At the Wassmuth Center for Human Rights, we believe education is a fundamental human right. Education shapes communities, advances dignity, and ensures that history’s hardest lessons are never forgotten. 

This conviction led us to Cambodia over spring break, where we guided a group of Idaho high school students on a journey to learn about the country’s history, culture, and resilience. This was also an opportunity to witness how a nation rebuilds after enduring one of the most devastating genocides of the twentieth century – brick by brick, classroom by classroom, student by student. 

The Cambodian genocide nearly erased an entire generation of scholars, teachers, and students. Schools were dismantled. Books were burned. Knowledge was silenced. In the years since, Cambodia has faced the extraordinary challenge of reconstructing an education system from the ground up. Today, education in Cambodia is not only about learning—it is an act of resilience and hope.

For our students, this experience far surpassed studying human rights violations in a textbook. We walked through genocide memorials in Phnom Penh, stood in the haunting silence of the Killing Fields, and looked into the eyes of survivors who continue to fight for a better future. The students wrestled with difficult but essential questions: How do we ensure education is never used as a tool of oppression? How do we protect the right to learn – both globally and in our local communities? 

One of the most transformative moments of our trip happened in a rural schoolyard outside Siem Reap. There, we delivered 208 bicycles and backpacks to children whose futures hinge on something as simple as a way to get to school. In Cambodia, access to education often depends on distance—if a child can’t walk there, they simply can’t go. Therefore, a bicycle is more than transportation; it is a bridge to learning, a tool of empowerment, and a symbol of possibility.

As we shared a meal, planted trees, played games, and spoke with students and teachers, we saw firsthand the impact of this simple but life-changing gift. One Boise student reflected, “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.”

Back home, at the Idaho Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial, the genocide wall stands as a solemn reminder of the devastating cost of hatred, silence, and indifference. The names etched there are not just history – they are a warning. They compel us to recognize that injustice is not confined to the past. It is a continuous challenge that demands our vigilance. And education remains one of the most powerful tools we have to build a future where such atrocities are never repeated.

The lessons we bring home from Cambodia reinforce this truth. We are challenged to ask: How do we protect education and human rights in our local communities? How do we ensure that all children, no matter where they live, have the opportunity to learn and thrive? 

This journey is only the beginning. We invite you to join us. Together, we can safeguard education as a human right – in Cambodia, in Idaho, and in every place children dream of a better future.