About

Though Goshen College has had other SST units in Southeast Asia, this is the first time Cambodia has been an SST location. The country, which is the size of Oklahoma, is located on the Gulf of Thailand and shares borders with Vietnam, Laos and Thailand. Most of the country is flat except for a few highland areas including the Cardamom Mountains near the southwest border. Cambodia is also the location of the Tonle Sap, Southeast Asia’s largest freshwater lake.

For both the Study and Service portions of the term students will live with Cambodian host families, many of whom will be Buddhist. Students will first be in the capital city of Phnom Penh and later in various locations in the rural countryside.

Study

The first six weeks of the term will be spent studying at the Royal University of Phnom Penh. Students will practice language and culture, and learn about the history, politics and religions of Cambodia. There will also be field trips to places of social and historical significance such as the Angkor ruins and the Toul Sleng Genocide Museum, a former interrogation prison during the Khmer Rouge.

Service

For the service portion most of the students will move to the countryside. The many non-governmental organizations in Cambodia provide service possibilities including working with children, HIV/AIDS programs and rural development.