COMMUNITY SERVICES PROJECT REPORT - APRIL 2010

Dear All,                                                                                   

Thank you for your continued support of the Laem Tong International Community Resource Centre Project on Ko Phi Phi Island, started by students of The Regent’s School Pattaya in 2007.  Whilst many schools who have joined us are from The Round Square organisation, students and staff from FOBISSEA schools are getting increasingly involved.   I send this report to update everyone on the project and to also inform you of the upcoming developments and the plans for 2010. Also thank-you to those FOBISSEA schools who have contributed sponsorship.

1.       Stage 7 of the project was successfully completed during the first couple of weeks of February.  Two  Schools worked together on this stage of the project; these were Regent’s Bangkok and Bermuda High School for Girls from Bermuda.

2.       Stage 8 took place during the second and third weeks of March 2010.  Lakefield College in Canada and The Regent’s School Pattaya worked on the project with the British Curriculum International School in Phuket and a group from United World College School in Singapore also joining them.   

3.       Stage 9 will take place towards the end of June 2010 / early July, schools are welcome to join Regent’s Pattaya on the project, which traditionally this has been the most popular time of the year for schools to participate with groups coming from countries such as: India, Japan, Malaysia and Brunei.  The Alice Smith School in Malaysia has already confirmed their participation on this stage of the project as has Garden International School also in Malaysia (who are planning to refit the school library as well).

4.       Stage 10 will be a pre-conference project in early October 2010 with a "topping off" ceremony. As there will be many Round Square schools coming to Thailand for the conference at Regent’s Pattaya, these RS schools have already signed up to participate on this project:  The Armidale School, Bunbury School, Southport School (all Australia), Louisenlund School, Salem School (both Germany), Lakefield College (Canada) and Regent’s Pattaya.

 Phase two of the project will then be launched during the Round Square Conference at Regent's Pattaya on Monday, 11th October with a celebration ceremony to commemorate the achievement of the last 2 and a half years. All schools that have participated in the project are welcome to send a representative person or group to this celebration.

 Any other FOBISSEA school that would like to support Baan Laem Tong and be involved in the Community Centre project either through financial or physical participation please contact Paul Crouch at: pcrouch@regents.ac.th

http://phiphi-design-workshop.blogspot.com/

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FOBISSEA Community Service Coordinator’s Meeting – Regent’s School, Pattaya

 The first ever meeting of service coordinators from FOBISSEA schools took place from the 24^th – 26^th September 2009 at The Regent’s School, Pattaya, on the Eastern Seaboard of Thailand.  The idea of the meeting was to bring like-minded educators together who have similar roles within their schools to connect their students with the local and wider FOBISSEA communities.  As part of the strategic plan of the organization the idea to collaborate our ideas and initiatives on community service and partnerships can only strengthen this very important part of education and social responsibility, therefore creating many more opportunities for FOBISSEA students to engage with our community partners.

More than 25 teachers and head teachers attended the meeting representing FOBISSEA schools from: Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore.  Each person brought with them their own experiences and visions of how their students should work with community partners and what the ultimate goals and outcomes should be.  A range of workshops was offered over the three days that varied from The Regent’s students own ideas of community service and real life experiences to group discussions on the obstacles and opportunities of making partnerships to practical workshops within the Pattaya community with some of Regent’s very own community partners.  Father Joe Maier and Khun Usanee from the Human Development Foundation in Bangkok very kindly gave up their valuable time to join a session and explain their view point as a community partner and how they would like to see any future partnerships materialize in the future.

The outcome of the meeting focused on a few key points to take forward within FOBISSEA and to ensure that the energy and ideas from this first meeting are built upon and fully utilized.  It is very much hoped that a similar meeting will take place early next year at another FOBISSEA school and that a set of guidelines (code of conduct) will compliment the strategic plan for community service encouraging all FOBISSEA schools to proactively engage their communities.  A Google Group is also being established to share and collaborate on ideas and already successful projects being organized by schools.  All member schools are also encouraged to complete a record sheet of current community partners and projects for their schools to allow a central database of FOBISSEA partners and projects to be created.

If you would like any information about this meeting and the key points that are being taken forward with the strategic plan in mind please e-mail Paul Crouch at: pcrouch@regents.ac.th