PROGRAMS
Throughout the years, Vatt Khmer and Khmer American Cultural Center has been a catalyst in bringing families, young and elderly people, together to celebrate, remember and honor our ancestors, to develop and promote our unique Khmer cultural traditions, often time by renting space to host those activities. But, for a long time now, our community members, including the Buddhist monks, board of directors and supporters have always wished to build a permanent place of our own so that we can come together to celebrate our traditional culture, to honor our past, and to promote new way of life here in America.
Once we have our own space, we will develop and expand our programs and services to help teach our youth and help the families such as the followings:
Khmer Language Art
Teach youth and others to speak, read, and write Khmer language so that they can communicate with their elders in parent’s native language.
Khmer Cuisine & Cooking
Teach youth and others about Khmer cuisine art and cooking Khmer food by using whatever ingredients, vegetables, herbs and others available North America.
Khmer Arts, Ceramics, Painting
Engage elders to help youth and others about Khmer arts, including ceramics, painting, sculpture, knitting, sewing, and make traditional clothing and outfits for special events, ceremonies, celebrations and others.
Khmer Traditional Dance
Teach youth and others about Khmer traditional performances, include folks and classical dances that dated back to hundreds and thousands of years, as well as contemporary and social dances for social events.
Khmer Traditional Music
Teach youth and others Khmer traditional music by using Khmer musical instruments, such as Tro (two-string fiddle), Khimm (dulcimer), Roneat (xylophone), Takay (two-string zither), Chapey (long-neck guitar), Skor Dai (hand-drum), Chhayaim (Long-drum), Sompo (two-sided drum), Skor Thom (Big-drum), and many others.
Financial Literacy Education
Teach financial literacy to holistically help people create and protect wealth via building a strong financial foundation. We provide free financial workshops, including lessons on Building Savings and Wealth, Increasing Cash Flow and Managing Debt, Preparing with Proper Protection (health, income and assets, family), Your Health and Wealth, Understanding Asset Accumulation Strategies, and Fulfilling Long-Term Goals, and more.
Buddhist Scripture Learning
Teach youth, adults and others Buddhist Scripture since of the writing texts in the Tipitaka (Pali ti, "three," + pitaka, "baskets"), or Pali canon, which is the collection of primary Pali language texts which form the doctrinal foundation of Theravada Buddhism.
Mindfulness Meditation
Teach youth, adults and others about mindfulness meditation, or Vipassana, which means to see things as they really are, considered as one of India's most ancient techniques of meditation. It was rediscovered by Gotama Buddha more than 2560 years ago and was taught by him as a universal remedy for universal ills, i.e., an Art Of Living.
Cambodian Oral History
Teach youth and others about documenting Cambodia Elders about their experiences, histories, knowledge and other traditions, thus making it an Oral History of our Khmer Elders so that we can create, document, achieve and share them with the younger generations and others.
Gardening
Teach youth, adults and others gardening during the warmer months aimed at helping families with sustaining food, educating about nutrition and health issues, eating organic food and vegetables, and also about landscaping in our newly acquiring 12-acre of forest land along the Merrimack River in Lowell, MA.
Khmer Elder Care
Provide space for respite aimed at reducing loneliness, isolations and depression, and promoting support group among elders, plus others including language assistance, information of health care, mental, and medical services and others.
