Study Tour – Dream Class comes to Siem Reap

On the 3rd July, 67 students from Kralanh High School participated in a study tour around Siem Reap. The majority of the students who attended were from grade 12, however two representatives from each grade 10 and 11 also were in attendance so that they could report back to their peers. The reason that we chose to tailor the study tour for students in grade 12 was due to the fact that they are currently in a position where they are making decisions about life beyond school; we arranged the tour with the aim of introducing the students to some of the institutions and courses they could attend, should they make the choice to study in Siem Reap.
The day began with a visit to Paul Dubrule School of Tourism. Here, the students were split into three groups, with each group being taken on a tour of the facilities by representatives of the school; they were teachers of Tourism, who gave the students an insight of the learning experience they could expect at the school and provided details of the courses on offer. The students enjoyed having the opportunity to explore the facilities and equipment utilized at the school, by which they were impressed, with many stating upon conclusion of the visit that they were hoping to attend Paul Dubrule.
Following this, the students then traveled to the University of South East Asia; they were shown a very in-depth presentation which detailed the history of the institution, the range of courses it offers, and student experiences from those who have studied there. Although some of the students expressed their preference for the interactive experience at Paul Dubrule, they were enthused when they were provided the opportunity to visit the American Library Corner, where they browsed through the extensive book collections and were able to witness some of the students studying first hand.

After having lunch at Angkor Wat, the first stop of the afternoon was the PEPY Empowering Youth Learning Center; here, the students were provided the opportunity to explore the facilities we have, and speak to staff about the scholarship opportunity we are offering this year.
Also on the agenda was a visit to the Provincial Teacher Training College. This was of particular interest to the students who hold aims of pursuing a career in teaching; these students found it to be a very useful experience, most notably the question and answer session that they participated in, which allowed them the opportunity to acquire all the necessary information to prepare their applications.
To conclude the study tour, students spent time reflecting upon the trip, as well as the Dream Classes and their learning experience of the past academic year; the students were very positive in their opinions with one student commenting of Dream Class, ‘I have changed; I gained more confident, shared experience/knowledge with friends, and set goals for my life as well as change my thought and attitude’.
We hope that the study tour was a useful experience for the students which they can utilize when considering their decisions for the future; we wish them well in their upcoming exams, and look forward to welcoming some of them to Siem Reap and PEPY Empowering Youth soon!