Fostering transformational thinking through boys’ service-learning

Michael Waugh

Scotch College, Melbourne

AbstractIn July 2017, twenty-seven Year 11 boys undertook a service-learning trip to Cambodia, partnering with Habitat for Humanity to assist in the construction of houses for impoverished families on the outskirts of Phnom Penh. While the school had engaged in this service work in previous years, I was concerned that boys may have developed a patronising view of those living in poverty, and that the service may have reinforced a power binary where the students were positioned as powerful and charitable and the Khmer partners were conceptualised as powerless and needy.

To redress this potentially problematic world-view, boys took part in eleven 75 minute pre-service learning sessions with the aim of deepening their critical engagement with ideas of poverty, helping, cultural difference, and their own place in the world. I was interested in discovering the extent to which a service-learning program for Year 11 boys might foster transformational learning.

The project included structuring lessons on the core values of service-learning, exploring respect, humility, integrity, awareness and solidarity as it could apply to boys’ journey through Cambodia and the house build project. During the trip, boys were guided through formal reflection activities, linking their experiences in Cambodia with the pre-taught values. This action-research aimed to explore whether these teaching interventions might challenge boys’ pre-conceptions and values.

Reflecting with the participants about their experiences in Cambodia, the boys seemed significantly impacted by the program. Boys shared increased insights and a sophisticated appreciation of cultural differences and poverty. Though, I was somewhat concerned that boys maintained a perception that Khmer families were happy living in poverty. The intervention seemed to help increase boys’ confidence and skill in communicating with others, including developing

confidence in communicating with Khmer people. They were particularly conscious of how they travelled through Cambodia, with many citing pre-taught values such as ‘coming as a guest’ and ‘respecting the innate dignity of others’. However, I am still uncertain about whether these comments reflected deep value transformation. Additionally, the experience impacted boys’ self-awareness, emotional literacy, and seemed to deepen the interpersonal relationships between boys.

The project has revolutionised my pedagogical approach to service-learning and has helped me to shape the school’s service-learning program. Having shared my findings with my colleagues in a professional development session at the beginning of 2018, the action trialled in 2017 has been modified and informs the delivery of service-learning curriculum throughout our emerging Year 11 Immersion program.

Glossary:Service-learning:Service-learning is a pedagogical approach to exploring ideas about social justice and our place in the world where students work in partnership with community organisations. Service-learning curriculum includes pre-service lessons, forming knowledge and skills relevant to working in partnership with others. Service-learning also involves partnering in a community development activity or project. Students reflect about what has been learned, the impact of the community development intervention, the values associated with service, and thoughts and feelings about their encounters with the world.

Transformational learning:Transformational learning occurs when biases and preconceptions are challenged in order to change students’ world-views. It is a metacognitive process, involving the reflection on how and why we think as we do, and attempting to adapt students’ frames of reference.

Foster:Fostering in teaching occurs when we coach, support, challenge and engage in conversation with students in order for them to cultivate new ways of seeing.

IntroductionThe 2017/18 IBSC topic Adaptability allowed me to research how to best restructure our school’s Services program. As teacher in charge of this change project, I worked with my school community to develop transformative thinking about issues of social equity. My initial investigation led me to the wisdom of Aboriginal activist Lilla Watson:

If you have come here to help me, you are wasting your time.But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together. (Leonen, 2004)

Watson’s provocation underpinned my investigation and was my moral compass in our project.

My research question was: To what extent does a service-learning program for Year 11 boys foster transformational learning?

Adopting the community empowering methodology of action-research, I engaged with students, staff, and community partners to design a service-learning program for Year 11 boys. My research focus was a partnership with Habitat for Humanity, where boys worked on house construction projects in Cambodia. I investigated pre-service pedagogy and reflection strategies aimed at deepening boys’ critical engagement with ideas of poverty, helping, cultural difference, and their own place in the world. In particular, my focus was on disrupting binary notions of power, where boys may have perceived themselves as powerful and charitable while conceiving the Khmer “other” as powerless and needy. I engaged boys and staff in the consultation processes. The action was trialled from February to July 2017.

Literature ReviewMy investigation was informed by service-learning, boys’ education and transformational learning literature. These are predominantly constructivist traditions, focusing on the co-construction of self and other (Price, 2008, p. 107).

Service-learning refers to “a teaching method that involves students performing community service in order to learn knowledge and skills” (Billig, 2002, p. 184). Key phases of boys’ service-learning are “Expectations, Exposure, Reframing,

Disillusionment, Awareness and Agency” (Price, 2008, p. v). Over time, thoughtful service-learning pedagogy might scaffold boys’ surface understanding of self and other through to “existential change” (Price, 2008, p. 85). I was inspired by Price’s “spiral model of service learning”, where informed mentors adopt an ideological approach, facilitating boys’ critical analysis and self-reflection (2008, p. 85). His transformational service-learning program is the type of experience I aimed to create for our boys.

Service-learners require “purposeful self-reflection” (Bamber & Pike, 2013, p. 545) at each phase of their experience. These reflective thinking processes hinge on unpacking participants’ emotional responses to service-learning encounters (Larsen, 2017, p. 279-280). I hoped that this emotionally-supportive and critically-reflective approach might nurture our boys’ emotional intelligence (McWilliam & Brannock, 2001, p. 14).

Successful service-learning programs celebrate the “reciprocity of the experience” (Tinkler, Tinkler, Ethan, & Strouse, 2014, p. 138) or “mutuality” (King, 2004, p. 123), avoiding the type of rhetoric where boys are sent over as ‘“providers” of service for those “less fortunate”’ (King, 2004, p. 124). Respectful partnerships occur when the community partner’s mission, vision and resources are carefully considered in project work (Tinkler, et al, 2014, p. 141-143). I am convinced by the notion that in authentic partnerships the provider and recipient of the service are equal beneficiaries.

Service-learning strives for “a more just and sustainable society” (Bamber & Pike, 2013, p. 535), nurturing “feelings of autonomy, competence and relatedness” (Kackar-Cam & Schmidt, 2014, p. 83). This resonates with my ontological position as an educator. Celio, Durlack, and Dymnicki (2011) write that service-learning promotes positive “attitudes toward self, attitudes toward school and learning, civic engagement, social skills, and academic achievement” (p. 165). I want service-learning to position boys as capable of affecting positive community change, developing self-esteem and dynamic higher-order thinking skills, equipping them for unpredictable life challenges (Newman, Dantzler, & Coleman, 2015).

Service-learning celebrates skills “not usually valued in academic settings” (King, 2004, p. 122) and builds analysis and problem-solving capacity (Bamber & Pike, 2013, p. 236). It may prepare boys with the “requisite skills (of social service) in order to have jobs in the future’’ (McWilliam & Brannrock, 2001, p. 7).

While some have reported a societal perception that “service is sissy” (McWilliam & Brannock, 2001, p. 15), others argue that “authentic international service is dirty, hot, inglorious work” (Klein, 2012, p. 73), celebrating stoicism and aiming to “broaden students’ sense of what they're capable not just of surviving, but even of enjoying” (Klein, 2013, p. 73) in a masochistic test of endurance and strength. For me, this approach problematically reconceptualises living conditions of majority world partners as a testing ground for the leadership skills of morally, economically and physically privileged international visitors.

Schools might lack certainty about essential aspects of service-learning pedagogy (Billig, 2002, p. 184), operating on a continuum between “‘charity’ at one pole and… ‘true service’ at another” (King, 2014, p. 135); genuine service may be unlikely and charity may disempower others. This convinced me to tread gently in shaping the service-learning program for our team, cautious of the “potential to perpetuate the same neo-colonial practices they seek to overcome” (Pluim & Jorgensen, 2012, p. 1), guarding against misappropriation and cultural stereotyping lest the good intention of service-learning be subverted by hegemonic, insensitive or disrespectful actions that perpetuate Western dominance and conceive majority world partners as undignified dependents.

I heed Price’s cautions of the “danger that prejudice could be reinforced, false conclusions come to and stereotypes enhanced as a result of the service experience” (Price, 2012, p. 1). Postcolonial analysis understands service-learning as constructed by the “center” where schools’ perceptions are distorted by ethnocentricism, unable to hear the voices of the “periphery” (Pluim & Jorgensen, 2012, p. 6-7). There is a worry that the boys and I might consider community partners as powerless through ingrained orientalist rhetoric underpinning service-learning transactions (Said, 2001; Ngo, 2013).

There is a risk of reinforcing boys’ “dominant values and a superiority-inferiority binary” (Pluim & Jorgensen, 2012, p. 8).

Transitive factors enhancing boys’ service-learning engagement include the creation of “products” (Reichert & Hawley, 2010, p. 17) and learning activities where boys “discover and innovate” (2010, p.35). I aimed for a service-learning project that allowed boys to use their motor skills and take on real world roles such as builder and teacher (2010, p. 65, 87). Exercises involving role play and drama might enable boys to “assess their own values in critical personal matters” (2010, p. 90) during preparation and reflection.

I am convinced that boys tend to engage when they are “responsible for the learning of others” (2010, p. 96) and thrive in activities characterised by teamwork where they experience “pleasure in “helping”” (2010, p. 134). Service-learning literature problematises helping (Pluim & Jorgensen, 2012, p. 11); while helping motivates our boys, it might conceptually frame the community partner as helpless.

Mezirow’s Transformational Learning or the “process of effecting change in a frame of reference” (Mezirow, 1997, p. 5) informs my understanding of how adaptability might be fostered for boys in a service-learning program. Transformation occurs when students change how they “see themselves and the world in which they live” (Pluim & Jorgensen, 2012, p. 5). Service-learning might challenge participants’ ‘“ethnocentrism, the predisposition to regard others outside one’s own group as inferior” (Mezirow, 1997, p. 6).

Transformational learning is cultivated when we “question or at least perceive our own ‘bias’ and way of seeing the world and our assumptions.” (Bamber & Pike, 2013, p. 541). Similar to Price’s pedagogical approach (2008, 2012), I aimed to provide adequate preparation and debriefing, critically reflecting on social inequities and ethnocentric conceptions of the ‘other’. I hoped that this might create a “broader framework to interpret the social world” (Pluim & Jorgensen, 2012, p. 14). I am convinced that understanding the specific socio-historic context is key to this critical engagement (2012, p. 16).

Perhaps learners can be transformed when they are made “aware and critically reflective of our generalized bias in the way we view” others (Mezirow, 1997, p. 7). New meanings and practices could be built through “disorientation and reflection” (Nohl, 2015 p. 36) - reflections that are “open reflectively to the new and... reflectively loyal to the known” (Hansen, 2011, p. 36). King (2004) refers to this as “defamiliarization” (p. 121), where students adapt conceptions of privilege and equity, casting aside the familiar in order to gain new critical understandings of themselves and the world. While some assumptions and opinions persist (2004, p. 125) and there is potential of “slipping back into old habits” (p. 132) of thinking and acting, careful reflection might support boys in the interplay between the familiar and the strange, where their control, comfort and security are destabilised (King, 2004).

Research ContextScotch College Melbourne is an Australian Presbyterian boys’ boarding and day school, of 1868 P-12 (5-18 year old) student enrolments. The Principal’s vision is to develop boys’ “values of integrity, tolerance, and service” (Tom Batty, 2017). Scotch, established in 1851, is the oldest Victorian school with strong academic, sporting, artistic, and religious traditions (see Appendix 1). Boys are predominantly from high socio-economic backgrounds. While Year 12 boys’ mean Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) is in the state’s top 10%, the school is non-academically selective and the cohort represents a broad range of skills, interests and backgrounds.

Prior to 2017, boys in Year 11 and 12 were involved in a Services program, attending a community partnership organisation and participating in charitable service. As their service commitment, some boys opted to travel to Cambodia, partnering with Habitat for Humanity to assist in the construction of houses for impoverished families on the outskirts of Phnom Penh. In 2017, this action-research project was the pilot for a new service-learning structure, referred to as “Year 11 Immersion”.

The research participants in this project were twenty-seven boys, 10% of the Year 11 (17-year-old) cohort. They self-selected participation in the 2017 Cambodia Immersion trip. Factors preventing others participating include financial barriers (trip costs were A$3500 and there was no financial assistance

for boys who could not afford the fare) and time limitations (travel occurred during two weeks of the mid-year break).

The actionStep 1: Pre-service Learning and staff engagementDuring eleven 75-minute pre-service-learning sessions, boys undertook writing tasks, role plays and group activities, group discussions and lectures with guest speakers. Lessons explored the core values of service-learning, including humility, integrity, awareness and solidarity, and concepts such as ‘coming as a guest’ and ‘respecting the innate dignity of others’. In addition, boys completed occupational, health and safety training and were provided with background in various aspects of Cambodian life. The pre-service program, detailed in the facilitator’s manual (Appendix 2), was informed by Price’s practice wisdom (Price 2008, 2012).

I engaged Br Price to provide professional development for Scotch staff, striving for a whole school understanding of service-learning principles and to build school culture. He provided a master class for those teachers actively involved in facilitating the service-learning program in 2017.

Step 2: Coaching and reflection during the service-learning experienceBoys toured Cambodia for a fortnight. They:

participated in a house build project with Habitat for Humanity experienced a cultural exchange with young people at Samrong visited Angkor Children’s Hospital toured cultural sites, including the Killing Fields, S21, the Angkor Temple

complex, a floating village and a variety of markets. During the trip, boys were guided through formal reflection activities, linking their experiences in Cambodia with the pre-taught values.

Data collection

As I am interested in how boys’ thinking might be transformed through service-learning, I collected qualitative data which could best explore the depth of boys’ experiences (Cresswell,1998; Freebody, 2003). I collected data through a reflective-practitioner journal, photography, audio recordings, written student

reflections and semi-structured interviews. My aim was to ensure ‘triangulation’ (Stringer, 2014, p. 92) through multiple data sources.

I used “purposeful sampling” (Stringer, 2014, p. 77), selecting eight participants for a series of semi-structured formal interviews. The sample aimed to capture a diverse range of boys’ experiences before, during, and after the immersion. I employed “social mapping” (Stringer, 2014, p. 79) to ensure that boys from a range of social groups and diverse interests were represented in my interview data. Interview data was collected to develop a longitudinal picture:

1.     at the beginning of the service-learning experience to gauge boys’ expectations

2.     at the end of the Cambodia trip to capture their immediate impressions3.     8 weeks post-trip to measure the lasting impact of the service-learning

experience.Boys and their families provided informed written consent for participation in the action research project. Pseudonyms are used to protect boys’ anonymity.

I kept a reflective-practitioner journal (O’Toole, 2006) during the fortnight in Cambodia, using this tool to theorise and formally reflect on my teaching practice. I applied the ‘verbatim principle’ (Stringer, 2014, p. 140), using much of the boys’ own terminology. To support these observations, I kept audio recordings of group discussions and photographic data of the boys’ experiences in Cambodia as records of their perceptions.

All participants wrote two personal reflections, capturing responses at different stages of the Cambodia trip. Nightly, I informally interviewed a different group of eight boys about their experience:

1.     What was the highlight of your day?2.     What was challenging today?

These prompts aimed to support boys’ personal reflections and I took records of their thoughts in my journal.  Data analysisI used Stringer’s process of reviewing, unitising, categorising, coding, identifying themes, organising categories, and developing a report (Stringer, 2014, pp. 141-3). I aimed for ‘enriching the analysis’ (Stringer, 2014, p. 147), by

including my colleagues from the trip in the process. I included students in ‘participant checking’ (Wicks, 2004, p. 13). These perspectives helped me to gain different readings of the data.

I adopted the role of constructivist investigator aiming ‘to reveal the different truths and realities - construction - held by different individuals’ (Stringer, 2014, p. 75). I analysed how different boys made meaning from their experience. To this end, I coded data for divergent viewpoints and points of consensus. I used thematic analysis to distill the data through ‘categorising and coding’ (Stringer, 2014, p. 139). Where possible, I coded the data with ‘participant terms’ (Stringer, 2014, p. 140) to support ‘referential adequacy’ (Stringer, 2014, p. 93). For example, I asked ‘How might I measure what you (and the other boys) learned in Cambodia’ and the boys’ responses informed my analysis.

Discussion of resultsThroughout this report, I quoted directly from the eight semi-structured formal interviews, referring to boys by pseudonyms: Andrew, Chris, Elliot, James, Louis, Ned, Rob, and Sean. Other descriptions of situations were taken from the written reflections provided by all participants, and observations from my reflective-practitioner journal and the photographic data.

Key themes that emerged from the data included:1. Boys’ awareness and appreciation of cultural difference and poverty2. Boys’ communication skills and their ability to forge connections with

people from a different culture3. Boys’ understanding of the core values of service4. Boys’ self-awareness5. Boys’ deepening interpersonal connections with other boys6. Boys’ understanding of helping and participating in service-learning

1. Boys’ awareness and appreciation of cultural difference and povertyBoys reported changes to their world-view, developing an appreciation of cultural differences and gaining a more sophisticated understanding of the poverty cycle. For James, this exploration was about understanding "what goes on beyond our borders and… our enclosed life at Scotch".

First impressions were that Cambodia allowed boys to experience exotic conversations with "tuk tuk drivers" (Rob), "the temples" (Ned), and "the Russian Market" (Andrew), surrounded by tropes of cultural difference in a "24-7 thing" (Sean) "without mum and dad" (Chris). Equally, the boys quickly noticed the impact of poverty. Rob noted, “You see lots of rubbish around or the conditions that aren’t the most sanitary… The markets in Siem Reap – they were sitting on the benches with the food and cutting up the fish and stuff and there was some bugs everywhere.”

Prior to the trip, Rob believed that people living in poverty were somewhat responsible for how they lived. He thought that “everyone could at least try to get out of” the poverty cycle. However, by the end of the trip he had changed his mind, asserting, “It’s just not a situation that you’ve put yourself into. Being poor is something that is really hard to get out of and some people are just put in there ‘cause they can’t do anything else.”

Many boys were struck by the market experience, though the reflective interventions allowed the boys to experience these differences without "pointing out things that seem kind of normal to them" (Rob). The overarching message boys took from the pre-service lessons was "the inclusive nature that we had to have when going in there" (Sam) and "how you should act in another person’s culture" (Elliot).

The boys’ understanding of poverty evolved through the trip. Some reflected on the cultural and social isolation of Khmer who "live with HIV". Some reflected especially on the difference between life of relative wealth in Australia beginning to notice "food wastage" (Rob, Sean), the size of their bedroom comparative to living conditions in Cambodia (Sean), and the impact of "mass genocide" (James) on successive generations.

Boys seemed most affected by the impact of poverty on young people, particularly when visiting tourist destinations such as the Angkor Wat Temple where James noticed that "a lot of tourism is sort of like a cancer" (James). At the Angkor temples, James was struck by the overcrowding and the way in which young people were exploited in these environments, positioned as

beggars or souvenir hawkers. In saying this, James also demonstrated an awareness that his presence in the country was complex; he was contributing to the income of some families but also inadvertently exploiting people living in vulnerable circumstances.

Boys were especially affected after a visit to a Floating Village, where they were struck by the lack of respect shown to people who lived in small boats while ferry loads of tourists were shipped through the impoverished community and invited to photograph people in their homes; "seeing the boats was a lot of people’s lowlight" (Rob). Chris in particular felt that his perceptions about this were transformed by the pre-service program, allowing him to better distinguish injustice: “That riverside thing. Like, I probably always would have felt that shame about looking into somebody else’s home, but I identified it easier.”

Despite an emphasis during the program on ignoring labels and understanding the complexity of contributing factors to the poverty cycle, one of the most recurrent themes through the data was boys’ insistence that all Cambodian’s were happy:

I knew it was a poorer country but it’s very different from just being like poor, like the poor people in Melbourne. It’s very different, ‘cause they’re not upset. They’re still happy and they enjoy their lives. They just don’t have as much. (Rob)

Though these generalisations were frequently challenged by staff, the persistent myth that benign Khmer children were happy existing in inadequate nutritional, health, and living circumstances dominated boys’ impressions of the country. For Scotch boys, Cambodia was a place where "people could be happy without" money (Andrew).

Other boys were a little more critical. Ned reflected that “(m)any people are happy here. They may show it to the tourists but I don’t think they actually are. I think they’d rather be in our position but they can’t do much to get out of this trouble that they’re in.” This critical thinking seemed to have been fostered by the pre-service lessons and ongoing reflection with staff, and this was reiterated in comments by Chris, Ned, and Rob.

2. Boys’ communication skills and their ability to forge connections with people from a different culture

Throughout the program, boys felt that they developed communication capacity and reflected on the importance of pre-service sessions where they could practice skills in a variety of role plays. Many found a strong sense of accomplishment through overcoming communication challenges. For example, Ned noted, “Although there was a language barrier I still was able to communicate. They were from a completely different background to me but I felt that we could have a decent chat.” Louis discovered that these new-found skills enhanced his interactions with teachers and family in Australia, saying: “I can hold up conversation a lot better. Like that was a big thing.”

In contrast, others experienced challenge. Rob’s response to delays on the Habitat for Humanity build site was, “If you’re not doing work, then you’re talking. And I’m not much of a talker. I don’t share my thoughts much. I keep them to myself. That’s just how I am… I don’t know about my thoughts and whether they’re good or not… so I just keep quiet and listen to other people.”

A theme in the data was the joy of forming connections with Khmer people, particularly during our visit to Samrong, where boys spent a day with approximately 80 young Khmer people. The day began with an ice-breaker activity, followed by a session where the Samrong children taught Scotch boys some Khmer language. The Scotch boys later taught the Samrong children some new English terminology. Boys reflected on our hosts’ language acquisition proficiency and, inversely, the difficulty that they experienced when trying to learn Khmer. Given that we were often met by Khmer people with a strong English skills, this early experience at Samrong set the stage for boys appreciating the strengths of those that we met. Rather than perpetuating the binary notion of a Khmer person as "victim" or "helpless", boys’ thinking was transformed by the experience; they started to notice the capacity underpinning even the simplest of exchanges.

3. Boys’ understanding of the core values of serviceIn their reflections, the boys referred to the core values of service as a framework for transforming their actions and perceptions during their time in Cambodia. A common theme was the notion of "coming as a guest". When asked

about the most important value on the trip, Louis noticed, "We were guests in these peoples’ houses and these peoples’ country… Usually you’d be tourists and you’d be taking photos of people in vulnerable positions. Whereas, now we’re guests. And we understand that it’s invading people’s privacy – and how would we like it if we were in that position and we had all those people taking photos of us? …it’s respecting people’s privacy and the vulnerability that they’re in.” Boys spoke of "not giving money" (Louis) to beggars and "not being shocked" as examples of when they came "as a guest". Boys directly linked this sensitivity to how they were prepared for the experience because "those sessions helped us to learn how to tread lightly" (Sean).

This ethical framework also guided boys’ interactions on the worksite. Boys tried "working with… and working alongside" (Sean) Khmer communities, rather than "taking over" (Eliot). They felt that modifying their behaviour in this way redressed power inequities perpetuated through charity models of majority world support.

Most commonly, boys discussed the concept of "innate dignity" as a core value. Wes would daily greet me by calling out, "Innate dignity, mate!" with a thumbs-up sign. In particular, James felt that the experience taught him "about being humble and… being more aware of other’s dignity". Unfortunately, it became clear that while some could link the concept of innate dignity to the value of respect, when Andrew was asked about the most important values on the trip, he responded:

I’m going to say "innate dignity" but I kind of don’t really know what that is. Still. … it was the most popular from the boys. I kind of think everybody kind of took that away from the trip that we need to have a large amount of "innate dignity" … I don’t think absolutely everyone knew what it was. So, I guess maybe it’s a way to get out of doing reflection. … And I guess you could also think that people made a joke out of it because not that many people take stuff seriously nowadays…

Andrew’s cynicism wasn’t explicitly shared in the data by other students, though it is possible that this concept needed to be more clearly taught to the boys.

4. Boys’ self-awareness

Boys also commented on gaining self-awareness through frequent reflections. In particular, Louis felt that the experience made him more "grounded" and "mature". In part, this was shaped by boys understanding of how their behaviour impacted on how they were perceived by people in Cambodia.

Some boys loved the self-reflection process:Sometimes we did a bit of that reflective stuff not prompted by teachers… we exchanged views on stuff and what we saw… we’d had so many reflections – we were kind of in this routine of just like saying what we felt, what we saw or experienced… we probably wouldn’t have had that if we hadn’t been doing reflections every day" (Chris)

However, for others, the idea of reflecting, especially with other boys, was daunting, compounded by the complexity of vulnerable interpersonal relationships:

getting up in front of people sucked. Cause it’s like your raw emotion and it’s like on the spot so you have to think of something that’s going to be good and isn’t going to make you seem dumb. (Andrew)

Despite these challenges, the reflections helped Andrew realise that he felt negative because he held "unrealistic expectations".

5. Boys’ deepening interpersonal connections with other boys The strongest theme through the data was how the experience transformed boys’ interpersonal relationships. This was a surprising aspect of the research, as I expected that the action would focus boys on the broader world. However, all of the boys, except for Andrew, talked about forging deeper connections with other boys on the trip, including with boys already considered close friends. Louis had a particularly transformational experience, noticing that “I don’t think I was a very emotional person before the trip. Whereas, I feel that now, coming to the end of the trip, I know a better way to show my emotion and portray that to other people.”

Boys talked about "banter" (Rob, Sean, Chris) as a means of connecting to other boys. However, there was a growing realisation that “banter” was also a means of hurting others or deflecting others from seeing one’s true feelings.

A recurrent theme was how boys "have good hearts" and how the program facilitated some challenging of gender stereotypes. As Louis noticed:

The other boys are really compassionate… you got to really see a soft side… I probably learned as well that there’s another level to my emotions. That I can show a lot more compassion… I’ve found a new part of myself in a lot of the things that we did… Probably this idea in my head that, like, especially with Aussie males, that like we all have to act tough and we’re all so masculine and we can’t like show a lot of emotions. But this trip has really flipped it on its head.

6. Boys’ understanding of helping and participating in service-learning The action allowed boys to transform their understanding of helping. In an especially challenging moment on the build site, boys were made to work on menial and uncomfortable tasks for two days. Lucas said to the group "I’m not here for me, I’m here for somebody else." Lucas’ words became somewhat of a mantra for the boys on the build site. Rob added later, “‘cause it’s for them, it’s not for us. We’ll just do it."

The boys felt a great sense of accomplishment from the hands-on nature of the building work, resonating with ideas from Reichert (2010) about the transitive power of physical labour. For some, it was a chance to feel powerful, strong and resilient. Chris, James, Sean, Andrew, and Rob all discussed the physically arduous working conditions as a personal endurance test that they anticipated with a combination of trepidation and exhilaration in the lead up to the trip. Rob described himself as having "been brought up to do the hard work and just "take it"".

However, the converse side of this was that some boys found it difficult to adapt when the work did not go to plan. When Rob was asked how it felt during the period of inactivity caused by unplanned build site disruptions, he responded:

I think I just kept getting worked up until I could hammer something or shave something… If I’m just sitting there, then I don’t know what else I’m good for. I’m just kind of in the way. Dealing with it was pretty hard. I didn’t know what to do. (Rob)

Some boys were unable to articulate how they might contribute to community development projects after their time in Cambodia. As Louis said, “I don’t really know how I’d provide service moving forward.” This lack of direction was echoed in comments from Rob, Sean, Chris and Ned.

Conclusions:Engaging in pre-service learning and reflection enhanced boys’ awareness of the complexity of poverty. They gained greater awareness of cultural differences and maintained a particularly sensitive approach to learning about the world through partnership with Khmer people. However, boys remained convinced that people in Cambodia were happy living in poverty. Further research might further explore how to debunk this myth.

The teaching interventions supported boys’ confidence in developing communication skills. They increased their emotional literacy and gained new ways of expressing themselves. Though some were challenged by the reflection processes, the boys saw value in introspection and some began to engage in musings with others outside of the teacher-led ruminations. Conducting longitudinal studies into the future development of these reflective skills might measure how this skill evolves over time. While the action initiated deep thinking, it remains to be seen whether this continued after the intervention.

The program’s emphasis on teaching core values supported boys’ reflections about the impact of their actions. Many in the study held firmly to the ideas of treading lightly, respecting the innate dignity of others and coming as a guest. Future action and research could investigate how to better support boys’ understanding of these values and how these values are demonstrated outside of the scope of this project. For instance, I am interested in whether this program inadvertently supported single-issuing, whereby they could only extend the value of respect to those experiencing poverty in Cambodia.  Further action might be needed to reinforce concepts such as “innate dignity”, and explore how it might be differently taught in future.

Boys developed greater self-awareness through the project. Some reflected on changing their self-concept and how they perceived their peers. The net effect

of this was a deepening of relationships between the boys on the trip. Further study would be needed to understand the longevity of these relationships.

Despite the positive aspects of the program, it was disappointing that some did not gain a great sense of how to continue service beyond the program. While the aim was to provide a transformational experience, perhaps the limitation was that boys were not necessarily empowered to see their capacity extending beyond this singular project. Further action arising from this research includes the need for work post-service to help boys plan future pathways.

ReflectionParticipation in this action-research project has impacted my service-learning teaching with boys. The pre-service learning activities and reflection activities allowed me to gain a much greater insight into the boys’ experiences of their time in Cambodia. It also allowed me to develop more productive working relationships with the boys. I found it personally rewarding completing the house built and I also found it valuable being able to talk with boys on a much deeper level about their thoughts and feelings; they were challenged by many of the experiences that we faced as a team in Cambodia and we could reflect together about this experience. I believe that this made me a more effective teacher with these boys, building relationships based on mutual respect and trust, forged by a memorable shared experience.

I felt that the action-research allowed me to critically reflect on my own practice in an empowering way. I was able to explore problems or challenges in my teaching in a proactive manner and the outcomes, especially in terms of my working relationships with the boys, were very positive.

I felt that this project allowed me to develop much greater connections with my colleagues. We became united in the delivery of this program and were able to reflect together about changes that we noticed in individual boys. We became conscious of boys’ changing world-views and it became exciting for my colleagues to start to notice the impact of our teaching. They, too, experienced better working relationships with students.

The program piloted through this action-research project was refined and repackaged to guide eight Immersion programs at Scotch College in 2018. At the beginning of the year, the boys’ voices were used as part of a professional development session that I led with the twenty-nine teachers involved in delivering the 2018 service-learning program. My colleagues later reflected on the power of having boys’ voices as a key part of their reflection and training for the delivery of the new program.

This action-research has life beyond this report. In April, I will be delivering aspects of this report for the ‘Transforming Learning Conference’ to service-learning educators across Australia. Within my school, I’m also proud that the impact of these boys’ stories will continue to live through ongoing iterations of our service-learning curriculum. References

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Batty, T., I. (n.d.). Welcome from the Principal. Retrieved October 14, 2017, from https://www.scotch.vic.edu.au/about/welcome-from-the-principal.aspx

Billig, S. H. (2002). Support for K–12 service-learning practice: A brief review of the research. Educational Horizons, 80(4), 85-92. doi:10.4324/9780203187999_chapter_10

Cellio, C. I., Durlack, J., & Dymnicki, A. (2011). A Meta-analysis of the impact of service-learning on students. Journal of Experiential Education, 34(2), 164-181.

Hansen, D. T. (2011). The teacher and the world: A study of cosmopolitanism as education. New York: Routledge.

Kackar-Cam, H., & Schmidt, J. A. (2014). Community-based service-learning as a context for youth autonomy, competence, and relatedness. The University of North Carolina Press.

King, J. T. (2004). Service-learning as a site for critical pedagogy: A case of collaboration, caring, and defamiliarization across borders. Journal of Experiential Education, 26(3), 121-137. doi:10.1177/105382590402600304

Klein, J. D. (2012). Fostering global grit. Independent School, Summer.

Larkin, A. (2015). Close encounters of the other kind: Ethical relationship formation and International Service Learning education. Citizenship Teaching & Learning, 10(2), 143-155. doi:10.1386/ctl.10.2.143_1

Larsen, M. A. (2017). International service-learning: Rethinking the role of emotions. Journal of Experiential Education, 40(3), 279-294. doi:10.1177/1053825917706379

Leonen, M. F. (2004) Etiquette for Activists Yes Magazine (http://www.yesmagazine.org/issues/a-conspiracy-of-hope/etiquette-for-activists accessed 29/6/2017)

Mckay, C. (2010). Critical service learning: A school social work intervention. Children & Schools, 32(1), 5-13. doi:10.1093/cs/32.1.5

McWilliam, E., & Brannock, J. (2001). The way to a boy’s heart? New mechanisms for making boys better. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 29(1), 7-17. doi:10.1080/13598660120032941

Mezirow, J. (1997). Transformative learning: Theory to practice. New Directions for Adult & Continuing Education, Summer 97(74), 5-13.

Newman, J. L., Dantzler, J., & Coleman, A. N. (2015). Science in action: How middle school students are changing their world through STEM service-learning projects. Theory Into Practice, 54(1), 47-54. doi:10.1080/00405841.2015.977661

Ngo, M. (2013). Canadian youth volunteering abroad: rethinking issues of power and privilege. Current issues in comparative education, 16(1), 49-61.

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Pluim, G. W., & Jorgenson, S. R. (2012). A reflection on the broader, systemic impacts of youth volunteer abroad programmes: A Canadian perspective. Intercultural Education, 23(1), 25-38. doi:10.1080/14675986.2012.664751

Price, D. F. (2008). An exploration of participant experience of the service learning program at an Australian Catholic boys secondary school (Unpublished master's thesis). Australian Catholic University, Brisbane.

Price, D. F. (2012) The processes at work in service learning. (Unpublished Professional Article) prepared for the EREA Service and Solidarity Conference – Richmond, Melbourne.

Reichert, M., & Hawley, R. (2010). Reaching boys, teaching boys: Strategies that work and why. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Said, E. (2001) Orientalism: Western conceptions of the Orient. Penguin Books Ltd.

Stringer, E. T. (2014). Action research. Los Angeles, Calif: SAGE.

Tinkler, A., Tinkler, B., Ethan, H., & Strouse, G. T. (2014). Key elements of effective service-learning partnerships from the perspective of community partners. Partnerships: A Journal of Service-Learning and Civic Engagement., 5(2).

Appendix 1: 2016 Scotch College Annual ReportFounded in 1851, Scotch College is the oldest continuing secondary school in Victoria. Situated on 27 hectares beside the Yarra River in Hawthorn, the School seeks to develop boys individually to their full potential across a broadly-based liberal curriculum.

Scotch is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church of Victoria and embraces the egalitarianism of its Scottish heritage. Whilst welcoming students of all faiths, Christian teachings underpin Scotch's philosophy and practices.

Enrolment at the main entry levels is largely non-selective. Boys are offered a rich diversity of experiences, including exceptional opportunities in music and drama, an extensive sporting programme, and numerous outdoor activities. Scotch is proud of the achievements of its Old Boys, many of whom have played a major part in shaping the development of the nation.

Pastoral and academic care are provided through cross-age tutoring, peer support activities, house groupings, specialist support staff and, for Years 7 - 8, a team teaching approach. Three boarding houses provide a home away from home at the heart of the school community.

Amidst this caring environment, emphasis is placed on finding, for each boy, interests which can become passions, whilst improving outcomes. Boys are encouraged to engage with humour and compassion, to be curious, and to reflect upon how the world has evolved and how it might be made to evolve. The School seeks to empower each boy to challenge those things which need challenging and support those which need supporting.

Appendix 2: Facilitator’s Manual

Table of ContentsCore values:......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 2Program Overview:........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 2Mentor Groups and Rooming:................................................................................................................................................................................ 2

Session 1:.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 2Session 2:.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 2Session 3:.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 2Session 4:.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 2Session 5:.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 2Session 6:.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 2Session 7................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 2Session 8:.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 2Session 9:.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 2Session 10:........................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 2Session 11:........................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 2Immersion Week Reflection Strategies:........................................................................................................................................................... 2

HANDOUT 1: OVERVIEW OF THE PROGRAM.............................................................................................................................................. 2HANDOUT 2: LETTER REQUESTING SPONSORSHIP.............................................................................................................................. 2HANDOUT 3: ACCEPTABLE AND UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOUR FROM A GUEST............................................................. 2HANDOUT 4: FUNDRAISING PLANNING PROFORMA........................................................................................................................... 2HANDOUT 5: ‘PILGRIM’ (GUEST) OR TOURIST ACTIVITY.................................................................................................................. 2HANDOUT 6: CAUSE AND EFFECT MATRIX................................................................................................................................................. 2HANDOUT 8: SAMRONG CHILDREN’S FARM............................................................................................................................................... 2HANDOUT 9: USEFUL KHMER PHRASES........................................................................................................................................................ 2HANDOUT 10: ASKING QUESTIONS IN ENGLISH..................................................................................................................................... 2HANDOUT 11: FORMAL REFLECTION.............................................................................................................................................................. 2

Core values:

Integrity·   We recognise and respect the Innate Dignity of others

·   We treat others with fairness, patience and compassion·   We are true to our word

Humility·   We visit as a Guest – gratefully, respectfully and gently·   We recognise that we can never really walk in another person’s shoes

Advocacy·   We respect the uniqueness, complexity and individuality of the Story of others·   We provide opportunity for others to tell their stories and for their voices to be

heard·   We give voice to others’ stories – but only when we have their permission and

when they can’t speak for themselves

Awareness·   We try to be totally Present with others, practicing deep listening and seeing

without judgment and ego·   We try to ignore labels and be aware of our preconceptions·   We try to understand the complex web of Causes and Effects that can create

hardship and difficulty for others

Solidarity·   We believe that our liberation is tied in with the liberation of others·   We work together with others for the benefit of all

Program Overview:

Date Cambodia Immersion

Thursday 9th

Feb3.30 – 4.45pm

Session 1:·      Introduce program·      Introduce the core value of Integrity and the concept of

Innate Dignity·      Explore the social-emotional factors underpinning exclusion

and inclusion·      Introduce to the idea of Integrity, Humility, Advocacy,

Awareness, Solidarity·      Start planning a fundraising activity to meet the fundraising

goal ($950 per person to purchase building materials and labour towards the build project)

Thursday 16th Feb3.30 – 4.45pm

Session 2:·      Revise concepts of Innate Dignity, Integrity, Humility,

Advocacy, Awareness, Solidarity·      Explore the core value of Humility and the concept of visiting

as a Guest·      Introducing difference between charity and community

development·      Develop fundraising plan

Thursday 23rd Feb3.30-4.45pm

Session 3·      Revise concepts of Innate Dignity and Guest·      Finalise fundraising plans·      Explore the core value of Awareness and concept of being

Present

Thursday 2nd

March3.30 – 4.45pm

Session 4:·      Revise concepts of Innate Dignity, Guest and being Present·      Fundraising plans update·      Develop some understanding of Cambodia, meeting Chris

Kimber (Angkor Children’s Hospital) to discover more about their program

·      Explore core value of Advocacy and the concept of Story

Thursday 23rd March

Session 5:·      Revise concepts of Innate Dignity, Guest, Present and Story

3.30 – 5pm·      Finalise fundraising plans·      Meet World Vision guest speaker to develop an understanding

about the poverty cycle·      Introduce the concept of Cause and Effects

Thursday 20th April (TBC)3.30 – 5.30pm

Session 6:Guest speaker - Food handling certificate

·      Students will develop food handling knowledge and skills (to improve safety during Immersion week)

Thursday 4th

May3.30 – 5.30pm

Session 7:·      OH&S Construction (White Card training) SESSION 1

Thursday 11th May3.30 – 5.30pm

Session 8:OH&S Construction (White Card training) SESSION 2

Thursday 18th May3.30-5.30pm

Session 9:OH&S Construction (White Card training) SESSION 3

Tuesday 23rd

May7-8pm

Session 10:Parent information evening

·      Revise concepts of Innate Dignity, Guest, Present, Story and Cause and Effects

·      Introduce Itinerary and packing lists·      Revise fundraising goal·      Introduce Health and Safety risk management·      Establish school expectations

Thursday 1st

June3.30 – 4.45pm

Session 11:·      Revise concepts of Innate Dignity, Guest, Present, Story

and Cause and Effect·      Explore difficulties of language barrier and some strategies

that might assist·      Learn some basic Khmer words·      Introduce getting to know you activities and work that will

occur at Samrong

29th June – 13th July

Immersion Trip·      Complete ‘Reflection exercises/strategies’·      ‘Blog’ [will need to be set up on LMS prior to departure]. Every

day on Immersion, a different group of students needs to complete a Blog entry (so, by the end of Immersion everyone has contributed at least once).

Thursday 20th July

Post Immersion debrief·      Complete ‘Reflection exercises/strategies’·      Provide HANDOUT 8: FORMAL REFLECTION. During this

session, students are assigned one of the following:1.     An article for Collegian2.     An article for Great Scot3.     A presentation at Main Assembly4.     A presentation at a Year level assembly5.     A presentation to the Year 10s selecting Immersions for 2018.

August Students present a brief statement (as an article or presentation – as listed above)

Session 1:

Thursday 9th Feb3.30 – 4.45pm

Aims:·      Introduce program·      Introduce the core value of Integrity and the concept of Innate Dignity·      Explore the social-emotional factors underpinning exclusion and inclusion·      Introduce to the idea of Integrity, Humility, Advocacy, Awareness,

Solidarity·      Start planning a fundraising activity to meet the fundraising goal ($950 per

person to purchase building materials and labour towards the build project)

Resources:·      HANDOUT 1: OVERVIEW OF THE PROGRAM·      HANDOUT 2: LETTER REQUESTING SPONSORSHIP·      Laptop (for sharing website http://www.doitinadress.com/ and

http://habitat.org.au/our-work-overseas/where-we-work/cambodia/)·      Paper (for brainstorming)

Activities:1. Introduction:  (30 minutes)(a)   Write on the board the first core value:

(b)  During attendance check, students provide definitions for ‘innate dignity’ [i.e. worthy of honour and respect; from Latin ‘dignus’ – meaning ‘worthy’; innate = inbuilt, deep-rooted, natural – from Latin ‘innasci’ – ‘born with’]

(c)   Provide students with HANDOUT 1: OVERVIEW OF THE PROGRAM. Allow time for students to ask specific questions about the program

(d)  In pairs, students:1.     Identify two reasons why the core value on the board might be

particularly important as we complete the program outlined in the handout (and/or perhaps why it might be difficult for us to maintain this value)

2.     Name a time when they felt that they were treated with dignity by someone else. This could be in a time when they were experiencing difficulty (e.g. when learning a new skill, a personal hardship, etc.), when being introduced to a new situation, or when being cared for/taught by someone, etc.

(e)   Each student introduces their partner. Their introductions should inlcude:a.     one of the two reasons why the core value might be an important

value in the program andb.     telling the other’s story about being treated with dignity

(f)   REFLECTION QUESTIONS (GROUP DISCUSSION):               i. What are the common qualities, traits or behaviours we might

notice in those who respect the Innate Dignity of others?             ii. How did it feel when another person was telling your story as

part of an introduction about you?

2. Inclusion and exclusion: Clumps (20 minutes)(a) The facilitator invites the students to walk around the room (don’t follow

anybody else – keep filling the empty spaces in the room) and when a number is called – to quickly form clumps with that number of students in it. Anyone who misses out is ‘rejected’ and moves to the side of the room.

(b)   The winners continue to walk around the room and form clumps while the ‘losers’ form a ring around the outside.

(c) When only about 4 students remain the facilitator stops the game and invites a reflection on the experience.

(d)   REFLECTION QUESTIONS (GROUP DISCUSSION):                 i. What did it feel like to be an outsider / an ‘in’ person etc.               ii. What are the various types of groups / clumps in our society

and how people can be excluded

            iii. How does this idea of being an ‘insider’/’outsider’ relate to our core value of Integrity and the concept of the Innate Dignity of every person? Why might this be a danger/challenge during our immersion? [e.g. When we are feeling out of our comfort zones, our temptation is to ‘clump’ together – and in doing this, we might behave in ways which exclude our community partners, or are disrespectful]

3. Fundraising planning and advocacy (25 minutes)

(a)   Show students the website http://www.doitinadress.com/ (look at the homepage and watch the ‘Learn More’ video and http://www.doitinadress.com/how-it-works)

(b)  REFLECTION QUESTIONS:               i. In what ways does ‘Do It In A Dress’ aim to advocate for the

Innate Dignity of others?             ii. How does the fundraising work as an act of awareness raising,

advocacy and solidarity for girls in majority world countries?            iii. How might this fundraising make a difference?

(c)   Pairs (different pairs to activity 1):a.     Brainstorm 3 x activities for fundraising for Habitat for

Humanity, considering what is happening in Cambodia http://habitat.org.au/our-work-overseas/where-we-work/cambodia/

b.     Brainstorm ways in which to link fundraising with an act of awareness raising, solidarity or advocacy

HOMEWORK:Brainstorm at least 3 more ideas for fundraising/advocacy/solidarity. Consider interviewing someone at home about a fundraising activity.

REMINDER:

·      Complete 10 x letters requesting sponsorship (HANDOUT 2: LETTER REQUESTING SPONSORSHIP). Change aspects of the letter highlighted in yellow and send the letter to 10 x members of your immediate community.

·      Passport Copies·      Travel doctor

Session 2:

Thursday 16th Feb3.30 – 4.45pm

Aims:·      Revise concepts of Innate Dignity, Integrity, Humility, Advocacy, Awareness,

Solidarity·      Explore the core value of Humility and the concept of visiting as a Guest·      Introducing difference between charity and community development·      Develop fundraising plan

Resources:·      HANDOUT 3: ACCEPTABLE AND UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOUR FROM A

GUEST·      A laptop to share the music video ‘Wake Me Up When the War is Over’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ul1dAnCi8I and Habitat for Humanity ‘development’ approach ? http://habitat.org.au/about-us/what-we-do/our-core- principles/  and http://habitat.org.au/our-work-overseas/our-development- approach/

·      A copy of the Habitat for Humanity Photo policy and Child Safe Policy (one between two): http://habitat.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Stories-and- Photos-Code-of-Conduct.pdf and http://habitat.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Child-Protection-Code-of-Conduct.pdf

·      HANDOUT 4:  FUNDRAISING PLANNING PROFORMA (1 per group)

Activities:

1. Introduction:  (15 minutes)

(a)   During attendance check, revise key concepts discussed last lesson AND share one fundraising idea that promotes solidarity and advocacy. As names are called, each student must share ONE fundraising/advocacy/solidarity idea AND answer a revision questions such as:

a.     What is our first core value?b.     What is meant by the term ‘Innate dignity’?c.     How might we recognise the Innate Dignity of others?d.     What might prevent us from recognising the Innate Dignity of

others?e.     Why might it be challenging to maintain this core value during

our immersion visit?f.      What do we mean by Humilityg.     What do we mean by Solidarity?h.     What do we mean by Advocacy?i.      What do we mean by Awareness raising?

Explain that later in the session, students will be developing their fundraising plan, trying to maintain our core values

(b)  Show students ‘Wake Me Up When the War is Over’ [NB: warning: some very disturbing media images of modern warfare] https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=1Ul1dAnCi8I

(c)   REFLECTION QUESTIONS (GROUP DISCUSSION)               i. In what ways does this music video reflect the values of

Integrity, Humility, Advocacy, Awareness, Solidarity by Kim Cheshire? [NB: it is important to discourage students from necessarily sharing their own political point of view – the purpose of showing the video is to analyse the values and representation e.g. the image of the ‘everyday’ Americans tied and bound in the same way as the victims of IS]

            ii. In what ways, in any, might this video instigate change in the world? (e.g. ‘wake me up when the war is over’ assumes that we should sleep through it; this video may be exploiting people in

positions of extreme distress and pain; does this voice empower others to have their own say?)

           iii. What does the video remind us about the Innate Dignity of others?

           iv. Why is the Innate Dignity of others overlooked during times of warfare?

             v. Why is warfare so integral to the story of Khmer people? What do you already know about the civil war in Cambodia?

(d)  Write on the board the second core value:

2. How do we come as a ‘guest’? (25 minutes)

(a)   In pairs, students complete HANDOUT 2: ACCEPTABLE AND UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOUR FROM A GUEST. The purpose of this activity is to reflect on their expectations on how guests should and should not behave. They might consider what is unacceptable behaviour based on behaviour that they’ve seen – or even just to have fun by thinking of something that it would be unacceptable for a guest to do.

(b)  REFLECTION QUESTIONS (GROUP DISCUSSION):               i. What are the common qualities, traits or behaviours we value in

those who come as a guest? [NB: write key words on the board as a brainstormed definition of the core value]

            ii. How does it feel when someone comes into your space/home without those qualities?

           iii. Why might some people find it hard to come respectfully as a guest [e.g. not understanding the ‘rules’, having an inflated sense of power, feeling that they have a right to ‘take over’, etc.]?

           iv. In what ways might we fail to come as a guest when we visit another country or community?

             v. How would we want to be treated by a guest if they saw us in an embarrassing or undignified situation? [i.e. Compare this to how we might respond to seeing someone living in poverty, etc.]

(c)   Distribute copies of the photo policy for Habitat for Humanity: http://habitat.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Stories-and-Photos-Code-of-Conduct.pdf and http://habitat.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Child- Protection-Code-of-Conduct.pdf. Explain that our school partners with Habitat for Humanity, and that it will be useful for us to consider the policies of this organisation in our discussion of what it means to come as a ‘Guest’.

(d)  In pairs, students annotate the policies to show [Write these questions on the board]. After 5 minutes of pair work, discuss the questions:               i. In what way does these policies try to maintain the Innate

Dignity of people living in poverty housing conditions?             ii. In what way might these policies help Habitat for Humanity

volunteers visit as guests?            iii. Why are these policies necessary?            iv. In what way might our visit be informed by these policies?

3.     Fundraising planning (35 minutes)(a)   Share Habitat for Humanity ‘development’ approach ?

http://habitat.org.au/about-us/what-we-do/our-core-principles/  and http://habitat.org.au/our-work-overseas/our-development-approach/

(b)  Write on the board ‘CHARITY VS. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT’. Ask students to brainstorm what this means

(c)   REFLECTION QUESTIONS (GROUP DISCUSSION)               i. What is the difference between ‘charity’ and ‘community

development’ (NB: ‘Charity’ is a ‘hand out’, ‘community development’ is about working alongside communities and empowering communities to act on their own behalf]

            ii. Why might a ‘charity’ model create more harm than good?

           iii. How do we engage in ‘community development’ and still come as a ‘guest’?

(d)  Distribute HANDOUT 4: FUNDRAISING PLANNING PROFORMA

(e)   In groups of 4, ensure that each student has a different role:a.     Scribe (recording information on the proforma)b.     Leader (ensures that all group members contribute to the

brainstorming discussion)c.     Time keeper (ensures that the group moves through each

question in a timely fashion)d.     ‘Conscience’ (ensures that the discussion will respect our core

values)

(f)   Teachers will need to actively work with groups to ensure that the fundraising plans are achievable and to identify ‘gatekeepers’ and logistical considerations. Collect at the end of the session.

HOMEWORK: Fundraising plan must be completed before next session.

REMINDER: Send sponsorship letters.

Session 3:

Thursday 23rd Feb3.30 – 4.45pm

Aim:·      Revise concepts of Innate Dignity and Guest·      Finalise fundraising plans·      Explore the core value of Awareness and concept of being Present

Resources:·      HANDOUT 4:  FUNDRAISING PLANNING PROFORMA (1 per group of four –

from last lesson. Additional copies required this lesson)·      HANDOUT 5: ‘PILGRIM’ (GUEST) OR TOURIST ACTIVITY·      Playing cards (1 x pack)

·      Computer to share Habitat for Humanity ‘development’ approach ? http://habitat.org.au/about-us/what-we-do/our-core-principles/  and http://www.vocativ.com/394517/yolocaust-holocaust-selfie-israeli-artist/.

Activities:1. Introduction:  (10 minutes)(a)   Introduce students to ‘Yolocaust’ https://yolocaust.de/ and share with them an

example of the ‘selfie’ (or ‘selfishie’) taken and how the artist manipulated the image at http://www.vocativ.com/394517/yolocaust-holocaust-selfie-israeli- artist/. REFLECTION QUESTION: What is wrong with the ‘selfies’?

(b)  During attendance check, distribute HANDOUT 5: ‘PILGRIM’ (GUEST) OR TOURIST ACTIVITY. Students identify which statements and actions might be associated with being a Pilgrim/Guest and which might be Tourist (i.e. traveling without recognising the Innate Dignity of others or coming as Guest)

(c)   REFLECTION DISCUSSION               i. What are some of the qualities that we might consider to be

travelling like a ‘Tourist’?             ii. In what ways might travelling like a tourist be antithetical to

traveling like a guest?            iii. Why is it tempting to travel like a tourist?

(d)  Write on the board the core value:

(e)   GROUP DISCUSSION how is this value connected with the values Integrity and Humility?

2.     Meditation: (5 minutes)(a)   Ask students to sit silently on chair. Guide them through:

                       i. Concentrating on their own breathing (sound and sensation)

                     ii. Concentrating on their body inside of their clothes (e.g. wiggle toes in your shoes, become conscious of the feeling of the socks and the shoes; draw attention up to your legs, become conscious of how your pants sit on your legs; draw your attention up to your waist, become conscious of how your pants/belt are attached around your waist; draw your attention to your shirt – where is the shirt touching your upper body?)

                    iii. Concentrating on the sound of others in the circle                     iv. Concentrating on listening to the other sounds in the room                       v. Concentrating on the sounds of what you can hear outside

of the room

(b)  REFLECTION QUESTIONS (CLASS DISCUSSION):                        i. What did you become conscious of that you were not

conscious of before?                      ii. Why are we not always conscious of this stimulus?

3.     ‘Mind reader’ Card game – observation activity: (10 minutes)

(a)   The facilitator places six cards on the floor with the participants gathered around.

(b)  The teacher writes the number of one card and places it face down in front of them.

(c)   The participants are invited to “name the card that the teacher is thinking about”.

(d)   Meanwhile the facilitator – after placing the six cards face up on the ground - sits on their knees with their fingers of their two hands displaying a particular number of fingers. The number of fingers displayed is the number of the “card they are thinking about”.

(e)   When the majority of students have worked out the ‘trick’ - REFLECTION QUESTIONS (CLASS DISCUSSION):

                       i. What did you become conscious of that you were not conscious of before?

                     ii. Why are we not always conscious of this stimulus?                     iii. How might this be a metaphor for how we interact with

others?

4. Pair interview (15 minutes)(a)   In pairs, students interview each other for 5 minutes each, trying to

be completely present to the other person. The topic of the interview is ‘why have you decided to come to Cambodia’

(b)  Write on board ‘SOLER’ as an acronym to help guide the microskills of being attentive:

S = squarely face parternO = Open body languareL = Lean slightly towards the person you are interviewingE = Eye contactR = Relax

(c)   The ‘interviewer’ should try to be present and attentive by:a.     Using SOLERb.     Listen more than you speakc.     Give ‘verbal nods’d.     Ask questions of clarification

(d)  REFLECTION QUESTION: GROUP DISCUSSION                        i. To what extent were you completely present to the other

person?                      ii. What did you notice about the other person when you were

present?                     iii. How might being present help us in other relationships?                     iv. How did it feel when someone else was present to us?

5. Fundraising Meeting (35 minutes)(a)   Remind students of Habitat for Humanity’s ‘development’ approach ?

http://habitat.org.au/about-us/what-we-do/our-core-principles/  

(b)  Students are redistributed their HANDOUT 4: FUNDRAISING PROFORMA from last lesson.

(c)   Place students in groups of 8 (i.e. 2 x planning groups of 4 from last session).

(d)  Groups consider the 2 x plans developed last lesson and refine one of the fundraising plans on an additional copy of HANDOUT 4: FUNDRAISING PROFORMA

(e)   Students assign roles and outline plans for fundraising activity:a.     Group leader (ensures that all participants contribute to the

discussion and that we achieve the goal of developing a detailed plan)

b.     Time keeper (ensure that all parts of the plan completed within the allotted time)

c.     Scribe (to fill in the proforma and to email all participants and teachers at the end of the meeting)

d.     ‘Conscience’ (ensuring that our core values are maintained throughout)

e.     Resource manager (identifying any resources required to run the activities planned or suggested)

f.      Treasurer (creating a budget of any expenses that could be incurred through the activities)

g.     Risk Manager (taking note of any potential risks for students from both schools and teachers)

h.     Summariser (when each question is ‘answered’, he summarises what has been decided allowing the group a chance to reflect on their decisions)

i.      Clarifier (asks questions to clarify what has been decided or discussed)

(f)   REFLECTION QUESTION: GROUP DISCUSSION                        i. To what extent were you completely present to the other

person? (scale 1 – 10)                      ii. To what extent were other people present to you? (scale 1

– 10)                     iii. Why is it more difficult to be present to another person

during problem solving activities?

HOMEWORK:·      Students will need to meet in their own time to finalise arrangements for

fundraising activity. They may need to meet at lunchtime.·      Read http://www.lonelyplanet.com/cambodia/history (email participants)

Session 4:Thursday 2nd March

3.30  – 4.45pmAim:

·      Revise concepts of Innate Dignity, Guest and being Present·      Fundraising plans update·      Develop some understanding of Cambodia, meeting Chris Kimber (Angkor

Children’s Hospital) to discover more about their program·      Explore core value of Advocacy and the concept of Story

Resources:·      Sticky labels (each with a different ‘label’: NERD, LAZY, LEADER, NICE,

CARING, FRAGILE, STUPID, SLY, BOSSY)

Activities:1. Introduction:  (10 minutes)(a)   During role call, ask students to share:

a.     Any reminders/questions about the fundraising event/sb.     An example of a statement or action that we might use on our

visit during Immersion to show that we are coming as a ‘Pilgrim’ (our values)

c.     An example of a statement or action that we might use on our visit during Immersion if we were to come as a Tourist (ignoring our values i.e. What NOT to do)

d.     A fact from the homework article about Cambodia’s history

(b)  Write on the board the core value:

2.     Label game (15 minutes)(a)   Each group member is given a different a sticky label to be placed on

their forehead in such a way that they cannot see what is written on the label [i.e. nerd, lazy, leader, nice, caring, fragile, stupid, sly, bossy]

(b)  Invite the participants to discuss ‘How are we going to successfully complete the fundraising activity?’ treating each other as if the label was completely true. E.g. They speak to the ‘leader’ as if they are in total control and to ‘stupid’ as if they had no idea etc.

(c)   Once the game has gone on for about 10 minutes and the labels are becoming clearer through the way the others speak to them the facilitator stops the game

(d)  REFLECTION QUESTIONS (CLASS DISCUSSION):                        i. How did it ‘feel’ to be labelled?                      ii. What are the many labels we put on to people? [Refugee,

cue-jumper, illegal, terrorist, fundamentalist, trouble maker, right wing, left wing etc]

                    iii. What is the effect of a ‘label’ in terms of how we read someone’s Story? (i.e. LABELS LIMIT)

                    iv. How might this value be relevant in our visit on Immersion?

                      v. TEACHER CHECK IN: progress on fundraising project

3. Understanding Cambodia: Guest speaker – Chris Kimber. (50 minutes)

Presentation covers key ideas:                        i. There is not one Cambodian story – but many                      ii. The limiting nature of ‘labels’ when we work with people

from Cambodia                     iii. What we might expect when we are working with people in

Cambodia                     iv. How we might see the person – and not just the label –

when we work with a person in Cambodia

HOMEWORK:

·      Students will need to meet in their own time to finalise arrangements for fundraising activity. They may need to meet at lunchtime.

·      Students need to watch the following video (email participants link): https://www.ted.com/talks/dave_isay_everyone_around_you_has_a_story_the_world_needs_to_hear/transcript?language=en

·       

Session 5:Thursday 23rd March

3.30 – 5pmAim:

·      Revise concepts of Innate Dignity, Guest, Present and Story·      Finalise fundraising plans·      Meet World Vision guest speaker to develop an understanding about the

poverty cycle·      Introduce the concept of Cause and Effects

Resources:·      HANDOUT 6: CAUSE AND EFFECT MATRIX

Activities:

1. Introduction:  (5 minutes)(a)   During role call, ask students to share:

a.     Any reminders/questions about the fundraising event/sb.     A key idea or concept about Cambodia shared by Chris Kimber

last lessonc.     An observation from the video clip watched for homework

(b)  Write on the board the core value:

2. Cause and Effect Matrix (30 minutes)

(a)   Give participants a HANDOUT 6: CAUSE AND EFFECT MATRIX.

(b)  In pairs, students are invited to start somewhere in the middle of the matrix and then to draw links between elements of the matrix [physical abuse in the home – leading to – running away from home – leading to – not finishing school – leading to – unable to get a job – leading to, etc.]

(c)   REFLECTION QUESTIONS (GROUP DISCUSSION):

              i. What observation about Cause-Effect might we draw from this exercise? [i.e. the complexity of causes and effects]

            ii. What is similar/different between how some of us have created links in the matrix?

           iii. Why is it important for us to understand this complex web of Cause-Effect to maintain our core values?

           iv. Why is it difficult to understand the complex web of Cause-Effect and to be present to the unique Story of individuals that we meet? [i.e. How do we avoid the tendency to pathologise a person, or to have a preconception about the life path of a person when we consider the web of Cause-Effect]?

(d)  In pairs, students create their own cause and effect matrix based on one of the following issues. Each pair should be provided with a different issue:

a.     Bullying

b.     Unemployment

c.     Living with a physical disability

d.     Living with an addiction

e.     Aged care

f.      Living with an intellectual disability

(e)   Students share 5 steps each from their self-devised matrix.

(f)   REFLECTION QUESTIONS (GROUP DISCUSSION):

              i. What are similar factors in some of our matrices?

            ii. If we are working with a community to alleviate some form of social inequity, is it most important that we deal with the ‘cause’ or the ‘effect’? [students might scale themselves around the room – i.e. those who believe ‘cause’ stand at the left of the room, those who believe ‘effect’ stand at the right of the room, or if you are somewhere in the middle – position yourselves so you are somewhat on the side that you believe to be the most important].

4. Understanding the Poverty Cycle: Guest speaker – World Vision (55 minutes)Presentation covers key ideas:                        i. There is not one cause of poverty – but many                      ii. The limiting nature of ‘labels’ when we work with people

living in poverty                     iii. What we might expect when we are working with people in

poverty

                    iv. How we might see the person – and not just the label – when we work with a person in poverty

                      v. How might we alleviate the ‘cause’ as well as the ‘effect’ of poverty

Session 6:Thursday 20th April

3.30 – 5.30pm

Aim:·      Students will develop food handling knowledge and skills (to improve safety

during Immersion week)

Activities:Guest speaker - Food handling certificateAll activities will be led by guest speaker

Session 7Thursday 4th May

3.30-5.30pmAim:

·      Students will develop OH&S Construction Skills or ‘White Card’ (to improve safety during Immersion week)

Activities:WHITE CARD TRAINING SESSION 1Guest speaker – White Card Certificate trainerAll activities will be led by guest speaker

Session 8:Thursday 11th May

3.30 – 5.30pm

Aim:·      Students will develop OH&S Construction Skills or ‘White Card’ (to improve

safety during Immersion week)

Activities:WHITE CARD TRAINING SESSION 2Guest speaker – White Card Certificate trainerAll activities will be led by guest speaker

Session 9:

Thursday 18th May3.30 – 5.30pm

Aim:·      Students will develop OH&S Construction Skills or ‘White Card’ (to improve

safety during Immersion week)

Activities:WHITE CARD TRAINING SESSION 3Guest speaker – White Card Certificate trainerAll activities will be led by guest speaker

Session 10:Tuesday 23rd May

7pm-8pm

Aim:·      Revise concepts of Innate Dignity, Guest, Present, Story and Cause and

Effects·      Introduce Itinerary and packing lists·      Revise fundraising goal·      Introduce Health and Safety risk management·      Establish school expectations

Resources:·      Laptop to project powerpoint presentation

Activities:Presentation covers key ideas:

     i.     Introducing Staff Team    ii.        Core Values   iii.         Fundraising Update   iv.         Cultural Issues     v.      Health and Safety Issues   vi.         Dealing with difficult situations vii.         Packing Suggestionsviii.         Student’s perspective (brief presentation from past student participant)   ix.         Itinerary and final instalment     x.      Expectations for trip

HOMEWORK:Read: http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/peopleandpower/2012/05/201252243030438171.html

Session 11:

Thursday 1st June3.30pm – 4.45pm

Maybe additional lunchtime meeting

Aim:·      Revise concepts of Innate Dignity, Guest, Present, Story and Cause and

Effect·      Explore difficulties of language barrier and some strategies that might assist·      Learn some basic Khmer words·      Introduce getting to know you activities and work that will occur at Samrong

Resources:·      HANDOUT 7: HUMAN BINGO·      HANDOUT 8: SAMRONG CHILDREN’S FARM·      HANDOUT 9: USEFUL KHMER PHRSES·      HANDOUT 10: ASKING QUESTIONS IN ENGLISH

Activities:1. Introduction:  (10 minutes)(a)   During attendance check, ask students to reflect on the Al Jazeera article

about Orphanages in Cambodia.

(b)  Write on the board this quote from Lilla Watson (Aboriginal rights thinker and activist):

‘If you’ve come to help me – you’re wasting your timeIf you come because your liberation is bound with mine – let’s work together.’Lilla Watson

(c)   REFLECTION QUESTIONS (GROUP DISCUSSION):

              i. What does this quote mean?

            ii. Why might an Aboriginal Elder have said this?

           iii. In what ways might this quote remind us of our core values

2. Shoe throw – come as guest (10 minutes)

(a)   Stand in a circle. Invite each person to take off one of their shoes

(b)  One at a time, each participant names something that they might expect to see when we visit our partner community on Immersion and throws one of their shoe into the middle of the room.

(c)   Discuss the image of the discarded shoes in the centre of the room in terms of the core values of the person, breaking open the concept of ‘story’ – that each person has a unique and sacred story (i.e. en masse, the shoes might all seem the ‘same’, but each is slightly different –  ‘lived in’ by someone; that we feel personally connected to ‘our’ shoes)

(d)  invite participants to gently come out and to pick up someone else’s shoe and walk around in it for a short period of time.

REFLECTION QUESTION (GROUP DISCUSSION):

i.               What does this activity suggest about the saying that you can ‘put yourself into someone else’s shoes’? [NB: it is awkward, uncomfortable, you’re not completely able to do it, etc.]

ii.             What does this activity suggest about the core values Integrity and Humility? [NB: it’s impossible to really walk in side somebody else’s shoes, the best that we can do is to come carefully and respectfully]

3. Human Bingo (10 minutes)(a)   Explain that we will be visiting Samrong Children’s Farm on Immersion. The

key differences between this place and the ‘voluntourism’ explained in the Al Jazeera article is:

                       i. We have a long standing reciprocal relationship with Samrong

                     ii. We know that the young people at Samrong are supported to attend school and university

                    iii. We know that the young people at Samrong are cared for in terms of their health and safety

                    iv. Our goal is not to ‘donate’, but rather this day will be an opportunity for us to get to know some young people who live and learn in Cambodia and will be a chance for us to learn some Khmer.  The relationship is reciprocal.

(b)  Explain that we will be completing a getting to know you activity with the young people at Samrong. The aim of the activity is to generate laughter, to get to know a large number of people and to establish the language skills of the young people. Distribute HANDOUT 7: HUMAN BINGO and read the rules:                        i. The aim is to be the first person to complete their ‘Human

Bingo’ card by writing the names of people in the room who match the 15 categories below.

                     ii. Write each of the 15 names in the spaces provided.

                    iii. You cannot write your own name in one of the boxes.

                    iv. You must have a different person’s name in each of the 15 spaces.

                      v. You will need to walk around the room and talk to other people to find out information about them.

                    vi. As soon as you’ve completed your ‘Human Bingo’ card, raise your hand and shout: ‘Bingo!’

(c)   Allow only 3 minutes to play the game.

(d)  REFLECTION QUESTIONS (GROUP DISCUSSION):

                       i. How might the young people at Samrong feel about us when we come to visit? [aim to get a range of emotional responses – there is not one emotional response]

                     ii. How might we feel when we come to visit Samrong? [aim to get a range of emotional responses – there is not one emotional response]

                    iii. Why might this be an important activity to do when we first meet the young people at Samrong?

                    iv. In what way does this activity help us to achieve some of our objectives or values?

                      v. What might be some difficulties when we attempt this activity?

4. Charades (15 minutes)(a)  Explain that one of the biggest barriers will be to overcome the language

divide. The Samrong students will have better English skills than we have Khmer skills, but there will still be communication challenges. This activity is aimed to help us to understand the language barrier.

(b)   Divide students into groups of 4:                        i. Communicator (this person must try to use non-verbal

language only to communicate the message)                      ii. Translators (2 x students who must try to translate the

message being communicated non-verbally)                     iii. Observer (this student holds the piece of paper with the

message. They watch the scene unfold and report back on the emotional responses of the communicator and the translators)

(c)   Provide each group with a different one of each of the six messages about Samrong from HANDOUT 8: SAMRONG CHILDREN’S FARM

(d)  Give students 5 minutes to try to use non-verbal sign language to communicate the message to the translators

(e)   Ask observers to reflect on the action:                        i. What strategies are the communicator’s using to

communicate the message?                      ii. What strategies are the translator’s using to understand

the message? [e.g. does it help to shout at someone?]                     iii. What are some of the emotional responses to

communication of this message?

(f)   Each observer reads their excerpt about Samrong

(g)  REFLECTION QUESTIONS (GROUP DISCUSSION):

                       i. What concepts are the most difficult to communicate if we don’t share a common language [i.e. abstract concepts, adverbs/adjectives, concrete nounds that can’t be pointed out in the local environments, cultural norms and expectations]

                     ii. What strategies help us to successfully communicate a message?

                    iii. What emotional responses might be experienced by the communicator and the translator?

                    iv. In what situations might we come across these language barriers in Cambodia?

                      v. How should we handle these frustrations so as to maintain our core values?

5. Performing in Khmer (20 minutes)(a)   Explain that in the morning at Samrong, Scotch students will need to learn

and perform 10 new Khmer words. Then, the Samrong students will learn 10 new words in English and create a short performance practicing using these new words. Samrong students will use HANDOUT 10: ASKING QUESTIONS IN ENGLISH as a starting point to create their scene. QUESTION: Why might this activity be useful for us and for the Samrong students?

(b)  Divide students into groups of 4 and distribute HANDOUT 9: USEFUL KHMER PHRASES.

(c)   Students are to create a short scene using a minimum of 5 of these Khmer words in one of the following settings:

a.     Shopb.     Restaurantc.     Schoold.     A street

(d)  Allow no more than 5 minutes to devise the scene. Expect miming and being objects to help tell the story. QUESTION: Why might it be useful to go out of our comfort zones in the performance?

(e)   Perform one or two of these short scenes.

(f)    REFLECTION QUESTIONS (GROUP DISCUSSION):               i. What settings and roles might we avoid giving to students from

Samrong? (i.e. settings that are culturally foreign to students, settings that might be accessible only to people with wealth, roles where the samrong student is in a subservient role)

            ii. In what ways might this activity enact our core values

6.     Dealing with Difficult Situations (5 minutes)

(a)   Explain that students may encounter some of the following situations in Cambodia:

a.     Begging

b.     Children selling items on the streets and especially at tourist sites

c.     People living in extreme or uncomfortable positions

d.     Offers of illicit drugs

e.     Offers of prostitution

f.      Theft

g.     Opportunities to purchase alcohol and tobacco with no proof of ID

(b)  Remind students:

a.     Our core values (e.g. prostitution is about exploiting vulnerable members of the community and disrespectful of the innate dignity of others)

b.     Photo policy (e.g. to take a photograph of someone living in extreme poverty does not respect their innate dignity)

c.     School rules (e.g. drinking or smoking in Cambodia will compromise your place on the trip and is subject to school sanctions which may include compromising your place at the school)

d.     Packing rules (don’t bring anything that you are not willing to lose, break or have stolen)

e.     Charity vs. Community Development and the concept of Cause and effect (e.g. purchasing an item from a child on the street prevents that young person from being at school; giving to beggars may create a business for someone else profiteering from this person’s plight which keeps them on the streets)

f.      IF YOU SEE ANYTHING SUSPICIOUS, ARE OFFERED ANYTHING SUSPICISOUS OR SEE ANY RISK – REPORT IT TO A TEACHER IMMEDIATELY

REMINDERS:

·      Packing lists

·      Itinerary

(g)   

Immersion Week Reflection Strategies:

REFLECTION EXERCISES:

All students complete the Blog at least once during Immersion. Each day, students complete the Daily Focus and Highlight/Lowlight activity. Students should additionally complete two other reflection exercises each day (at the discretion of the facilitators)

1.     Daily Focus: (Individual activity)AIM: To reframe the day in terms of the core values taught.Each day, set a different challenge or focus for your students, concentrating on the 5 core values.

Day 2: At the Genocide Museum and Killing Fields our focus is on Cause and Effect

·      Notice at least 5 cause and effect relationships arising from the story of Cambodia’s past

Day 3: At Samrong, the focus is on the Innate Dignity of another person.·      Notice one thing that is unique or special about one person that

you meet.·      How many people’s names can you learn today?

Day 4: On the first day of the build, our focus is on coming as Guest·      Notice one thing that someone did today to make you feel

welcomed as a guest·      Try doing one thing that you would expect for a guest to do on the

immersion site today

Day 5: On the second day of the build, our focus is on the Innate Dignity of another person.

·      Notice one thing that is unique or special about one person that you meet.

·      How many people’s names can you learn today?

Day 6: On the third day of the build, our focus is on being Present to another person

·      Carefully observe someone for at least 10 minutes today. What do you learn?

·      Have a conversation with someone today for at least 10 minutes without being distracted by any one or anything else. What do you learn?

Day 7: On the fourth day of the build, our focus is on Story·      Find out at least 5 things about someone’s story today (that they

are willing to share with you). What do you learn?

Day 8: On the fifth day of the build our focus is on Story·      What can you learn about the story of our home owner partners?

Day 11: On the visit to Angkor Children’s Hospital, our focus is on Cause and Effect

·      Thinking about health concerns dealt with at the Angkor Children’s Hostpial, identify at least 5 cause and effect relationships arising from the stories that you hear

Day 12: On the visit to Srei Vibol Ker school, our focus is on Story·      Find out at least 5 things about someone’s story today (that they

are willing to share with you). What do you learn?

2.     Blog: (Small Group/Individual activity)AIM: To report on activities of the day and to reframe activities in light of core values.

·      Students work in pairs to create a report on their day’s experience for a blog to be shared with parents (through our LMS – this will be set up before the trip). Every day, a different group of students is responsible for photographing what occurs on the day (being respectful of the photograph policy of where we are visiting i.e. that we need to ask permission for photographs and subjects of photographs need to be appropriately clothed).

·      After dinner, the pair selects 3 – 6 images of their day and creates a brief report.

·      Teachers should read the report and reflect with students about the content and messages being transmitted home (e.g. In our report, do we recognise the Innate Dignity of others, or does the report exploitative or disrespectful?)

The daily report must include a reflection about:a.     Innate Dignity (of others)b.     Coming as Guestc.     Being Presentd.     Story and/ore.     Cause-Effect

3.     Highlight and Lowlight : (Small Group activity – teacher led)AIM: To check in on the emotional wellbeing of students on Immersion and to reframe the experience in light of our core values.

Teacher and pairs of students (after dinner and in relaxed environment – e.g. in the lobby or at room check at the end of the day). Teacher asks:

·      What was the highlight of your day?·      What was the lowlight of the day?

Teacher shares their highlights and lowlights (after the students have). Teacher coaches for reflections about:

a.     Innate Dignity (of others)b.     Coming as Guestc.     Being Presentd.     Storye.     Cause-Effect

4.     Appreciation Circle : (Large Group activity)AIM: To build group morale and to coach for students’ capacity to notice the Innate Dignity of others.

·      Teacher and group of students stand in circle (especially at the end of the day). Participants take it in turns to identify one thing that was done by another person standing in the circle that they appreciated.

·      Once a participant has been identified as ‘appreciated’, they select a different participant to ‘appreciate’ (must be someone that hasn’t yet been named or selected).

·      The last person to be ‘appreciated’ must be the teacher (i.e. no student should be the last picked).

Ideas for appreciation could include:(a)   Something you did to assist me personally in the work (e.g. When I

was lifting the bag of cement, you saw that I was struggling and helped me out)

(b)  Something you did to lift my morale (e.g. When I was feeling tired, you told me that I was doing a job and that gave me the encouragement that I needed to keep going)

(c)   Something you did for the group (e.g. I noticed that you took the job of carrying buckets of sand that nobody else wanted to do, and that allowed everybody else to have a go at laying bricks)

(d)  Something you did as a respectful Guest (e.g. I noticed that during break time today, you spent time with one of the local workers trying to learn to say a few words in Khmer. It really inspired me to get to know our hosts better).

5.     Feeling words: (Large Group activity – teacher led)AIM: To check in on the emotional wellbeing of students on Immersion and to create potential solutions for working more effectively in the environment

(a)   Write feeling words on the floor – go and stand next to the one that represents you; give a scale of 10 – how much do you feel that?

(b)   If the centre is ‘comfort’ and the edge of the room is ‘fear’ – go and stand where you are now; what would you need to do to take a step towards the centre

6.     Postcards: (Individual reflection)

AIM: For students to make a personal reflection about their journey, to connect with people back home, and to reframe experiences in light of our core values.

At the mid-point of the journey, students write a brief postcard to at least 3 people back home. The postcard should aim to reflect some gratefulness to the person back home (e.g. Thanks for assistance with fundraising, thanks for the opportunity to come on the Immersion, thanks for how you look after me when I’m at home, thanks for providing things for me at home that I took for granted before this experience, etc.).

Each of the three postcards should be different in content. Each postcard should include:

·      What I’ve been doing [the best experience so far]·      What I’ve learned [Innate Dignity of others, Coming as Guest,

Being Present, Story, and/or Cause/Effect]·      Something I’ve found challenging…·      Thanks for…

7.     Cause and Effect Matrix (Individual or Small Group)AIM: For students to revise their understanding of the core value of Awareness and to reframe the experience of Immersion.

Students create their own Cause and Effect matrix linked to an issue relevant to their Immersion. Share across the group.

8.     Written reflection (Individual)AIM: To check in on the emotional wellbeing of students on Immersion and to reframe the experience in light of our core values.

Write personal reflection, each day focusing on a different core value/theme. Each written task should be short and sharp, limited to a 10-15 minute writing time. Don’t take the pen off the page – keep writing (even if part of what you’re writing is that ‘I don’t know what to write about…’:

a.     What was the most significant thing that you learned today about:o   The innate dignity of others

o   Coming as a guest

o   Being present to another person

o   The uniqueness of story (more than a ‘label’) and/or

o   The complex series of Cause and Effect

b.     What would you like to say to advocate on behalf of those we visited?

c.     Write a letter to one person that you care about explaining one thing that you discovered about yourself on Immersion. You may choose to send it to that person at the end of the experience (or you may choose to keep it to yourself)

d.     Write a letter to your future self, telling them an important thing that you need to be reminded of in the future about what you learned today.

9.     T-Light Candle – innate dignity of the person. (Group/Individual Reflection)AIM: To create a ritual to reflect on the Innate Dignity of others

Early in the program give each participant a T-light candle – perhaps placed inside a cup-cake. Remind the participants that all we do is based on the innate dignity of the person. Invite them to name someone they have met during the experience and light the candle – naming that person and place the candle in the centre of the room. Play a quiet piece of music surrounding the candle and silently reflect on the person that they have met.

10.  Continuums – responding to statements (Large Group activity)

AIM: To check in on the emotional wellbeing of students on Immersion and to reframe the experience in light of our core values.

A good way to get the energy moving after a long day is to come up with a whole series of questions that allow a one to ten response where one is

terrible or don’t agree to ten is great and or I agree. Then the facilitator makes the statement and the participants position themselves along a continuum in the room to indicate their response (e.g. closest to the door is ‘10’, closest to the window is ‘1’). Every now and again the facilitator can invite anyone who wishes to state ‘why’ they are standing where they are. Examples of statements include:

·      “The people we worked with today are in situations of their own making.”

·      “I felt really comfortable out there today.”·      “If I had been born into this situation I would have made my way out

of it by now.”·      “Today, I was really challenged”·      “I really felt like I was present to another person’s story today”·      “I felt that I behaved like a ‘guest’ today”·      “I was able to stand in solidarity with someone today”

11.  Group Sculpture (Group and Individual Activity)

AIM: To check in on the emotional wellbeing of students on Immersion and to reframe the experience in light of our core values.

A very effective way of debrief – but conceptually challenging – can be to invite the group to ‘sculpt’ the group into a visual representation of what they saw/felt/heard/thought/experienced. Give students a limited amount of time (e.g. 1 minute) to create a sculpture showing each of the following images (some group based – others individual)

·      What you saw at the Service site today?

·      How you felt as you were at the Service site today?

·      How you feel within our group?

·      How you would position this ‘sub-culture’ / subgroup within the wider society etc.

Debrief this or invite other people to respond. Sometimes once the sculpture has been formed – other people can then make minor changes

to it to link in with their feeling response. Some powerful questions to consider to debrief this might include:

                       i. Why is this image like this?

                     ii. What would need to happen to change this picture?

HANDOUT 1: OVERVIEW OF THE PROGRAM

Core ValuesIntegrity

·   We recognise and respect the Innate Dignity of others·   We treat others with fairness, patience and compassion·   We are true to our word

Humility·   We visit as a Guest – gratefully, respectfully and gently·   We recognise that we can never really walk in another person’s shoes

Advocacy·   We respect the uniqueness, complexity and individuality of the Story of others·   We provide opportunity for others to tell their stories and for their voices to be

heard·   We give voice to others’ stories – but only when we have their permission and

when they can’t speak for themselves

Awareness·   We try to be totally Present with others, practicing deep listening and seeing

without judgment and ego·   We try to ignore labels and be aware of our preconceptions·   We try to understand the complex web of Causes and Effects that can create

hardship and difficulty for others

Solidarity

·   We believe that our liberation is tied in with the liberation of others·   We work together with others for the benefit of all

The ‘Cambodia Immersion’ gives Scotch students a chance to learn in partnership with Habitat for Humanity and students from Samrong and Srei Vibol Ker school. The goal of the immersion is to work in partnership to achieve their goals:

·      Eliminating poverty housing·      Improving English speaking skills·      Developing social skills·      Combatting some misunderstandings about Cambodia

Scotch students will learn basic construction skills, fundraising project planning skills, knowledge about the history and culture of Cambodia, and tutoring skills. In some activities, they will learn from the Samrong students students (e.g. Khmer language skills) and Khmer people (e.g. building skills). In other activities, Scotch students will take leadership (e.g. running an English language lesson).

Term 1 and 2:Scotch students work on Thursday afternoons (3.30  Scotch students engage in pre-service learning activities ≈ 3.30 - 4.45pm):

Date Cambodia Immersion

Thursday 9th

Feb3.30 – 4.45pm

Session 1:·      Introduce program·      Introduce the core value of Integrity and the concept of

Innate Dignity·      Explore the social-emotional factors underpinning exclusion

and inclusion·      Introduce to the idea of Integrity, Humility, Advocacy,

Awareness, Solidarity·      Start planning a fundraising activity to meet the fundraising

goal ($950 per person to purchase building materials and labour towards the build project)

Thursday 16th Feb3.30 – 4.45pm

Session 2:·      Revise concepts of Innate Dignity, Integrity, Humility,

Advocacy, Awareness, Solidarity·      Explore the core value of Humility and the concept of visiting

as a Guest·      Introducing difference between charity and community

development·      Develop fundraising plan

Thursday 23rd Feb3.30-4.45pm

Session 3·      Revise concepts of Innate Dignity and Guest·      Finalise fundraising plans·      Explore the core value of Awareness and concept of being

Present

Thursday 2nd

March3.30 – 4.45pm

Session 4:·      Revise concepts of Innate Dignity, Guest and being Present·      Fundraising plans update·      Develop some understanding of Cambodia·      Explore core value of Advocacy and the concept of Story

Thursday 23rd March3.30 – 5pm

Session 5:·      Revise concepts of Innate Dignity, Guest, Present and Story·      Finalise fundraising plans·      Meet World Vision guest speaker to develop an understanding

about the poverty cycle·      Introduce the concept of Cause and Effects

Thursday 20th April (TBC)3.30 – 5.30pm

Session 6:Guest speaker - Food handling certificate

·      Students will develop food handling knowledge and skills (to improve safety during Immersion week)

Thursday 4th Session 7:

May3.30 – 5.30pm

·      OH&S Construction (White Card training) SESSION 1

Thursday 11th May3.30 – 5.30pm

Session 8:OH&S Construction (White Card training) SESSION 2

Thursday 18th May3.30-5.30pm

Session 9:OH&S Construction (White Card training) SESSION 3

Tuesday 23rd

May7-8pm

Session 10:Parent information evening

·      Revise concepts of Innate Dignity, Guest, Present, Story and Cause and Effects

·      Introduce Itinerary and packing lists·      Revise fundraising goal·      Introduce Health and Safety risk management·      Establish school expectations

Thursday 1st

June3.30 – 4.45pm

Session 11:·      Revise concepts of Innate Dignity, Guest, Present, Story

and Cause and Effect·      Explore difficulties of language barrier and some strategies

that might assist·      Learn some basic Khmer words·      Introduce getting to know you activities and work that will

occur at Samrong

29th June – 13th July

Immersion Trip·      Complete ‘Reflection exercises/strategies’·      ‘Blog’ [will need to be set up on LMS prior to departure]. Every

day on Immersion, a different group of students needs to complete a Blog entry (so, by the end of Immersion everyone

has contributed at least once).

Thursday 20th July

Post Immersion debrief·      Complete ‘Reflection exercises/strategies’·      Provide HANDOUT 8: FORMAL REFLECTION. During this

session, students are assigned one of the following:6.     An article for Collegian7.     An article for Great Scot8.     A presentation at Main Assembly9.     A presentation at a Year level assembly10.  A presentation to the Year 10s selecting Immersions for 2018.

August Students present a brief statement (as an article or presentation – as listed above)

Immersion week program (tentative and requiring negotiation and planning).Day 1Depart for Phnom PenhTransfer to Golden Gate Hotel

Day 2Morning                   Bike tour and lunch at Friends restaurantAfternoon                 Tour Genocide Museum and Killing fieldsEvening                    Dinner and Night Market visit

Day 3Day                          Visit to Samrong Children’s Farm:

·      Getting to know you activity (Human Bingo)·      Samrong students provide farm tour and teach new

Khmer words (Scotch students present)·      Scotch students teach 10 new English words and

create a role play with Samrong students (share work)·      Sport activities

Evening                    Habitat Orientation. Training and orientation to build project

Day 4-8Day                          Build experienceEvenings                  Some free time

Some planned tripsReflection activities (e.g. Send postcards to donors, BLOG)Farewell lunch and dinner on the last night of the experience

Day 9Morning                   Transfer to Siem Reap        

Check in Somadevi Hotel, Siem ReapAfternoon                 Orientation to Siem Reap and rest (swimming pool)

Day 10Day                          Tour of Angkor TemplesEvening                    Night Market

Day 11Morning                   Tour of Angkor TemplesAfternoon                 Visit to Angkor Children’s Hospital                                 Preparation for visit to Srei Vibol Ke school (students

plan a brief English lesson)Evening                    Night market

Day 12Day                          Visit to Srei Vibol Ke School

·   Getting to know you activity·   Brief Lesson·   Student presentation·   Soccer match

Evening                    Night market

Day 13

Morning                   Packing and free timeAfternoon                 Depart for Melbourne

HANDOUT 2: LETTER REQUESTING SPONSORSHIP

Dear [Insert Name of recipient here]

In 2017 (June – July), I will be travelling with a group of boys from Scotch College to Cambodia as a part of the Habitat for Humanity’s Global Village. While we are there, I’ll be helping a local community by building a house for underprivileged people from the city of Phnom Penh. I am writing to ask if you will donate some money towards this cause.

Global Village aims for participants to become active partners with others from a different culture. Since starting 30 years ago, Global Village has built over 500,000 homes around the world, which provides shelter for over 2 million people in more than 3,000 communities. I will be learning about Cambodia and its people as well as doing something practical to help break the poverty cycle. If you would like to know more about the work done by this organisation, please visit http://www.habitat.org.au .

The group of boys and teachers that I am travelling with will be helping people in Cambodia who live in very poor sanitation conditions. Our work aims to reduce the incidence of diseases. In the region, we will be building a home for a

family living under the poverty line that would not otherwise be able to live in a home. We will help to provide sanitised water for this family.

We hope that you will donate some money towards this project. Money that you donate would be used to buy materials and pay for additional labour costs in the construction of the houses (I will be paying for my own personal travel costs – your donations will go directly to house building costs). This will be extremely helpful to the people, and future generations of Cambodia. Donations are tax-deductable. Please donate online at https://scotchcollege.everydayhero.com/au/scotch-college. Please follow the prompts on the donations page to indicate that you are donating on my behalf.Thanks for supporting my work on this project.Sincerely,

[Insert Your Name Here]The Scotch College Cambodia Global Village trip of 2015.

HANDOUT 3: ACCEPTABLE AND UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOUR FROM A GUEST

ACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOUR

UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOUR

Something said by a guest when they first meet us

Something done by a guest when they first meet us

Something said by a guest when they visit our home

Something done by a guest when they visit our home

Something said by a guest when they visit our school

Something done by a guest when they visit our school

Something said/done by a guest if they saw us in an embarrassing or undignified situation

HANDOUT 4: FUNDRAISING PLANNING PROFORMA

Roles during group discussion:a.     Group leader (ensures that all participants contribute to the

discussion and that we achieve the goal of developing a detailed plan)

b.     Time keeper (ensure that all parts of the plan completed within the allotted time)

c.     Scribe (to fill in the proforma and to email all participants and teachers at the end of the meeting)

d.     ‘Conscience’ (ensuring that our core values are maintained throughout)

e.     Resource manager (identifying any resources required to run the activities planned or suggested)

f.      Treasurer (creating a budget of any expenses that could be incurred through the activities)

g.     Risk Manager (taking note of any potential risks for students from both schools and teachers)

h.     Summariser (when each question is ‘answered’, he summarises what has been decided allowing the group a chance to reflect on their decisions)

i.      Clarifier (asks questions to clarify what has been decided or discussed)

Teacher in charge (e.g. Mr Waugh’s group)

Group member’s names

Name of proposed fundraising activity (e.g. ‘Sausage sizzle’)

Proposed date for the activity?

What other school activities are occurring on this date? (e.g. Day 4 classes, School swimming sports, Year 12 fundraising BBQ)

How much time will you require to run the activity (include set up and pack up time e.g. 8.30 – students meet Mr Waugh outside Lithgow building with sausages to keep in fridge til lunchtime, period 4 for setting up and cooking sausages, lunch time to sell sausages, period 5 for clean up)

What resources do you need to run the activity? (e.g. BBQ, tongs, sausages, sauce, bread, drinks, trays, cleaning equipment, gloves, etc.)

How many people do you need to run the activity? (e.g. 1 teacher to supervise, 1 person with a food handling certificate, 3 students to run BBQ, 3 students to sell drinks, 3 students to take money, 3 students to distribute sausages, etc.)

Who do you need to ask permission from to run the event? (e.g. Mr Savage, Mr Waugh, Ms Brendall – to book the BBQ)

What OH&S issues do you need to consider? (e.g. are the sausages properly cooked, contamination of food, potential for burns, etc.)

What will you do to avoid any OH&S issues? (e.g. gloves, tongs, first aid kit on hand, etc.)

What costs will be incurred by the activity (e.g. cost of sausages - $??? Per kilo, 6 loaves bread - $3 each, sauce, napkins, etc.)

Who do you need to communicate with outside of school regarding this activity? (e.g. local butcher, parents to bring drinks, etc.)

What advertising needs to happen with this activity? (e.g. student notices, posters, presentation at assembly, etc.)

What jobs will be done by each member of the team? (e.g. Alex – speak to Ms Brendall to book the BBQ, Rob – speak with local butcher RE getting a discount on sausages, etc.)

How will this activity help to raise awareness about an outcome from the fundraising that will contribute towards increasing the innate dignity of our community partners?

HANDOUT 5: ‘PILGRIM’ (GUEST) OR TOURIST ACTIVITYConsider the following statements and actions of a group of Year 11 students visiting India on Immersion. Identify for each whether they are operating as a

·      Pilgrim (or Guest) = ‘P’,·      a Tourist = T, or·      if you are unsure = ?

Statements

a)     “I went to India to make a difference!”b)    “I learnt more from them then they did from me!”c)     “I could not believe the amount of corruption – we would never act like that in

Australia!”d)    “Some of them are so lazy!”e)     “I can’t believe parents would allow their children to grow up in conditions

like that!”f)     “Indian people are so beautiful, they are so generous and kind and no one

judges another one else!”g)    “All I did was spend time in a Year 2 classroom – singing and playing games

and helping them with their classwork – the teacher Alice was so caring.”h)    “The reasons for the poverty seem so complex – all I could do was be as

positive a part of their lives as I could for the short time I was there!”i)      “I got some great photos of the Kolkata Slums – you should see them – pigs

and dogs everywhere – no power or sewerage – and yet they come out of their shacks looking immaculate!”

j)      “In the midst of great poverty I saw so much joy and hope and courage to not give up!”

Actions

     i.     You hang out in the yard each morning tea – and over the course of the week the children teach you a local song.

   ii.        The teachers laugh at your pronunciation when you try to learn a Hindi word.

  iii.         On the bus from the airport you are taking photos of the slums as you drive by.

  iv.         You take a photo of someone you have got to know outside their shanty shack to show people how poor they are.

    v.      You wear your expensive new shoes everywhere you go.   vi.         You whinge to the others in your group that you got “ripped off” when you

paid $4AU for a small statue when some of them only paid $3AU vii.         At the Killing Fields memorial, you take a selfie including the human skulls in

the backgroundviii.         You find yourself on the internet each night – Facebooking back home to

catch up on the local gossip OR you want to talk about some of the people you have meant in India but after a polite ‘oh that’s nice – the people want to gossip about what has been happening at a recent party!

  ix.         You can’t eat the food put out at a special ‘welcome’ morning tea and are looking forward to McDonalds in the City later.

    x.      The others are raving about their day but you initially felt stuck in a Year 2 classroom with a child who can barely read and write – but after some time you felt you really connected – but don’t want to talk too much about it – just want to enjoy that sense of connection.

  xi.         You have related so well with your teacher at the primary school that they are showing you photos of their children on the last day.

HANDOUT 6: CAUSE AND EFFECT MATRIX

HANDOUT 7: HUMAN BINGO                                      Your Name:____________________________How to play:

·      The aim is to be the first person to complete their ‘Human Bingo’ card by writing the names of people in the room who match the 15 categories below.

·      Write each of the 15 names in the spaces provided.

·      You cannot write your own name in one of the boxes.

·      You must have a different person’s name in each of the 15 spaces.

·      You will need to walk around the room and talk to other people to find out information about them.

·      As soon as you’ve completed your ‘Human Bingo’ card, raise your hand and shout: ‘Bingo!’

The name of someone who can pat their head while rubbing their stomach.Name:

The name of someone who can sing the same song as you (you must sing the song together).Name:

The name of someone who has blue eyes.Name:

The name of someone who can click their fingers.Name:

The name of someone who enjoys the same fruit that you do.Name:

The name of someone who is wearing the same coloured shirt as you.Name:

The name of someone who has the same favourite singer as you.Name:

The name of someone who plays a musical instrument.Name:

The name of someone who has the same favourite drink that you do.Name:

The name of someone who enjoys playing the same sport that you do.Name:

The name of someone who has read the same book that you have.Name:

The name of someone who can say ‘hello’ in 3 different languages.Name:

The name of someone whose favourite ice cream flavour is the same as yours.Name:

The name of someone who knows how to fish.Name:

The name of someone who can count up to 20 in a different language.Name:

HANDOUT 8: SAMRONG CHILDREN’S FARM1.A children farm such as Samrong is home to children ‘from the street' and the garbage dumps. They sleep, play and learn on the farm. The children take care of animals and cattle, feed them and assist in the vegetable garden and the

farm's orchard. They learn (and make) music en dancing, go to an ordinary school during the day and basically do everything what children do. For these children, Samrong Children's Farm is their ‘home' in all respects.

2.The goal of Samrong Children's Farm is to create a safe living environment for orphans and vagabonds in Cambodia where children can grow up ‘normally' and pleasantly. Such a farm is not only fun but also inspiring, healing and educational. Slowly but surely we see neglected children grow up, flourish, get and develop talents and prepare themselves for a future. On the farm they learn self-respect, respect for the others, their culture and for the nature around them.

3.In Cambodia – together with our Cambodian partner organization Cambodian Children Support Foundation (CCSF) –. we started this project in 2002. Samrong, near the city of Phnom Penh, currently is home to about 70 orphans and vagabonds in the age-range from 8 to 23 years old. When they turn 18, we help them with their further education or find them a job.

4.This 2.5 ha farm is located just outside the city of Phnom Penh and consists of a sleephouse (capacity 80 children) with library and computerroom, a simple guesthouse, a multifunctional shed of 400 m2 with an adjacent canteen and kitchen. On top of that there is a large biological vegetable garden, a fishpond, stables for the cows (15) and chicken and many other animals such as ducks, geese etc. The care for and feeding of these animals is an integral part of the learning and education process on the farm (in addition to the children's regular school education).

5.

For the most part the electricity originates from solar panels but recently we installed a back up connection to the grid. And for emergency, we also have a small diesel generator.The produce from the vegetable garden and the greenhouse is being used in the kitchen and the surplus is being sold on the local market. This applies also to the fish from the fishpond and the cattle.

6.The orphanage is trying to become independent from donations and charity but this takes time and effort. In-between the buildings there is room for play and sports and some simple facilities were set up. The children use bikes to go to primary school in a nearby village and the older children go to secondary school and university in Phnom Penh. Outside the farm we were permitted to freely use a piece of land for planting rice and in the meantime this rice is harvested and Samrong has become yet a bit more independent!

HANDOUT 9: USEFUL KHMER PHRASES

Greetingshello——————————–joohm ree-up soo-ahow are you?———————–sok-sa bai jee-a tay?goodbye—————————-joohm ree-up lea [formal] / lee-hai [informal]see you again!———————-joo-up k’neer dee-ut!what is your name?—————–laok ch’moo-ah a-vwai?my name is————————-k’nyom ch’moo-ah Polite Forms of Addressloak ——————————–when speaking to a manloak-da—————————–when speaking to an old man or monknay-uk srey————————when speaking to a younger / unmarried womanom-srey—————————-when speaking to an older womannee-ung—————————-when speaking to a younger person

Peopleme———————————knyomyou——————————–nee-uk / loakwe———————————yeungthem——————————-poo-kayhim/her—————————quotmy/mine————————–roboh-k’nyomyours——————————roboh-nee-uk Basic Words / Phrases / QuestionsBasic Words and Phrasesplease—————————–soam-un-jernthank you————————-arkunsorry——————————som-dtoahyes——————————–baatno———————————a-dtayno thank you———————-a-dtay arkun Questions Wordswhat’s this?————————a-vwai nih?what’s this called?—————–nih ch’moo-ah a-vwai?how much?————————bpon maan?where?—————————-ai-naa?where is the market?————–psar noo ai-naa?where is the toilet?—————-bong-goo-ung noo ai-naa?where are you going?————–ta nee-uk dtao naa?Emergency / Health / MedicineEmergencyemergency————————kree-a asonhelp me!————————–joo-ay k’nyom!doctor—————————-bpairtI want to see a doctor————-k’nyom chong dtao bpairt

I’m sick—————————k’nyom cheuI hurt here————————k’nyom cheu tee-nihambulance————————roo-ut yoo-un song-kroo-ahhospital—————————moo-un dtee bpairtdentist—————————-bpairt t’meun Health ConditionsI am diabetic———————-k’nyom mee-un chum ngoo dteuk nom pha-emcold / flu————————–krun p’daah-saicough—————————–k’okdiarrhea————————–roak ree-uhkfever—————————–krunill / sick—————————cheuvomit—————————–ga-oo-utheadache————————-cheu-k’bahl Transport / AccommodationTransportairport—————————jom-nort yoo-un hohbicycle—————————gongboat—————————–kanoe / toukbus——————————laan krongbus station———————–suh-ta nee laan-krongcar——————————-laancyclo—————————–sih-kloaferry—————————–sah-laanmotorcycle taxi——————-motodupplane—————————–g’bul hohrailway station——————-suh-ta nee ra-dtayh plerngtaxi——————————laan ch’nooltrain—————————–ra-dtayh plerngtourist office———————gah-ree-ah-lai dtay-sa-jor

Places / Directions / DistancesPlacescinema————————–roang-gonhotel—————————-oat-el / son-ta-gee-abank—————————-tor-nee-a-gee-amarket————————-psarpost office———————-bprai-sa-nee-ya-taanshop—————————-hangrestaurant———————hang-baistation————————-s’taa-neetoilet—————————bong-goo-ungtemple————————-woa-utembassy———————–s’taan dtoot Directionswhere is (place/name)———noo ai-na?I want to go to—————–k’nyom jong dtao…stop here———————-chop tee-nihturn left———————–bot ch’wayngturn right———————bot s’dumgo straight on—————–dtao dtrong ra-hoatinside————————-kang k’nong

outside————————kang krau

in front of———————kang meuk / tuel meuk

behind————————kang k’rao-ee

up—————————-krauk

down————————-joh—————————————-[’o ‘ as in hot]

next to———————–bpun-too-up bpee

near————————–jeut

over/on———————–leu-a

under————————-kang kraum

get through——————-kat dam

across————————ch’long kat

Numbers / Days of the Week / Time PeriodsNumbers1 moy2 pee3 bay4 boo-un5 bram6 bram-moy7 bram-pee8 bram-bay9 bram-boo-un10 dop11 dop-moy15 dop-bram20 m’pay21 m’pay moy25 m’pay bram30 saam seup40 sai-seup50 ha-seup60 hok seup70 jeut seup80 bpait seup90 gao seup100 moy roy

200 pee roy500 bram roy1000 moy bpoa-un

Some Useful Verbsgo——————————-dtaovisit—————————–dtao-lengcome—————————-moakcome from———————-moak-peewant—————————-jong / jong baanlike—————————–joal-jetknow (s/b)———————-squahlknow (s/th)———————dunghave—————————-mee-unnot have————————ot mee-unspeak—————————nee-yayeat——————————n’yam / pbi-saa / hoapdrink—————————peuksick—————————–cheuhelp—————————-joo-ay

HANDOUT 10: ASKING QUESTIONS IN ENGLISH

Personal InformationWhat's your name?Where are you from? / Where do you come from?What's your first name / surname / family name?What's your address?Where do you live?What's your (tele)phone number?

How old are you?Where were you born?What do you do? / What's your job?Where did you go?What did you do?Where were you?Have you got a car / job / house / etc.?Have you got any children / friends / books / etc.?Can you play tennis / golf / football / etc.?Can you speak English / French / Japanese / etc.?

Introducing Yourself / Saying HelloHow do you do?How are you?

ShoppingHow can I help you? / May I help you?Can I try it on?How much does it cost? / How much is it?How would you like to pay?Can I pay by credit card / debit card?Have you got something bigger / smaller / lighter / etc.?

Asking Something SpecificWhat's that?What time is it?Can / May I open the window?Is there a bank / supermarket / pharmacy / etc. near here?Where is the nearest bank / supermarket / pharmacy / etc.?Is there any water / sugar / rice / etc.?Are there any apples / sandwiches / books / etc.?Is this your / his / her / etc. book / ball / house / etc.?Whose is this / that?

Questions with 'Like'What do you like?

What does he look like?What would you like?What is it like?What's the weather like?Would you like some coffee / tea / food?Would you like something to drink / eat?

Asking for an OpinionWhat's it about?What do you think about your job / that book / Tim / etc.?How big / far / difficult / easy is it?How big / far / difficult / easy are they?How was it?What are you going to do tomorrow / this evening / next week / etc.?

HANDOUT 11: FORMAL REFLECTION

You are required to complete one of the following tasks advocating to our school community about what you have experienced (working in pairs or small groups):

1.     An article for Collegian (word count: 250 words)2.     An article for Great Scot (word count: 250 words)3.     A presentation at Main Assembly (time limit 3 minutes)4.     A presentation at a Year level assembly (time limit 3 minutes) OR5.     A presentation to the Year 10s selecting Immersions for 2018 (time limit 3

minutes).

Your reflection should aim to capture the uniqueness of your experience – what did you feel, think and do. Don’t make this a general statement.

ADDITIONAL HOMEWORK:Watch

http://www.ted.com/talks/peter_singer_the_why_and_how_of_effective_altruism?language=en