CFI provides supplementary education to approximately 120 students in the Ek Phnom district of rural Battambang, Cambodia. Children attend public school in the morning and then come to the Learning Center in the afternoon to take supplementary classes in Khmer, Math, English, and Computer science.

At CFI we use child-friendly techniques that help kids learn in a better, more engaging way and encourages them to think critically. All teachers at CFI have training on working with vulnerable children and are implementing a competency-based learning approach, which allows them to best tailor their methods and activities to the students’ needs. Thanks to this newly implemented approach, students are able to get quality support for their individual needs.

Khmer and Math classes generally aim to support children who are behind in their studies, to help them catch up to their grade level at public school and acquire crucial basic skills for their future. The Khmer and Math curriculums are both based on public school material, ensuring that students are achieving their appropriate grade level learning outcomes at public school. 

While with the supplementary Khmer and Math classes CFI focuses on prioritizing the fundamental literacy and numeracy skills of students, we believe that additional skills, such as English and Computer science are also essential for the future success of children. Private schools and courses offer these classes, but the families that CFI works with cannot afford to pay for these, which leaves young people with a big disadvantage compared to their peers.

English and digital literacy are crucial tools for today’s youth to succeed in their studies and often in their future professions, making it necessary skills to help them broaden their future prospects. 

Besides regular afternoon classes at the Learning Center, children also have the option to choose from other activities when they don’t have class. They can get support with their homework from teachers or interns, have access to the library where they can read books, do art, learn new things, play different games or simply spend time together with their friends.

At CFI we have Fun Fridays, when students take a break from regular classes in the afternoon and have the opportunity to choose from different types of activities each week, depending on their interests. Fun activities usually include playing in the garden or the library, playing football, dancing, singing, beading, getting creative with recycled material, doing karaoke, learning how to do the Rubik’s cube or watching movies together.

It is crucial for children to have enough time to relax and have fun, helping them to have a good balance so they can do well in other areas in their lives too.

CFI and the Learning Center team continue to work hard towards supporting children’s well-being and helping them achieve their goals, so they can become role models and the leaders of the future generation!