The law college will host a benefit silent auction of Cambodian artwork from Feb. 20 through Feb. 24. The auction will feature artwork created by students from Phare Ponleu Selpak, a performing arts school in Battambang, and will be on display from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.daily in the College of Law’s Clemens Lounge.

Proceeds will be donated to two Cambodian schools, Phare Ponleu Selpak and a school started by the People Improvement Organization (PIO). 

Individuals who do not wish to bid or are unable to attend the event are still welcome to donate by contacting Julie Smith at [email protected].

Each painting on display in the auction was painted by a student at Phare Ponleu Selpak, a nonprofit Cambodian school that was started as a refugee camp in 1993. The school used art and dance to overcome the trauma of the Cambodian civil war and genocide.

The PIO was established in 2002 by Phymean Noun. PIO is committed to helping the street children of Phnom Penh, and the school provides elementary education, books, uniforms and food to the children who lived in the dump and surrounding slums.

Several ONU law students will share their experiences from the recent January Term trip to Cambodia during a presentation from noon to 1 p.m. on Feb. 20 in the Large Moot Courtroom. 

The trip is part of a seminar course, “Law and Culture in Southeast Asia,” which has been offered annually since 2014. The January Term is a three-week “bonus” semester that allows students to intensively study a subject that may exist outside of the traditional law school curriculum, and it provides opportunities for hands-on learning experiences and studying abroad.