The area underneath a stilted home adjacent to Wat Mon Thyean Primary School has been converted into a temporary classroom. You won't find ordinary, young students in this classroom, though. Starting the week of June 9, community members – including men and women, literate and illiterate -- and the Wat Mon Thyean School Support Committee convene here twice per week to learn about construction, specifically, construction of schools.

With ground-break for the new Wat Mon Thyean classrooms scheduled for the end of June, SCC's construction engineer, Bunrith, is preparing the community to communicate with contractors, manage contracts, and monitor construction. Some community members will be hired by the contractor as laborers to build the new classrooms, while others, specifically the School Support Committee, will play a key role in ensuring that the school is built to specification. SCC's approach of engaging the community in the construction process helps instill the community's sense of ownership, which is necessary for long-term sustainability of the school.

Bunrith talks to community members about the elements of a contract in one of the first sessions of construction training: