Crafting Change: Shrewsbury Students Turn Recycled Art into Compassion

PHNOM PENH, February 2026 — Creativity and community service recently took center stage at Shrewsbury International School Phnom Penh. Members of the school’s innovative Eco Makers & Traders Club successfully launched a student-led enterprise project that combined sustainability with a heartfelt mission to support the Cambodian Children’s Fund (CCF).

Sustainability Meets Entrepreneurship

The project challenged students to view waste through a different lens, turning everyday items into artisanal goods. The initiative focused on three core pillars:

• Creative Upcycling: Students transformed recycled bottles and jars into vibrant, hand-painted vases and pen holders.
• Business Enterprise: The club moved beyond the “craft” by requiring students to handle the designing, pricing, and operational management of their own marketplace stall.
• The British National Curriculum in Action: This hands-on approach allowed students to apply mathematical, artistic, and social concepts from their curriculum to a real-world business scenario.

Making a Positive Impact

The ultimate goal of the stall was to raise funds for the Cambodian Children’s Fund, an organization dedicated to transforming the lives of the most impoverished children in the country. By using their “creativity for a meaningful cause,” Shrewsbury students demonstrated a deep lesson in compassion and a commitment to making a tangible impact on their peers in the community.