Egbok, one of Cambodia’s leading hospitality training schools, has received a $20,000 grant from Hyatt Community Grants for its work, marking the second time the organisation has received support from the global program.

The grants, which began in 2008 and are funded by the Hyatt Hotels Foundation, enable local hotels to partner with community organisations around the globe. This year, 26 nonprofit organisations were awarded a total of more than $350,000 in grant money.

The Siem Reap Park Hyatt opened in 2013, and that year nominated Egbok to receive funding; this year, they repeated the process.

Egbok and the Park Hyatt work closely together; the hotel is a place for training students to receive valuable instruction and internships. There are currently 10 Egbok graduates employed at the Park Hyatt.

“We are honoured to support Egbok and their valuable contributions to our community,” says hotel general manager Herman Kemp. “Through our relationship with Egbok, we have seen firsthand the way its work enables our city to thrive.”

Egbok prides itself on the detailed attention it gives its students, including its “life skills” program, which is centred around independent living, and its women’s initiative, which focuses on female career empowerment.

“Their communities really appreciate [the students] and begin to look up to them,” says Sigrid Baldinger, Egbok’s country director.

She says the new funding will support seven students for a one-year program with Egbok, providing them with enough funding for education, housing and supplies.

As the organisation continues to expand, the Hyatt grant is a huge boost for the students, Baldinger says.

“We know this grant will go a long way in helping us achieve our goals of training and preparing underserved young adults to be leaders in the hospitality industry,” she says.