The Khmer Culture Institute (KCI), is a Cambodian non-profit organization located in Lowell which is working to help refugees and immigrants assimilate into American society. KCI was founded in 1994 by a group of Cambodian public teachers and administrators in Lowell, Massachusetts which has the second largest Cambodian community in the U.S.
KCI began work by helping to prepare school age Cambodians in Lowell for higher educational advancement. The founding purpose of KCI was to promote higher education in the U.S. while preserving the Cambodian cultural heritage.
In addition, KCI is working to develop modern teaching methods within Cambodia by providing computers, software, and current textbooks. To contact any of the core members of KCI please send e-mail to:
| Chath pierSath at Chat4peace@aol.com | Steve Berwick at asia@asialink.mv.com |
| Dennis Hallinan at kimlyon@aol.com | Alan Morgan at amorgan@shaysnet.com |
| Ken Nicewicz at nicewica@fnr.umass.edu | Arn Chorn Pond at arn4peace@aol.com |
| Seng Ty at Sty98@Massed.net | Tooch Van at toochvan@hotmail.com |
| Carlha Vickers at asia@asialink.mv.com |
The mission of KCI is to emphasize the value of public education within the Cambodian population in the United States and in Cambodia. The educational programs support and maintain the strong cultural traditions of the Cambodian people. In support of this goal we:
Khmer Text Books - Reprint and distribute Khmer textbooks, story books, and other educational material for use in the Lowell Public School system.
Summer Youth Theater Project - Through a grant from the Parker Foundation a summer youth theater program for Cambodian gang youths and other "at risk" youths in Lowell was established. The result of this program was the show Ghetto, which was presented at the first Southeast Asian Water Festival, held in Lowell, Massachusetts in 1997. The play was based on the life stories of the participants and was written by Chath pierSath and was produced and directed by Barry Marshall and Arn Chorn Pond. This play dealt with the violence that young people face in society today and the various peaceful solutions available to them.
Cambodia Sister Project - Hosted the director of the Cambodian Volunteers for Community Development (CVCD) on a national fund raising tour across the U.S. KCI helped raise more than $40,000 from private foundations, companies, and individuals for a sister project in Phnom Penh.
Educational Assistance - KCI organized the shipment of 40 computers to CVCD to start-up their computer training program in Phnom Penh. Our outreach program linked up with the International School in Malaysia and Singapore to provide training to CVCD's English teachers.
KCI also developed an ESL program for CVCD. The program was designed to teach English to the most needy people in Cambodia, including the street children. Outreach workers and government workers have also utilized the program.
Cambodian Master Performers Program - To document and archive the work of artists who survived the Khmer Rouge regime. The goal is to provide them with finances, space, technology, and people to continue the tradition.
ESL on Wheel - KCI has received funds from the Lowell Enterprise Community to design and create a personal learning environment that is interactive, fun and relevant to the needs and challenges facing the targeted population (young parents, welfare-to-work recipients, elders, at risk youths, etc.). Through this program, volunteers and teachers will mentor participants and learn from one another to reduce cultural isolation associated with an inability to communicate in English.
Khmer Text Books - To extend the reprinting, publishing, and distribution of Khmer textbooks beyond Lowell, Massachusetts.
Summer School Exchange Program - To sponsor Cambodian students from Cambodia to attend the regional summer school programs.
Technology Center - Establishment of a technology center in Lowell, Massachusetts that will provide basic computer education to all minorities in the city.
Civic Education Institute - To teach and strengthen, through grassroots efforts, democratic processes and governance within Cambodia society.
Pre-School Project - Through a joint collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports Service, we are designing and implementing a comprehensive child and family development program that provides hope, support, and opportunity for Cambodian children and their families, ages 3 through 6. This will be provided through high quality services that will include: education, health, nutrition, family social services, disability services, and job training and skills development for parents of the children in the program.