Teaching and Community Development in Cambodia

Program Overview

Join a life-changing program in the heart of Siem Reap, Cambodia, where you’ll support local teachers, engage with children, and contribute to the community through education, health, and creative activities. Volunteers can assist in classrooms, run sports and well-being workshops, or even help with social enterprises and sustainability projects. While volunteers stay in the vibrant city of Siem Reap, the program takes place in a nearby local village, allowing you to make a meaningful impact within the community. Beyond volunteering, you’ll explore cultural treasures like Angkor Wat, participate in local excursions, and experience the warmth and hospitality of the Khmer community. This is more than a program—it’s an opportunity to make a difference while immersing yourself in Cambodia’s rich culture and history.

Project Details:

• Project Activities: Working with the classroom teachers to support classroom activities, supporting the library staff by reading and playing games with the children, creating classroom resources, other activities such as health and sporting activities. 
• Project Availability: Fixed program dates each year – see the Program Fee and Dates tab (below) or contact CISaustralia for upcoming availability. 12 students maximum on the project at any one time – first in, best dressed policy.
• Project Duration: 2-4 weeks
• Working Hours: Monday to Friday, 8am to 4:30pm 
• Location: Siem Reap, Cambodia
• Excursions: Visits to a local NGO, visit to local training restaurant, sunrise tour of Angkor Wat, plus a one local excursion each week
• Support: 24-hour on-site support from our Site Director
• A valid Police Check or Working With Children Check is required
• Minimum Age: 18+
• Language: English (having basic Khmer is not required but is helpful and shows the locals that you are keen to engage)

Highlights

Discover a rewarding volunteer program in Siem Reap, Cambodia, where you can make a meaningful impact by supporting education, community development, and cultural exchange.

• Support Local Education: Assist Khmer teachers in classrooms, help children in the library, and create educational resources to enhance learning opportunities for the community.
• Diverse Volunteer Roles: Engage in activities like health and sports workshops, arts and crafts, sustainability projects, and social enterprise support, catering to a variety of skills and interests.
• Cultural Immersion: Experience Cambodia’s rich culture through local excursions, including a breathtaking Angkor Wat sunrise tour and community-focused activities.
• Hands-On Impact: Contribute to meaningful projects like making eco-bricks for village toilets, gardening, or organizing events to support the school.
• Comprehensive Support: Enjoy 24-hour on-site support, a structured itinerary, and the opportunity to work closely with local staff and fellow volunteers in a dynamic and rewarding environment.

Sample Itinerary

Please note: This itinerary is subject to change based on local conditions, daily weather, project priorities and a range of other influences. Local staff will advise students at orientation, and during the program, of the schedule and related amendments. Students should come to this project expecting to be challenged and be able to adapt to change quickly. 

Day 1
Airport pick-up by on-site staff and transfer to accommodation in Siem Reap.  After the orientation briefing, day 1 is treated as an arrival day so you can settle into the accommodation and explore the local area.

Day 2
Today is an orientation day and will include a program orientation, Child Protection Workshop, and walking tour of Siem Reap. The afternoon will be free to relax.

Day 3+
Today you will begin your time at the community school where you will rotate (subject to your interest areas) through a range of activities over the next two weeks.

COVID Safe Travel

The health and safety of our students is our highest priority. We take our duty of care for our students, their families and our Australian University partners seriously. For all of our program locations, we have developed a site-specific COVID-19 risk matrix and risk management and emergency response plans so that health and safety response protocols are monitored, managed and communicated.

In preparation for your overseas program, it’s important that you carefully read and understand information related to COVID-19 Travel Safety and Insurance Requirements.

CISaustralia monitors Smartraveller and reliable news feeds to keep up to date with the latest COVID information and any associated travel restrictions and entry requirements for all destinations where we have programs. Due to the constantly evolving COVID-19 situation, Government travel advice can change quickly. For the most up to date information on Cambodia, visit the Smartraveller website.

The Volunteer's Role

As in many developing nations, Cambodia faces limited government-sponsored resources like schools and medical facilities, which are in high demand but short supply. Government school students typically attend for just three hours a day, allowing only for a basic education. To address this gap, our partner NGO offers a community school program where children can continue their education and learn English after their government school hours. Open to all children in the village, the program is supported by contributions from parents, who give what they can to help cover costs.

Volunteers with a particular interest in education play a supportive role, working alongside Khmer teachers who lead all classroom lessons to ensure consistency and stability for students. Activities include assisting with classroom teaching, supporting library sessions by reading and playing games with children, and creating educational resources. Volunteers can also contribute by organising health and sports activities, promoting well-being through hygiene and nutrition workshops, and running professional development sessions for staff. Your efforts will complement the vital work of local teachers and enrich the learning experience for the students.

There are also plenty of opportunities for volunteers without an education background. Whatever your interests, there’s a way to contribute! Business and management students can support the social enterprise, with marketing, payment systems, and overseas shipping. Creative students can lead art and craft classes, design murals, or create products from recycled materials. Those interested in hands-on work can assist with construction projects, like making eco-bricks for village toilets. Volunteers can also help with fundraising, organizing events, raising awareness online, or grant writing. If you enjoy gardening, you can help re-establish the demonstration garden.

Skills Required

If you have a passion for education, working with children, assisting local communities and are enthusiastic, flexible, adaptable and smile a lot, you will be warmly welcomed – no formal qualifications are required.

The ability to show patience, compassion and understanding is crucial when working with people from a different culture to yours. Having the ability to work autonomously is also important as you may find there are times where you have to improvise and work independently.

For this project, a Working With Children or Police Check is required for all volunteers. Prior to commencing the project you will need to arrange a Working With Children / Police Check from Australia at your own expense.

Excursions

Siem Reap, a vibrant city in Cambodia, serves as the gateway to the iconic Angkor Wat, a UNESCO World Heritage site and the largest religious monument in the world. The program includes a sunrise walking tour of Angkor Wat, renowned for its intricate Khmer architecture and spiritual significance

The program also includes at least 1 excursion per week of the program. These vary by program, year on year and may include:

• Visit to a local NGO, dinner at the local training restaurant, visit to the Phare circus, boat ride on Tonle Sap.

There are also a variety of other cultural activities and places of interest volunteers can choose to visit on their own (at their own expense) outside of project hours. On-site and local staff can assist in providing advice and recommendations.

Location

Cambodia is a diverse and beautiful country, boasting ancient architecture, beautiful landscapes and a vibrant and friendly culture. It’s a unique blend of past influences, including French and Chinese, and the current majority Khmer ethnicity and Theravada Buddhism.

Siem Reap, nestled in northwestern Cambodia, is a captivating city that serves as the gateway to the ancient Angkor temple complex, including the iconic Angkor Wat. Once a quiet riverside town, it has evolved into a vibrant destination known for its bustling markets, Khmer art and dance performances, and a dynamic culinary scene. The city also boasts colonial and Chinese-style architecture in its Old French Quarter and around the Old Market, offering visitors a glimpse into its rich and diverse history.

Beyond its urban charm, Siem Reap is surrounded by cultural and natural attractions, including museums, traditional Apsara dance shows, silk farms, the serene rice-paddy countryside, fishing villages, and the bird sanctuary near Tonlé Sap Lake. As a major tourist hub, the city features a wide array of hotels, resorts, restaurants, and businesses, thriving largely due to its proximity to the world-famous Angkor temples, Cambodia’s most popular attraction.

Accommodation

Volunteers will stay in a basic yet safe, clean, and comfortable guesthouse-style accommodation, centrally located in Siem Reap. Students will be housed in shared, same-gender rooms, accommodating 2-4 volunteers per room. Each room is equipped with a fan, cable TV, a bedside lamp, a private bathroom with hot water, and 24-hour security. Breakfast is provided daily at the accommodation, while lunch is served at the community school from Monday to Friday. Complimentary daily transport to and from the local village, where the volunteer project takes place, is included.

Why Volunteer with CISaustralia

CISaustralia believes strongly in supporting volunteer initiatives across the world that promote sustainable and long-term societal, environmental and economic change to benefit and empower local communities.

While the term volunteering is widely known and accepted, we prefer to use the term Experiential Service Learning. This better relates to our philosophy surrounding close community engagement as well as a focus on projects that have a long-term approach and a range of positive impacts for both communities and our students. Over 98% of CISaustralia participants receive academic credit for their program abroad, which fosters a more culturally immersive and deeper reflective experience.

CISaustralia volunteering programs contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals which aim to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. While not every program will achieve all seventeen of the UN goals, your role as a volunteer will have a positive impact by doing work that really matters. We partner with organisations that have in-depth, first-hand knowledge and close relationships with local communities. Prior to your departure, our team in Australia will prepare you with extensive resources so you feel supported every step of the way. You will also be supported throughout your entire overseas program by our fantastic and experienced in-country staff. 

Volunteering abroad is a life-changing experience, enabling you to learn and grow on many personal and professional levels, to broaden your perspective on the world and to become a global citizen. CISaustralia prides itself in having the strongest global partners who are socially responsible and equally committed to their local communities and ethical practices. We love what we do at CISaustralia and are here to provide you with the support you need to successfully volunteer abroad – so that you can contribute to positively changing the lives of others, and yourself, along the way. Get ready for an exciting once-in-a-lifetime adventure!

Read more: Why Volunteer Abroad with CISaustralia?

Program Fee & Dates