Cambodia Service Trip 2025
This June, a group of 118 Year 11 students and staff from Ivanhoe Grammar School will travel to Cambodia for two weeks of service and cultural immersion, continuing a proud 21-year tradition. So far, students have raised over $40,000 toward the goal of $66,000, which will go directly to supporting vital health and education initiatives for children in Cambodia.
Over the years, Ivanhoe Grammar School has contributed to a number of capacity-building projects in the region. The latest, the Rolous Village Project, is nearing completion and marks a major milestone in the School’s long-standing partnership with Cambodia. This initiative involves the construction of a four-classroom school in Rolous Village, near Siem Reap. Originally scheduled for completion over two years, the school is now set to be finished and fully furnished ahead of time, thanks to the generous support of the Old Ivanhoe Grammarians’ Association (OIGA). Students will have the opportunity to visit and see the completed school when they arrive in Siem Reap in July 2025.
Sarou, Principal of Roots Organisation, shared:
‘I want to provide rural children in the village with more opportunities to learn English and technology for a brighter future. Our school not only helps rural children learn from home in a safe environment, but it also supports our entire community by improving lives through rice and vegetable farming. We create job opportunities through workshops in bamboo handicrafts, palm crafts, bamboo sticky rice, and noodle making. Being able to build a new school for the children of the village has brought happiness and joy.’
Every year, passionate students commit to fundraising initiatives for the upcoming trip. For the 2025 Service Trip, Year 11 triplets, Maya, Kate & Will have been working together to raise funds. They shared with us what motivated them and what the funds will be going toward.
‘Since starting at Ivanhoe Grammar School’s Plenty Campus in Year 7, the three of us – Maya, Kate, and Will – have been looking forward to the Cambodia Service Trip, and it’s something we’ve been excited about and committed to for a long time. From the beginning, we knew we wanted to contribute as much as we could, not just by going on the trip but by helping support the amazing projects we’ll be involved in through our fundraising. Over the past couple of years, we’ve managed to raise money to support our own trip as well as a total of $3,600 of fundraising donations through part-time work and generous donations from our family. Every step of the way, we’ve been motivated by the knowledge that our efforts are going towards something meaningful that will make a difference in the lives of others. Our fundraising will be contributed to cover the creation of murals for the 48 Couleurs Education Program in Siem Reap, which feels incredibly special. Knowing this contribution will help create something lasting for the local community makes all the hard work even more worthwhile! This whole experience has been a reflection of our dedication to the service trip, and we’re really proud of what we’ve achieved together – we are so grateful for this life-changing opportunity! We’re so excited to be part of this journey and play even a small role in supporting education and creativity in a new part of the world.’
You can support the School’s efforts by joining a table at the upcoming Trivia Night on Friday 30 May or participating in the Online Auction. Every contribution helps make a meaningful impact.
Tickets for the Trivia Night are available via Trybooking and close on Wednesday 28 May.
The silent auction is a large part of the evening and only goes ahead because of the wonderful donations from the School community. Auction items in the past have included signed AFL jumpers, bottles of wine, theatre tickets, weekends away at holiday homes and floral arrangements to name a few. There are some amazing Silent Auction Items up for grabs such as: a one-on-one coffee conversation with Journalist Michael Rowland in Ivanhoe on Sunday 13 July!
Bidding takes place online via AirAuctioneer . Bidding will close 8pm Sunday 1 June.
