About
The Program
Projects with Underserved Communities (PUC) is a unique program at The University of Texas at Austin that combines the two challenges of community need and student enrichment in an innovative project-based, service-learning collaboration between the International Office, the Cockrell School of Engineering, and the Steve Hicks School of Social Work. This innovative yearlong course hones students’ leadership skills and cultural competency—both vital when competing in an increasingly global job market—while providing much-needed services to communities in developing countries. Projects have been successfully implemented in partnership with communities in 10 countriues, serving more than 18,300 people worldwide.
The Community
The Ban Thap Ta Thaen school is located in the Suphan Buri Province of Thailand in the city of Thap Luang. The school offers a fun, safe learning environment for children ranging from Kindergarten to 6th grade. The classes students take range from English language to music. In particular, the children are excited to practice their English skills with the PUC students from the United States!
The children who attend the Ta Thaen school come from impoverished families. Many of the students live in separated families, leaving them in the care of elderly relatives while their parents live and work in the metroplex of Bangkok. Consequently, the lunch the children receive from the school is often their only meal of the day.
Our Project
The PUC team will be building a new kitchen with the intent of helping the school provide this very important meal to the children as safely and efficiently as possible. Currently, the only sink in the school community is located near the bathroom, and school staff obtain water for cooking from this bathroom sink. As a result, the school has failed the government’s food safety tests. Our new kitchen will resolve this issue by providing a sink dedicated to cooking and washing dishes. Furthermore, the team will build a new dedicated water line for the sink to ensure water quality. The increased counter size and serving window will allow the school’s cook to prepare and distribute meals for the children in a more efficient and sanitary manner.
Our Partners
In order to effectively meet the needs and expectations of the Ta Thaen community, the PUC team will partner with our in-country contact, the New Life Church in Suphan Buri. The Church consistently works with the school to develop lesson plans and activities for the children as well as to improve facilities. By closely communicating and collaborating with the Church, we will be able to understand what the community wants as we develop the kitchen design.
Pastors Mike and Dar (pictured left) are kindly offering their home during our stay in Thailand. They are the most selfless and caring people in the world. Khem (pictured right) is coordinating all of the logistics for our stay in Thailand. He accompanies us to the project worksite and drives us to and from the church every day. Together the three of them make a great team and welcome us with open arms. Our project would not be possible without them.