Our Solution How can we best help young villagers and migrants from Laos, Thailand and Myanmar? We encourage campers to learn to help themselves! They ‘Learn By Doing’ through tasks and activities. They learn English, how to use technology and the internet, and to discuss a range of topics – all at the same time! In our Learning Camps, everything is free! Campers live and learn for free: activities, lodging, food and fun is all free! Our camps follow three stages: Brainstorming: Campers learn about two specific topics (common camp themes are education through technology, environment, food and drinks and their effects on health) through activity-based learning, focused on finding, sharing, and discussing information. Activating: Campers work in teams to solve community problems related to the topics previously studied. They work on understanding the problem (cause-effect) and finding a feasible solution within their local context. Implementing: Teams work on solutions, evaluating pros, cons, and possible difficulties. They prepare a final presentation where we encourage critical thinking and ask them to evaluate possible questions that other teams might have. At the end of the camp, they have the opportunity to challenge other teams with questions in order to win the possibility to execute their projects hand-in-hand with OMP. Campers gain inspiration, important knowledge, and many skills in our Camps Task-Based ‘Learning by Doing’! Campers learn: ● How to s earch for information online, analyze, and solve problems, helping each other and helped by Openmind trainees, ex campers, and international volunteers. ● Make presentations and videos, share and debate with friends and online. ● English. ● Inspiration, confidence, critical and independent thinking. ● About the future, how jobs change, and new opportunities. ● About the environment, climate change, health, hygiene, and food. How you can help With a donation to support a camp, or volunteer at one! Sponsor a camp or a camper Volunteer at a camp or two

Creating Learners in Innovative Camps

A True Story

Message from our alumni James.

In 2014, I was a camper for the OMP English Camp. The camp went super well, I got to meet many interesting and talented volunteers, also got to make a lot of new friends there. My mind got opened and filled with inspiration, motivation and curiosity in learning English, I.T. and well-living skills.

Help us create lifelong learners who will become architects of their own futures.

Their Problem

The Poverty Trap

Poor parents in villages with poor schooling, few teachers and traditional teaching-by-rote means poor learning. Most children do not like to learn in this way. They never learn to speak English, much less how IT and internet can help them. Village and migrant children in Southeast Asia usually remain poor!

Inequalities

The richest 1% in Thailand own 67% of the wealth according to the Global Wealth Databook by Credit Suisse. Inequalities in wealth means inequalities in education.
Village children are isolated; do not learn about the world, are not interested to learn. They drop out.
The poor, the countryside is left behind.

Our Challenge

Inspiration and Opportunity

Our challenge is to inspire village and migrant boys and girls to want and be able to learn! To encourage and empower the young generation to take charge of their own learning.

EdTech

Modern learning and IT can be a poor child’s best friend! If girls and boys learn how to use their smartphones and the internet, learn how to learn, and study English, they can become the architects of their own futures! This is the challenge!

Our Solution

How can we best help young villagers and migrants from Laos, Thailand and Myanmar?

We encourage campers to learn to help themselves! They ‘Learn By Doing’ through tasks and activities. They learn English, how to use technology and the internet, and to discuss a range of topics – all at the same time!

In our Learning Camps, everything is free! Campers live and learn for free: activities, lodging, food and fun is all free!

Our camps follow three stages:

Brainstorming: Campers learn about two specific topics (common camp themes are education through technology, environment, food and drinks and their effects on health) through activity-based learning, focused on finding, sharing, and discussing information.
Activating: Campers work in teams to solve community problems related to the topics previously studied. They work on understanding the problem (cause-effect) and finding a feasible solution within their local context.
Implementing: Teams work on solutions, evaluating pros, cons, and possible difficulties. They prepare a final presentation where we encourage critical thinking and ask them to evaluate possible questions that other teams might have. At the end of the camp, they have the opportunity to challenge other teams with questions in order to win the possibility to execute their projects hand-in-hand with OMP.

Campers gain inspiration, important knowledge, and many skills in our Camps

Task-Based ‘Learning by Doing’! Campers learn:

● How to search for information online, analyze, and solve problems, helping each other and helped by Openmind trainees, ex campers, and international volunteers.

● Make presentations and videos, share and debate with friends and online.
● English.
● Inspiration, confidence, critical and independent thinking.
● About the future, how jobs change, and new opportunities.
● About the environment, climate change, health, hygiene, and food.

How you can help

With a donation to support a camp, or volunteer at one!

Sponsor a camp or a camper
Volunteer at a camp or two

Campers Say

The debates make me more confident. I learn English by searching, discussing, not by heart! First the volunteers teach me and then we have to search and find information and discuss with our friends before we present the information.

Camper Wha Wha debating health in English

Naw Wah Wah Camper from Myanmar

The camp made me more confident in myself it helped me to find the real true me. I now know what I want to do in my life and how I can use my abilities in my life for a better future.