The Information Technology Scholarship Foundation (ITSF) is a local organization offering non- profit, non-partisan, non-governmental support to promote education services and vocational skills to poor people through sustainable integrated development programs. The organization was initiated by a team of six youths with a high commitment to rehabilitation and rural development in equal education services and promotes community livelihood and the importance of access to technology by community members. Information Technology Scholarship Foundation (ITSF) evolved from The Oxford School and Kindergarten program based in Chamkar Leu District, Kampong Cham Province which was established in 2005, an established English and Computer training Programme that trained over 1,000 students through the last 4 years. ITSF became recognized by the Ministry of Interior on January 20, 2010.
Vision:
Cambodian people are able to exchange the current and important information to the world and participate in social accountabilities, moreover, to be able to improve the standard of living, self reliance, and to be able to develop their community.
Mission:
ITSF is to focus on vocational training especially Information Technology (IT) awareness program; demonstrate a model of IT advocacy for social accountabilities; and support a sustainable holistic integrated-community development program to remote areas in order to access education for all and rural development.
Goal:
For Cambodian people to be equal members of the global community who are fully able to participate in worldwide communication and combine families' economic enhancement with unity of peace, human rights and prosperity.
Core Values:
ITSF subscribes to a set of core beliefs that informs and guides ITSF staff members in carrying out their responsibilities and working with local communities, all level partners, and other constituents. Those values are as follows:
Transparency
Gender Sensitivity
Justice
Tolerance
Inclusiveness
Consultation and participation
Respect
Responsiveness
Learning
Ownership
Non-partisanship
Our Approach
ITSF wishes to contribute to the nation's development efforts through collaboration with the Government. In this way, we hope to develop and coordinate the work both with IT specialist private sectors, and local and International NGOs. We encourage these different sectors to cooperate with each other to achieve our mission.
Our Beneficiary Projects
Vocational Training Centre (VTC) Project: This project is focused on developing young people's skills through its IT Training Program (ITTP). The project also provides training to strengthen English for business communication, provides business consultation and technical assistance on how to communicate using the World Wide Web to exchange knowledge and skills. This project also helps to reduce unemployment among youths through working with prospective employers and creating employment opportunities for youths.
Research indicates that a lot of businesses and organizations will come to Cambodia in the coming years to do businesses. These organizations will set up offices to engage in business and will require a strong, educated workforce with excellent written and verbal English who are able to work comfortably in an office environment and participate on at a global level. ITSF will empower them by providing these skills and creating competent employees. Our training will focus on students from high school and universities as well as government workers.
In order to achieve this, ITSF is sub-divided into the following programme:
a/ IT Awareness Program (ITAP)- This programme is to improve awareness of IT among young people through ITSF skills training curriculum standard in both theory and practical methods. The course includes:
o Office Secretarial Skills
o Accounting Skills
o Design layout and Printing skills
o Repairing and Networking skills
o Programming and Database Development skills
o Web Page Design skills
All core study areas will include how to use internet search tools, email communication and other technical communication in order to exchange information and knowledge.
In addition to the above course, ITSF provides English classes to students, in order to enable them to understand the information when using the internet and to relate with E-friends in order to use it in daily communication in working environment.
Other topics to be covered include:
- How to write a CV and Cover letter for jobs
- Personal Development Workshop.
- Reproductive Health and Birth-spacing
- How to Initiate a small business
b/ IT Solution Programme (ITSP)- This program aims to strengthen IT skills to enable students to become professionals through a more involved internship with an IT specialist partner of ITSF This helps our target group to learn about income generation using IT opportunities such as Database Management, Website Development, Computer Repairs and Maintenance, Network development and Design layout and printing.
c/ Employment Service Program (ESP)-This programme aims to promote employment amongst young people through developing their capacity to meet the employer's criteria and conditions. ITSF will network with the Recruitment Agencies and directly with employers.
d/ Integrated Community Development Project (ICD Model)-This project works through the community development process to enable people to work collaboratively with their neighbours to identify opportunities for growth related to their abilities to access food, clothes, health care and education. Their families members are taught to work cooperatively through expert advice and technical and advisory support aimed at the specific target groups in the community.
To achieve this ITSF is going to deliver the following development programmes:
1/ Village Pre-School program - This program is to provide vulnerable children under the age of 6 with the opportunity to attend pre-school in their own village. Previously Kindergarten has not been available to these children.
Kindergartens prepare children for a lifetime of learning. Kindergarten classes help children form a habit of coming to school regularly. Educators trained by ITSF nurture the innate creativity of children and prepare them for the rigors of primary education and beyond. ITSF sponsored Kindergartens make learning joyful and effective, which encourages the holistic development of the child. Children who have passed through the Kindergarten program develop good study habits, health practices and socialization that will serve them throughout their lives.
Child nutrition and healthcare- Included in the Pre-School Program, ITSF offers a snack during class break to strengthen the nutrition of the child in order to help them develop immunity to basic diseases and to be nourished and healthy. Additionally, the local referral hospitals in each commune were contacted to serve the basic healthcare service by being free of charge to the kids learning in ITSF pre-village school. This can improve the health condition of the child and they will become healthy without any harmful viruses.
2/ Scholarships program- Housing and support for orphans, vulnerable children living in the poorest families and adults with a disability. This shall be included in the kindergarten facility, including staff and education and orphans housing areas.
• Community Scholarships: With community scholarships students are paired with sponsors from overseas countries. But, while the sponsorships do provide direct support for the student they also help finance school rehabilitation, teacher training and other activities in ITSF's Education Program. Additionally, most of the students in this program are children of women involved in ITSF's Women's Development Program; this makes the experiences of mothers and their children mutually reinforcing.
• Womens Scholarships: Helping the women organize into women's groups is especially difficult, so ITSF provides a scholarship for one daughter of each woman as an incentive for them to become involved. This strengthens the women's groups while increasing school enrolments from these marginalized community members.
• Higher Education Scholarships: Through a rigorous selection process needy but excellent students are given the opportunity to continue their education for two years in university after successful completion of the High School Certificate (HSC) exam.
3/ Women's Empowerment program- The effect of these programs on the lives of women and whole communities is profound. Through their newfound skills and income, women are able to fulfill many of the basic needs of the family. Access to credit allows them to start other productive activities and steadily increase their incomes. Through their achievements, they build not only their self-esteem, but become more respected by the men in their lives which place them at a more equitable level in Cambodian society. Finally, they begin to act independently and with confidence.
Advisory Board
Ms. Jo Baker
Mr. Penn Kongkea
Oknha Um Pros,
Governance Committees
Mr. Ean Pheara, Executive Director
Mr. Yem Kim Yen, Deputy Director
Mr. Dith Sareth, Fundraising/Public Relation Manager
Miss. Sok Raksa, Admin & Financial Manager
Mr. Yea Chitra, ICD Model Manager
Mr. Ty Sengdy, Vocational Training Centre Manager
Funding Sources
- Membership Association
- ITSF Income Generation
- Oknha Um Pros Foundation
- Donation in Kinds
Contact
Information Technology Scholarship Foundation
Head Office
#62,St.156, Sangkat Phsar Depo II, Khan Toul Kork
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Tel: 012 912 891, 012 977 542
Email: info.itsf.org@gmail.com
Website: www.itsfcambodia.org
