Our Own Projects (OOPs) is a volunteering team founded by the university students who have been active in many social activities such as FAAC and AIESEC, etc. This group has a mission to provide students, particularly fresh high school graduates and early university students with additional skills and experience to challenge in the cyber-competitive world. Its 1st ever project is launched from August 1st-4th, 2011 at University of Puthisastra regarding a short training workshop on self-improvement toward some selected high school graduates. Focusing on the themes “Leadership, Communication, Teamwork, and Volunteerism”, the 4-day project finishes with a huge success.

The special feature of the training workshop is the bringing of a new idea concerning the lecturing to participants by a different way. Rather than just sit and listen boringly, the participants involve in many fun but useful and theme-related activities and games, which they learn unknowingly and enjoyably. Starting off with the 1st theme “Leadership”, the workshop is handled by Mr. Chuop Mithona on day one. With this theme, the participants do learn about what leadership really is and what its benefits are. In addition, they also get involved in a few leadership-building activities which give them more practical concept about the theme. On day 2, Mr. Chhim Sochraksmey responsibles for the theme “Communication”. Not quite different, the participants also learn some useful concepts of communication and negotiation throughout many fun and related activities. Even more, Mr. Tin Kolmen takes up Day 3 on theme “Teamwork”. Well-related to the first two themes, this theme guides participants to look into the core benefits of teamwork over group work, and especially its necessity in real life academic and working environment. Last but not least, Ms. Ly Dalin takes the stage on the final day focusing on the theme “Volunteerism”. With this theme, participants are instilled with the sense of volunteerism, and the real advantage of it for not only individual but the society as a whole. Each lecturing theme consists of different fun activities and games, and the participants enthusiastically involve in all these activities. Everyone is very brave and show their strong cooperation and creativity, which is a great encouragement propelling all the speakers to try their best despite their tiredness.

In overall, the 4-day training workshop is completed successfully and smoothly more than what was expected. The trainers and participants get to know each other well, and have built up tons of good memories in spite of a very short time. The participants admit to have learned a lot from this workshop, and they make a firm promise that they will surely apply it in their own life. Therefore, although being a small scale, this first project proves out to be a very useful contribution to the development of the society, especially regarding the human resources. This is what a simple group of university seniors could initiate by themselves in achieving their firm belief that “We can make impossible possible.”