BLK’s Journey
Welcome to BLK's Journey, a language and cultural school founded in 2016 with two locations in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. We are a 100% Khmer-owned and managed business dedicated to helping expats feel at home by bridging the gap between language, culture, and community. We offer a comprehensive learning program with trained teachers and regular assessments to help you confidently reach your language goals. However, we're more than just a school—we're a community hub. We provide a space where you can get answers to questions about Cambodian culture and daily life, and we host optional workshops and community events to help you engage with locals and fellow expats. We want to help you make Cambodia your second home. Our commitment extends beyond our students; we believe in giving back by supporting two education NGOs in Siem Reap. Join us and start your journey of understanding Cambodia, one conversation at a time.
My name is Seng Keom Hong, and my journey as a teacher began in 2012, in the bustling city of Battambang. For years, I traveled from cafe to cafe, tutoring expats and helping them learn the Khmer language. My work was fulfilling, but as my students became more fluent, I found myself with fewer new opportunities. I felt a strong sense that I had more to give, that my passion and skills as an educator weren't being fully utilized.
This feeling led me to Siem Reap in 2016. The response was incredible. Soon, I was teaching for ten hours a day, yet it still wasn't enough to meet the demand. Expats were constantly calling, eager to learn. It was then that a new dream was born: I wanted to create the best Khmer language school in Siem Reap. But my vision was about more than just teaching; it was about empowering the next generation of Cambodian teachers. I wanted to create a place where young people could gain professional skills, find stable jobs, and earn an income to support their education.
In 2017, with the full support of my former students, I opened the doors to BLK School. My initial goal was simple: to help foreigners understand the language and feel comfortable living in Cambodia. I knew that language was the key to unlocking doors and connecting with the Cambodian people.
As our school grew, so did my vision. We moved to a bigger building, and I began to see BLK as more than just a place to study. I wanted it to be a safe haven where students could not only learn the language but also find answers about life in Cambodia. I wanted to help them dive deep into our culture and traditions, to the point where they would consider Cambodia their second home.
Year after year, our school continued to grow. By 2022, with a team of incredible teachers and wonderful leaders running the school smoothly, I felt it was time for my next step. My dream wasn't limited to just one city. I wanted to use my gift to help expats across Cambodia fall in love with this country and live their best lives here.
This new passion led me to Phnom Penh, where I established BLK Phnom Penh in 2023. Today, as I see the happiness and smiles on the faces of my students, I know my dream has come true. Their joy motivates me every day to keep going, to keep thinking about what more I can do to help them have the best possible experience in this beautiful country.
Partnership
Be Like Khmer is the premier school for foreigners learning the Khmer language. BLK is a proud supporter of PEPY Empowering Youth, SeeBeyondBorders and the CambodiaIreland Changemaker Network.
SeeBeyondBorders
SeeBeyondBorders are a non-governmental organisation dedicated to tackling the root causes of Cambodia’s learning crisis by training and mentoring school teachers in maths, literacy, classroom management and EdTech. With the mission to enable quality teaching and learning in schools, they collaborate with Cambodia’s national, provincial and district-level Ministries of Education.
PEPY Empowering Youth
PEPY is a local non-profit NGO guided by these principles to help bring a better future to Cambodia. We are a team led by local Cambodians dedicated to helping individuals identify their dreams and find pathways to success. Starting at the high school level, our interwoven programs provide holistic support for young people to have the tools, network, and resources to succeed in school and thrive in the professional setting of their choice.
