The English ACCESS Microscholarship Program in Cambodia

Overview

The U.S. State Department's English Access Microscholarship Program provides a foundation of English language skills to talented 14 to 18 year-olds from disadvantaged sectors through after school classes and intensive sessions. The program also gives participants the opportunity to gain an appreciation for U.S. culture and democratic values, increase their ability to participate successfully in the socio-economic development of their countries and improve their chances of participating in U.S. educational and exchange programs. Since its inception in 2004, approximately 44,000 students in over 55 countries have participated in the English Access Microscholarship program.

ACCESS in Cambodia

The English ACCESS Microsholarship Program in Cambodia seeks to support indigenous minority students in the country, most notably the Cham Muslim population, who have limited access to opportunities to further their educational development, particularly in areas such as English language training. We aim to increase their English language skills through general English courses for a period of two years. Since 2004, approximately 350 Cambodian students have participated in this program.

This two-year language training will build on the English capabilities of students as well as their communication skills, with the hope of enabling them to find appropriate jobs in their communities and to earn a sufficient living for themselves and their families. With a strong skill set, they may ultimately enjoy other USG-sponsored training opportunities such as human rights programs, Fulbright scholarships, and the International Visitor Leadership Program.

Currently, over 70 Cambodian students are studying English through the ACCESS program in the following areas: Phnom Penh, Kampong Cham, Kampong Chhnang, Battambang, Kampong Thom, and Kampot.

Project description

This is a two-year general English Language program for minority students. Teachers use both culturally appropriate and relevant teaching materials to train these students. The content of the courses is taught in an instructionally sound manner and includes opportunities for student interaction and engagement. Students receive a workbook containing exercises for them to practice both in and outside the classroom. In addition to classroom practice, students are provided opportunities to participate in extracurricular language enhancement activities to support and develop their language skills.

Participating English schools commit to providing a friendly learning environment and utilizing a student-centered learning approach so that participants will be able to obtain maximum benefits from their study. This objective is achieved by enabling students to develop English proficiency through four macro skills -- reading, writing, listening and speaking.

Participant Selection

Each partner organization recruits 20 - 25 potential students from its area. Each student must prove that she or he is a high school student by showing a school ID. Students for a new round of scholarships must be different from those who have received an ACCESS scholarship in the past, except for the current yet outstanding students, who may be requested to continue their study. Renewal students must be under the age of 18 and has maintained a sustained high level performance throughout the courses as evidenced by their study record. Potential students take a placement/entrance test conducted by the English-education institution in their respective location. Final selection of the proposed number of students in each area is made jointly by the partner organization and the Embassy's Public Affairs Section.

Enhancement Activities

At the beginning of the program, an Embassy official travels to each location to meet the students and present each one with a certificate of participation. Throughout the year, Embassy personnel visit the students. These visits might include round table discussions, sightseeing tours of the area, or simply lunch with the students.

Additionally, representatives from local and international NGOs are invited to participate in informal discussions in English to both inform and exchange ideas with the students about the organizations. These sessions provide a forum for both students and the NGO community to interact and communicate about issues that concern them. They also provide an excellent "authentic" experience for the students to practice their listening comprehension and communications skills with an English speaker.

Finally, the Embassy's Public Affairs Section is organizing an English immersion experience for the students around the July 4th holiday. The experience will consist of a day of all English activities, including instruction from the Embassy's English Language Fellow, English language movies, language games, and discussions with Embassy personnel. All of the students may then be invited to attend the Mission's July 4th celebration.

Program Success Stories

Students in the ACCESS program have shown a great deal of enthusiasm for participation in the program. The program completion rate is more than 95%, which is an astounding achievement when one considers that the high school graduation rate of the groups targeted for ACCESS participation is less than 10%. Perhaps this is best summed up by the moving story of one the ACCESS students in Kampong Cham. This student related that her mother and father had each been married to someone else in the 1970's, but the Khmer Rouge had killed their previous spouses. She had 8 half brothers and sisters, but she was the first one to continue her studies into high school and she credited this to her participation in the Access program. She stated that receiving the scholarship had inspired her "to study even harder and to really try to make something of [her] life."

Another success story involves our NGO partner in Phnom Penh, the Cambodian Islamic Youth Association (CIYA). Because of the level of English that its ACCESS students have achieved, CIYA was able to start a volunteer English teaching program using several of its ACCESS students as instructors. The program is open to beginner and pre-intermediate learners and usually has 15-30 students studying English one hour per day, five days per week.

In Ratanakiri, a total of 105 students have been supported through the Access Project through the NGO partner CARE International. From the first cohort of 2004-2006, among the 30 students supported, twenty are now working with NGO’s including 6 females and another is working for local government in Ratanakiri. From the second cohort of 2006-2008 program of a total of 30 students, 9 are now working for NGO’s in Ratanakiri, including 1 female. The rest of the group is continuing their education. In cohort 3 of 2007-2009 program, all the 45 students are still enrolled in school. All the graduates listed as working with NGO’s are in paid positions.

Source: US Embassy in Cambodia

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