Our History
Our story starts with our founders Trevor and Agnieszka Gile and their dream to reimagine what learning could be, and how it could be delivered in the 21st century. They worked with a global team to develop the Liger Learning model.
This model was first piloted in Cambodia at the original Liger Leadership Academy.
We are incredibly fortunate here in New Zealand to build off of a model that was not only celebrated as one of the top 100 innovative schools in the world (HundrED), but also one where over 80% of graduates have received full scholarships to some of the top universities worldwide.
Liger Leadership Academy Cambodia
Liger founders Trevor and Agnieszka Gile first visited Cambodia in 2002 and fell in love with the country and its people. Coming from humble beginnings in the Seattle area, Trevor recognized that the opportunities he had did not exist for those in the developing world. He believed that the big equalizer would be to provide opportunities for those who could take advantage of them. For Agnieszka, Cambodia reminded her of her home country of Poland with so many years of oppression and World War II genocide. She was determined to give the children of Cambodia this new opportunity.
Encouraged by the idea that the most effective form of aid is a hand up rather than a hand out, The Liger Charitable Foundation was formed with Liger Leadership Academy Cambodia as its pilot project. In 2009, Trevor and Agnieszka began extensive research and planning to develop the concept of Liger Leadership Academy Cambodia. Attracting a top-notch team of specialists from all areas of education and non-profit development, they created a new type of organization providing resources and guidance for promising children as a long-term investment to help the entire Cambodian society. Liger Leadership Academy Cambodia was opened in 2012
Our Beginnings
Have a read below to see a snapshot of the Liger Cambodia story. You can read Liger Cambodia’s full history on their website.
Beginnings
The Liger Charitable Foundation is established with its first and founding project as the Liger Learning Center. The organization’s mission is to invest in the education of a promising few who can become impactful change agents. The sustainable education model is built to be able to be replicated anywhere in the world. The Foundation purchases land on the outskirs of Cambodia's capital, Phnom Penh. Construction on the state of the art Liger Campus begins.
First Cohort Arrives
After the Liger team travels to 203 primary schools across Cambodia to interview 12,000 students, and test 4,000 students, 50 students are selected to receive a full residential scholarship. Those 50 students form the first cohort at Liger. Here, they begin their journey to become agents of change in Cambodia.
Liger Learning Recognised by the Cambodian Government
A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Ministry of Education Youth and Sport (MoEYS) is signed. This MOU exempts Liger students from national university qualifying tests and allows Liger International and National Diploma holders direct access to Cambodian University. Following the excellent academic results of our first cohort, the following year the Cambodian government declares in an official government edict that Liger diplomas are recognised and embeded in Cambodian law.
The Second Liger Cohort Arrives
60 new students arrive to start the first of their six years at Liger.
Liger is Featured on the BBC
Liger’s Director and two students are flown to the UK to be interviewed by various press organizations. Liger founder Trevor Gile and one Liger female student are interviewed on BBC World News.
Liger's First Cohort Graduates
Liger Cambodia Reaches Sustainability
After more than a decade of operating as a foundation and almost entirely reliant on international aid, the Liger Leadership Academy transitioned to a private secondary school (whilst retaining full educational scholarships for 60 students). Due to the overwhelming success of our learning model, a local educational partner (the American University of Phomh Penh) has enabled Liger to be self-sustainable, remain in Cambodia, and not reliant on international aid.
Liger Pathways
Our successful model has resulted in 103 graduates receiving NZ$9 million in scholarships to universities including…
