When we started a school in Cambodia thirteen years ago, we did it to protect at-risk children from being trafficked. We also knew that a quality education for the children in Svay Pak provides greater opportunities for the next generation.
The success and significance of AIM School in Svay Pak has exceeded our wildest dreams. We are so grateful that God has allowed us to help build a path to freedom for the next generation in Cambodia.
AIM School’s academic calendar runs in two semesters, with the second of the year wrapping up in September. This means that, while most students are heading back to school in the U.S., our AIM School staff and students are preparing for end-of-year celebrations and graduation!
Join us as we reflect on some of the exciting moments this school year held!
A Glimpse at Enrollment
AIM School is ending the 2022-2023 school year strong with 764 students enrolled and 61 alumni students receiving additional education resources from our team! Our teachers are so grateful for each opportunity they had to make a lasting impact on the students this year.
As the next semester approaches, AIM School staff is currently processing the incoming enrollment applications. While they have received 130 applications for the elementary school, only 30 spots are available for the upcoming semester (which starts in November). This is a testament to how valuable of an education AIM School and its teachers provide to the community, but it does require a multi-step assessment to ensure that spots are offered to some of the most vulnerable kids in the community.
Here is a breakdown of the current number of students being served by AIM School:
*At this time, 177 new students have applied to AIM’s English program. AIM School staff is still in the process of testing and evaluating prospective students, and will provide us with a final count for the upcoming year’s enrollment when available.
Hand-painted Campus Murals
William Jessup University, a private Christian university in Northern California, partnered with AIM Staff to design a compilation of murals to adorn the AIM School campus with. These murals incorporate a range of subjects: science and math, geography, the alphabet (in Khmer and in English), sports, and biblical stories.
In July 2023, a team from the university visited Cambodia to start on the project. For four days, they used projectors to trace the designs onto walls and paint each one. The resulting murals are incredible! Scroll through the photo gallery below to see our beautiful new murals and the talented team that brought them to our students.
Artistic additions to the campus provide a further opportunity for AIM students to love the environment they learn in. They (and the staff!) are overjoyed with the creative and colorful elements that have been added to the campus.
National Art Contest
Students from all across Cambodia submitted artwork for a nationwide contest. Over 1200 schools (including AIM School!) submitted art to the Ministry of Education, with only 135 student drawings selected as outstanding.
Not only was an AIM School student’s piece selected as outstanding, but their drawing came in 25th out of all art pieces that were submitted! We are so proud of every student who participated in the contest, and are so grateful for the teachers who provide arts instruction and guidance at AIM School.
Take a closer look at their artwork and some of the others below.
Exciting moments like this are just a glimpse at how blessed AIM School is by the staff and teachers who make the programs what they are.
Class of 2023 Graduation
Graduation is an exciting time for AIM School, because AIM staff works hard to host a wonderful celebration for students that families are invited to attend. With AIM School’s current semester wrapping up on September 28th, we have 31 AIM School students graduating from 6th grade! These students move on to government secondary schooling next year, but still have the opportunity to join our alumni program for extra tutoring and help with their studies.
We also have 1 student graduating from our English department. She has officially completed our highest level English class and will be awarded a certificate and small gift during our end-of-the-year celebration ceremony.
The graduation ceremony is planned for September 29th and we are so excited for it! AIM School technically hosts two graduation celebrations in one day, one for the elementary school graduates in the morning and one for the English program and alumni students in the afternoon. We rent a tent, set up a stage and invite family members of students, community leaders, and AIM staff to honor and celebrate our students.
As part of the celebrations, classes and individual students will prepare various performances for a school-wide talent show. AIM Staff hands out awards, along with a small gift for students who excel, as well as students with exemplary attendance records. We’re looking forward to sharing photos of the graduation as soon as we have them!