Canadian International School of Phnom Penh Celebrates 10-Year Anniversary

Increase in enrolment and ongoing innovation signify bright future

(Phnom Penh) - The Canadian International School of Phnom Penh (CIS) marked its 10th anniversary with a reception in its Black Box Theatre on November 3, 2022. His Royal Highness Prince Sisowath Tesso directed a performance by the Princess Buppha Devi Dance School. The ceremony was presided by H.E. Dr. Hang Chuon Naron, Minister of Education, Youth and Sport, who offered remarks to the distinguished guests in attendance. The reception was the culmination of a series of special events celebrating the school’s decennial.

CIS has grown in the last 10 years from an initial class of only 8 students in its modest Bassac Garden Campus into several cohorts on 3 Campus in Koh Pich, Olympia City and Bassac Garden, reaching over 850 students this year.  

The School’s vision to elevate the standard of education and being able to provide international programs to Cambodian and International Communities has become a reality but the best is yet to come.  

Today, CIS provides several Bi-Lingual Programs including English-French, English-Chinese Mandarin, English-Khmer, among the most popular curriculums. Indeed, the cohorts include no less than 32 different nationalities. It has plans for growth for the next ten years, including exchange programs with Canada, additional programs related to Arts and Culture.

Members of the CIS Board of Directors, some of whom had travelled to Cambodia for the reception, reflected on the school’s development. “After 10 years, CIS has taken its rightful place as one of the top schools in Phnom Penh because it has never lost sight of what it means to provide students with the education necessary to reach for their dreams,” said Board Member Donna Trafford. Ms. Trafford was the first head of school at CIS and is based in Nova Scotia, Canada.  

The whole of the CIS community–faculty, staff, parents and students–recently came together for the 10th Anniversary Family Day. Games, performances and lunch at the expansive Koh Pich campus were enjoyed by all. “My children are still talking about how much they enjoyed Family Day!,” said Lisa, Garofolo, teacher-librarian at CIS. “While they certainly enjoyed all of the activities and festivities of the day, what made the biggest impression was the sense of community that they came away. The 10th Anniversary Family Day event was a beautiful moment to bring our school community together.”

The future of CIS is bright. Enrolment continues to increase and new initiatives, such as the Artist in Residence Program, bring excitement and innovation. "I don't think I'd be the person I am today if I didn't attend CIS,” said CIS student Morkot Sopha. “CIS offers a number of different options for me and my peers to experience and find what interests us most!" "The CIS community is extremely welcoming, creating a respectful and safe environment" commented CIS Student Emma Yee.  

CIS was OCIC Group’s first venture into Education in 2012, and has since, added the Ecole Française Internationale (EFI) in 2015 in Koh Pich, and recently launched Cambodia University of Science and Technology (CamTech) in Chroy Changvar. OCIC Group is strongly committed to continue to invest into Education, Innovation, Art and Culture in Cambodia to contribute to position the country as a driving force in terms of human resources and human skills in the region in the years to come.  

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For further information, please contact:

Ms. Leah Dushenski (English)

Head of School, CIS  

leah.dushenski@cisp.edu.kh, +855 (0)92 218 210  

About CIS

The Canadian International School of Phnom Penh (CIS) is a growing community to over 850 students from Nursery through Grade 12. Our student body comprises 32 nationalities. The school has three, centrally located campuses with world-class facilities in the heart of Phnom Penh. We follow the Alberta (Canadian) curriculum and, as an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School, deliver the IB Diploma Programme.

CIS, is committed to high-quality international education. The school is proud to be one of 16 international schools accredited by Alberta Education. It was the first school in Cambodia to receive the Label France Éducation seal from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs in recognition of its French Bilingual Program in 2019. In March 2021, CIS became an authorized IB World School. It will be offering its first IB and Alberta high school diplomas in June 2023.

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