by Arrow Hargis | Mar 31, 2026
My name is Arrow Hargis, I’m an 18-year-old Princeton University student. I have the privilege to volunteer at Phare Ponlue Selapack and teach art to kids. I teach with Lokru Lao, one of the founders of Phare and a former student of the French humanitarian Véronique...
by Alexander SOUN | May 31, 2025
What makes a place so special that it keeps calling you back? For Gabriel Monson, a 72-year-old traveler from Australia, Phare Ponleu Selpak became more than just a stop on her journey. It is a community that feels like home. What began as a simple visit turned into...
by Zoe García | Apr 1, 2025
Nestled along the peaceful Sangker River, Battambang is a charming town that often goes unnoticed by travelers but offers a unique experience for those who visit. Known for its relaxed atmosphere, stunning architecture, and lively arts scene, this small yet...
by Clémence DEVILLE | Oct 14, 2024
If your mornings were gently filled with the sound of prayers and sacred chants, you were likely in Cambodia, near a pagoda, during the sacred period of Pchum Ben. This essential festival for honoring ancestors attracts thousands of people to temples between September...
by Clémence DEVILLE | Oct 14, 2024
At the heart of Khmer mythology there is a fascinating legend: the union between the Indian prince Kaundinya and the Naga princess Soma. Thousands of years ago, Cambodia was an island occupied by the Naga, half-human, half-serpent creatures, venerated as the...
by CHIERN Piseth Samphallyka | Apr 24, 2024
Every year in mid-April, Cambodians celebrate the traditional holiday known as Khmer New Year – or Songkran – over the course of three festive days. The holiday is rooted in Buddhist traditions and is an important time for Cambodians to get back together with their...
by CHAN Rattanakoudom | Nov 8, 2023
If you’re ever traveling to Battambang in October, you might hear people talking about the water festival – or you might find yourself caught in the middle of it unknowingly if you’re down by the Sangker River and surrounded by racing boats and cheering crowds. ...
by CHAN Rattanakoudom | Oct 26, 2023
Pchum Ben Festival is a fifteen-day Khmer festival that honors the memory and legacy of the seven generations of ancestors for many people in Cambodia. About 60 members of the Phare Ponleu Selpak community, mostly including Phare Kindergarten, practiced and...
by Emma Perry | Oct 19, 2023
The campus of Phare Ponleu Selpak is home to volunteers from Cambodia and all around the world. This week we’re proud to interview KIM Eunkyoo from South Korea who’s helping change lives through the arts across a few different subjects. Across the table, KIM Eunkyoo...
by Olivia AUDO | Sep 27, 2023
Khmer culture is an essential source of inspiration for art students at Phare Ponleu Selpak. The architecture inherited from their ancestors is present throughout Cambodia, and is often found in temples and places of religious worship. A Special School Trip to...
