Arts for Cambodian Children & Teens at Champey

Update on Summer Arts Camp 2012  and planning for 2013

Summer Arts Camp  took  an unexpected turn  in 2012 as unusual conditions converged.  Reports of an unspecified serious  illness  sickening  children in Cambodia prompted us to place our usual gathering of dozens of children for Summer Camp  from across the city on hold.   Instead we organized   other activities  for  groups of  children and brought  dance and arts activities to disadvantaged  children, such as weekend dance  lessons for the children on site  at the Phnom Penh  Municipal Orphanage.  

Our history continues

For  the past 14 years we have sponsored youth  arts  programs to encourage pride of culture through knowledge of traditional Cambodian drawing,  dance and music and our Summer Arts Camp has been a part of this effort for the past several years.  

Arts for youth programs  will  continue

Yes, it has been a challenging summer. And  now,  due to a variety of other  factors beyond our control, including the city’s plan to build a drainage canal through our former  school site as part of an ongoing  flood control construction project, we are starting a new school  on December 1,2012 , in  a new location in central Phnom Penh. 

Our new school will be staffed by  faculty  and graduates  of our former program.  Now accomplished dancers, our  newly graduated students  from our original program will bring the joy and discipline  of traditional Cambodian dance to disadvantaged children in our new arts for youth programs and  also serve as great peer  mentors to new students.

We are grateful for your continued support of our efforts as we open our new school and begin plans  to continue our Summer Arts Camp program .