![](/-/media/feature/micrositesnewsandevents/staffnews/suzanne-chambers-460px.jpg)
Innovation in practice
News 24 JulyA message from Executive Dean of Health Sciences Professor Suzanne Chambers: Winter has so far been a season of future-thinking and action for the Faculty of Health Sciences.
28 February 2017
Share
ACU International staff member Cherry Gan shares the story of her community engagement experience in Cambodia.
The first time I heard about ACU community engagement was on my staff induction day when I first joined ACU. A seed was planted in my heart that I wanted to undertake community engagement when the time was right. Dr Youssef Taouk, from the Institute for Advancing Community Engagement, assisted me to participate in ACU’s Live. Give. Learn: Igniting Capacities Cambodia (LGL) program in partnership with Challenges Abroad Australia in December 2016. LGL focuses on capacity building in education in Battambang, Cambodia.
During the two weeks in Battambang with a group of ACU students from Brisbane, I got a chance to meet Mr Bunrith (Racky) Thy, one of the highly respected community leaders. Racky is the founder of Children’s Action for Development, an organisation which offers education for the poorest of the poor in the Battambang region.
It was fascinating to hear his story of narrowly escaping being killed by Khmer Rouge as a child, how he started his foundation from private funding, to today’s operation in partnership with, Challenges Abroad, FutureSense Foundation and Classroom of Hope. In addition to setting up community schools to provide supplementary classes to students who experience disadvantage, Racky recently also set up a tailor shop to provide job opportunities to orphans and is planning to teach local villagers sewing to bring in extra income for the family.
I also met with Mr Yun Yaradeth, Secretary of Doun Teav Primary School. Yun expressed appreciation to ACU for its ongoing support. Yun said that the school students’ interest in studying was highly motivated by ACU students who take part in LGL and this has helped to reduce the dropout rate in the school, improved the students’ performance, and increased their interest in learning and studying English.
The group I joined was volunteering to teach English which related to my first academic qualification. There were eight ACU Brisbane students in the group from various disciplines. This valuable experience helped me to learn the following:
Firstly, that we were not simply going there as “voluntourists”. We were assisting to build the capacity of the community. The community itself has autonomy to plan its own future.
Secondly, I was so impressed by the people in Cambodia with their kindness and happiness. I could see poverty, but they are generally very happy and content with the simple things they possessed. The love from the school students made it so hard to leave at the end.
Thirdly, I witnessed our students’ progression from day one when they were still nervous in the classroom to day three, after which they became comfortable and became very creative in teaching. Towards the end, they felt like they were born to teach. This program certainly helped them to learn from the community and grow in many aspects besides teaching.
I highly recommend to anyone who is thinking of going overseas for volunteering to join one of ACU’s community engagement programs. This kind of community engagement experience helps us to learn and grow, and allows us to appreciate different cultures and work with these diverse cultures.
Staff members interested in undertaking a community engagement experience can contact Dr Youssef Taouk from the Institute for Advancing Community Engagement on Ext. 4347 or Youssef.taouk@acu.edu.au
A message from Executive Dean of Health Sciences Professor Suzanne Chambers: Winter has so far been a season of future-thinking and action for the Faculty of Health Sciences.
From Monday 22 July to Friday 9 August, Service Central will be available for extended hours to support staff.
A message from Vice President Father Anthony Casamento csma: From 5 – 9 August we will celebrate Mission Week across our campuses. This is an opportunity for us to come together as a community to cele...
Are you going to be a grandparent soon? Did you know ACU offers personal leave for staff to care for their child or grandchild after birth or adoption?
Discover the learning and career development opportunities that are available online, including the brand-new leadership development program, 'The Edge Series'.
Join ASCILITE and become a member of one of Australasia’s most vibrant professional technology enhanced learning communities, with more than 2200 members from tertiary institutions across Australia an...
Phones will be removed from all classrooms over the mid-semester break, from 23 September to 27 September.
Include an additional survey item in the Student Evaluation of Learning and Teaching (SELT) survey for units that are offered in Professional Term 5 (202455).
Australia’s first five-time diving Olympian, a Kiwi gymnast and the woman who taught actor Chris Hemsworth to row will be among 15 ACU students and alumni to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic and Para...
A message from acting Executive Dean of Theology and Philosophy Associate Professor Richard Colledge: Recently, the faculty has hosted opportunities for reflection on the possibilities for reconcilia...
Are you on your parenthood journey? A practical guide is now available to support staff, and their supervisors, through the stages of becoming a parent and transitioning back to work.
Embark on an exhilarating journey into the mysterious world of enrolments. Register to attend an enrolment information session for Semester 2, 2024.
Join upcoming online workshops in preparation for Semester 2. Secure your spot today to learn how you can utilise Canvas and its features to enhance your teaching practices.
A limitless professional horizon awaits ACU students after its three IT programs were awarded certification by the nation’s most trustworthy player in the tech sector, the Australian Computer Society.
Following evaluation and voting by a panel of ACU judges, Co-Lab is delighted to announce Thomas Clark and Xavier Chalkley as the winners of the $1000 prize for the ACU Co-Lab Social Enterprise Pitch ...
ACU Library staff will participate in professional development activities on Thursday 18 July. While away from their usual posts, they'll be working together across three locations to plan our future ...
Applications for 2024 Teaching Development Grants, Citations and Awards are open. Explore guidelines and resources to enhance your teaching project’s impact or gain recognition for your contributions.
As we sit in this small window of the winter break gearing up for Semester 2, it's important to recognise that not everyone experiences this period as downtime. For many, workloads and busy lifestyles...
This week is NAIDOC Week, an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
ACU staff who are also members with UniSuper can now access free expert medical advice and services to support their health and wellbeing through MetLife 360Health.
Visit Service Central to access Corporate Services.