Bridging student learning journeys to real-world studio experience by integrating LIZARD STUDIO’s production expertise with the RECESS platform

November 2026 | Siem Reap, Cambodia

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RIO GROUP recently visited PEPY Empowering Youth, a youth education non-profit organization based in Siem Reap, Cambodia, to tour local training facilities and explore collaborative avenues for a pilot education program in digital content and animation.

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Following this visit, RIO GROUP’s Cambodian production hub, LIZARD STUDIO, plans to partner with PEPY to roll out a pilot digital content training initiative for youth in the Siem Reap region.

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Supporting Youth Education and Self-Reliance: PEPY Empowering Youth
PEPY Empowering Youth is a non-profit dedicated to providing educational and professional development opportunities to rural Cambodian youth in and around Siem Reap.

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Evolving from educational support initiatives established in 2005, PEPY runs programs spanning higher education scholarships, career guidance, English and ICT (information and communication technology) training, as well as youth leadership and entrepreneurship incubation.

Through its Learning Center, PEPY equips young individuals with essential digital proficiencies and practical skills, expanding their pathways toward quality employment and career development.

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LIZARD STUDIO: Piloting Hands-On Digital Content Production Training

This initiative focuses on bridging PEPY’s established educational infrastructure with LIZARD STUDIO’s hands-on animation production experience and industry expertise.

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LIZARD STUDIO is developing a pilot training curriculum where Siem Reap youth can learn digital drawing and content production techniques, directly linking classroom skills to an active production pipeline.

Going beyond basic software instruction, the program aims to deliver phased training in commercial workflows, collaborative studio practices, quality control, and end-to-end asset creation.

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Expanding Education Tracking and Asset Provenance with RECESS
Building on this engagement, RIO GROUP plans to accelerate the educational application of RECESS, its proprietary animation production management platform.

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The group is exploring ways to use RECESS to systematically manage trainee curricula, practical exercises, creative output, and production logs.

Rather than treating student work as isolated classroom exercises, the goal is to transform coursework into verified digital portfolios that demonstrate skill progression, paving the way for phased integration into actual commercial projects.

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Through this approach, RIO GROUP seeks to validate a continuous model where education, practical training, asset creation, output, and commercial studio experience form an integrated pipeline.

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Building a Direct Bridge from Education to Industry
RIO GROUP is an international content production and business network uniting Korea’s RITERA PICTURES, Cambodia’s LIZARD STUDIO, and Japan’s LIKAI STUDIO.

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Through this partnership with PEPY, RIO GROUP aims to strengthen the bridge between grassroots youth education and commercial content production, laying the groundwork for students to grow into skilled industry professionals.

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Furthermore, RIO GROUP will continue evaluating how RECESS can power digital education frameworks that seamlessly connect educational milestones with commercial production execution.

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Note: Specific details regarding the scope, operational timeline, and RECESS implementation for the pilot program will be finalized through ongoing discussions between both parties.