H-RISE Leadership Program
Human Rights International Service-Learning Education
The Human Rights International Service-Learning Education (H-RISE) Leadership Program is not your typical extracurricular or travel opportunity. It’s a powerful, year-long experience for high school students who are ready to lead with courage, compassion, and a global perspective. Blending rigorous learning, international immersion, and community-based leadership, H-RISE equips students to become human rights leaders—youth who not only understand injustice but are prepared to respond to it and help build a world where human rights are a lived reality for all.
The journey begins in the fall with a hybrid course that introduces students to the foundations of human rights. Through the lens of Cambodia’s rich culture and complex history, students explore key frameworks such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Spiral of Injustice. They engage with the legacy of the Khmer Rouge genocide, as well as Cambodia’s ongoing efforts toward justice, healing, and reconciliation. Along the way, students develop essential skills in critical thinking, cultural understanding, and ethical leadership. Upon completion, they earn an International Human Rights Leadership Certificate.
From May 28–June 11, 2026, students take part in a life-changing, two-week international experience in Cambodia. The trip begins in Siem Reap, home to the ancient Angkor Wat temples, and continues to Battambang, where students engage in hands-on service—including distributing bicycles to rural students through the Pedals and Packs Program. The journey concludes in Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital, where the past and future of human rights come vividly into view.
While abroad, students meet with community leaders, NGO staff, and government officials. They visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, tour the Landmine Detection Center, and witness firsthand the resilience of communities working toward recovery. They also experience the vibrancy of Cambodian culture—visiting a traditional dance school, silk farm, silver village, and even learning to cook Cambodian dishes from local chefs. These powerful encounters help students develop a richer, more nuanced understanding of Cambodia’s past and present, deepening their appreciation for the country’s complex history and ongoing pursuit of healing and justice.
But the impact doesn’t stop there.
When students return home, they carry with them a broadened worldview, a deepened sense of empathy, and a renewed commitment to human rights. Drawing on what they’ve learned, each student designs and leads a service project addressing a human rights issue in their own Idaho community.
H-RISE is for students who are ready to rise—to step forward as thoughtful, informed, and committed leaders in a complex and interconnected world.
Overview:
- Join an inspiring group of local high school students who are ready to learn, serve, and lead for human rights
- Engage in a hybrid course to earn the Wassmuth Center’s International Human Rights Leadership Certificate
- Travel to Cambodia from May 28 – June 11, 2026 (two weeks)
- Design and lead an impactful human rights initiative when you return to Idaho
- Rolling admissions begin May 28
- Program is limited to 18 students and will be led by 3 highly qualified educators
- Cost is $4,995 and all students who are accepted before August 1, 2025 will receive a $500 scholarship, bringing the cost down to $4,495 (includes roundtrip airfare from Boise to Cambodia, 4.5 star hotel accommodations, all meals, entrance fees, private tour guide, certificate course, and post-trip human rights project support)
- A $495 deposit is required to hold your spot and the remaining payments are spread out over the next year
- Rising 9th – 12th grade Treasure Valley students are invited to apply
What is Pedals and Packs?
Thirty years ago, Cambodia emerged from a brutal regime that resulted in complete destruction of schools. Since then, rebuilding the country’s educational system has been a top priority and considerable improvements have been made.
However, despite these efforts, Cambodia’s education sector remains blemished by limited access to quality instruction, inadequate school facilities and high dropout rates. Access to and completion of primary school remain a pressing dilemma. Getting to a school where students can complete upper primary grades may mean traveling far from home. Having a bicycle is more than a child’s wish; it is a student’s transportation to his or her future.
Each $75 donation to Pedals and Packs will provide one student in Cambodia with a bicycle and backpack – and one less obstacle on the road to an education.
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Donate a Bicycle
Each $75 donation to Pedals and Packs will provide one student in Cambodia with a bicycle and backpack – and one less obstacle on the road to an education.
I knew that education could change lives, but I had never seen it so clearly before. Watching these kids climb onto their bikes, knowing they now had a way to reach school, made me realize how much I take for granted and how hard I want to work to make education accessible for more kids.
-Idaho High School Student