great. We stayed in a nice hotel and the hotel staff was very friendly. During the week we would go to our placement which was a daycare center and a kindergarten on an island, located about an hour from our hotel. During the weekend we traveled to Siem Reap, which was about an 8 hour bus ride on a bumpy, dirt road. We ended up getting a flat tire and had to stand in the 95 degree weather for about 45 minutes. But it was definitely part of the experience. While in Siem Reap we visited the temples and went to the night markets. The second week we went back to the placements and finished our work of painting, gardening, and making resources.
The staff definitely made me feel safe and welcomed the entire trip. Without them or the other volunteers my experience would have been totally different. This was one of the best decisions I've ever made and it definitely helped me grow as a person.

The summer of 2014 I participated in the High School Special program in Cambodia for Care & Community. The previous summer I went to Europe for my first time and realized that I absolutely love traveling and seeing new places. For this summer I wanted to see someplace new but I also wanted to get involved. Projects Abroad gave me exactly what I was looking for. Over the course of two weeks I worked alongside nine other volunteers at a day care center for children 3-6 years old. Projects Abroad was beyond helpful from the planning process to the return home. After talking back and forth with some staff and attending an online information session my parents happily put me on a plane to Cambodia. There was never a moment where I felt nervous or unsafe during my trip. As soon as I stepped off the plane I was met with a staff member and a car to transport me to my placement house. Everything was very organized and easy. I stayed in an apartment with the other volunteers and the outstanding project supervisors. My supervisor was very friendly and had answers to any and all of my questions. We were building a garden and a playground at the daycare, which was something I had never done before. Any of my concerns washed away as soon as we got there. We arrived to two friendly staff members who had all the tools necessary and the guidance we needed. During the two weeks Projects Abroad organized different activities where we got to experience the Cambodian culture. We traveled to Angkor Wat to visit the ancient temples, we toured S-21 and the Killing Fields to learn about the country’s history, and we went out to eat at local restaurants. I made lifelong friends with the other volunteers during my trip and I am planning on doing another volunteer abroad experience with this company. The staff at Projects Abroad are all very impressive and on top of every detail. I would highly recommend this program to anyone looking to volunteer abroad. Volunteering abroad, helping underprivileged children, meeting so many different people, and getting to see the world are just a few of the wonderful opportunities Projects Abroad provides you with. I will always remember my time in Cambodia!!