The Overlake School and Cambodia

The Overlake School is located in a suburb of Seattle, called Redmond. It's one of those schools you need to be incredibily smart to get accepted to, not to mention the high cost of attending. Even though they are a very elitist school, that doesn't mean that they are elitist in their actions. The Overlake School values community more then any school I have ever seen do. They have a project week, where students have a week to travel, learn and help people in need. Many alumni and teachers start community projects and many students join in helping them. Whether it's helping local shelters or helping arborists with environmental projects, you name it and they'll join in helping.

The Overlake School has recently received quite a bit of press, from ABC News to the New York Times because of their latest venture. The students at Overlake School joined up with the head of the school Francisco Grijalva in raising money to start a school in Cambodia. Cambodia is not just a country that is impoverished, it's also a country that leaves its young female citizens vulnerable to sex trafficking. Many people believe that one way to combat sex trafficking is to educate young women. Sex traffickers tend to pray upon uneducated and very poor girls. Overlake didn't intend to end the nasty cycle of sex trafficking they just wanted to educate people, but their actions will help young girls who otherwise would have been suceptible to sex trafficking.
The students at Overlake held bake sales, and talent contests and finally raised enough money to take advantage of a grant the World Bank gives. The school raised $15,500 and the World Bank matched $14,000. American dollars go far in Cambodia and this was enough money to get the school built. The students and faculty continue to visit the school. Back in 2006, Francisco Grijalva and many students went to the school armed with computers and were able to set up electricity for the school. The Overlake School continues to pay the yearly salary for the English teacher, which is $2,000 a year. The Overlake School has made a difference in people's lives. They may have prevented women from being reeled in by sex traffickers, they have been able to educate young girls and boys who may not have had the opportunity. I hope other schools will take advantage of grants that the World Bank offers. I hope other schools will be a glowing example for others to follow like Overlake has become.