Working Together: French Volunteers Help Grow EYC’s STEM Program
As EYC’s STEM program has grown, French volunteers with technology backgrounds have played an important role in its development. Working alongside EYC’s Cambodian teachers, they bring expertise in coding, robotics, and engineering, introducing students to new areas of learning while helping EYC strengthen its curriculum and teaching capacity.
This year, Louis and Amelie became valued members of the STEM team.
Louis, a student at École Centrale de Lyon, volunteered with EYC for seven months in 2026. He taught Arduino classes, where students learn coding by building and programming their own projects. He also introduced 3D design classes, created science workshops for older students, organized two chess competitions, and joined students for science lab sessions at the Canadian International School.
Louis brought great energy and many new ideas to the program. Beyond the classes he taught, he worked closely with EYC’s teachers to build their confidence and improve workshop structure and teaching materials. He also developed an assessment for the first level of Arduino classes that the team can continue to use and adapt.
Amelie, who studied at INSA Lyon, volunteered with EYC for nearly a year through August 2026. She supported robotics classes, mentored individual students, and taught both introductory and advanced Arduino. She also helped students prepare projects for the Cambodia Robotics Olympiad, participated in science lab sessions, and shared her Canva skills with students and staff.
Amelie also put considerable time into strengthening EYC’s Arduino curriculum. She improved the introductory guide and created new materials for the advanced course, giving teachers resources they can keep using as students take on more challenging skills and projects.
Louis and Amelie’s contributions went well beyond providing extra help in the classroom. By working side by side with EYC’s teachers, they introduced new subjects, improved existing classes, and created resources that will remain useful after they leave. Along the way, they became trusted colleagues and built close relationships with students and staff.
Back at EYC: Familiar Faces, New Futures.
Those relationships often continue long after volunteers return home. This year, EYC was delighted to welcome back two former volunteers, William Srong and William Baird-Smith. Both returned to Cambodia on holiday and chose to spend part of their visits volunteering with EYC again.
William Srong returned in June, a year and a half after leaving EYC. Although Phnom Penh had changed, he was struck by EYC’s continued growth and the familiar sense of community he found on his return. He once again stood before students at Aziza, leading a leadership class discussion on what makes societies thrive.
“My visit to EYC this summer was short-lived, but it was enough to remind me that EYC is a place where students come to feel safe, to learn, and to enjoy their youth with their friends, teachers, and the volunteers I have been honored to be one of.”
William Baird-Smith returned in August, almost two years after leaving Phnom Penh. He saw younger students who had grown up, completed their final exams, and begun building their futures, while new students had filled the classrooms.
“Everyone still had the same positive attitude, the same drive to learn, and the same happy energy — just as I remembered it. It’s during moments like these that it’s easiest to see how EYC is not just a school; it’s a community and a support for everyone involved.”
Their return offered a meaningful reminder that volunteers do not simply contribute during their time in Cambodia and then move on. Many remain connected to EYC, carrying those relationships with them and returning when they can.
As Louis and Amelie return to France to complete their studies and consider what comes next, they leave behind a stronger STEM program and many students and colleagues who have learned alongside them. We are deeply grateful for everything they have contributed. We hope they carry some of EYC with them, just as their knowledge, ideas, and friendships will remain part of EYC.