Arabic Summer Camp
CULTURINGUA'S SUMMER ARABIC CAMP IS COMPLETED!
08/06/2021
Exciting news! This past 2021 summer, we hosted our Second Annual Arabic Summer Camp in partnership with Advanced Learning Academy (ALA) in San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD). The Principal of ALA, Kathy Bieser, said, “ALA is committed to growing students' global competence, and we are so pleased to be working in partnership with Culturingua to bring Arabic cultural and language studies to our students.” The Arabic Summer Camp focused on teaching youth the language, culture, and arts of the Arab world. Moreover, this was the first summer we hosted a Level Two Arabic Camp for students that had previously taken Level One.
Students engaged with their peers and teachers live through a student engagement platform that provides virtual reality tours, digital educational competitions and games, and virtual drawings to enable experiential learning and peer-to-peer interaction in a virtual setting. “In response to COVID-19, we incorporated technology into our virtual classes that allowed us to mirror the active-learning environment we have during our in-person classes,” said Nader Mehdawi, Culturingua Chief Operating Officer and lead Arabic teacher.
In the two photos below, you can see our students thanking our donors HEB and QFI on handmade notes through Zoom!
During the Level One camp, students “toured” six countries in the Arab World. Lessons in Lebanon focused on food as well as the goal of ending hunger and promoting sustainable agriculture. The lessons in Morocco gave students an opportunity to shop virtually in a market and learn currency and counting skills as well as the sustainability goal of promoting decent work and economic growth. The lessons in Qatar focused on animals, where they live, and the threats they face, as well as current efforts to protect Qatari wildlife. The focus on Palestine was on celebrations where students learned how to perform the “Debke,” a traditional Palestinian dance performed at joyous occasions.
The students also explored weather and clothing and compared the climates of Syria and Texas. The lessons covering Saudi Arabia taught students the Arabic terms for colors and shapes while focusing on female artists and the sustainability goal of gender equality.
Check out the pictures below of what two students created in their class!
Students learned about Saudi artist Dana Awartani...
...and then practiced Arabic colors on their own art.
Students read poems by Naomi Shihab Nye about family heritage, cultural responsibilities, cooking traditions and more.
Level Two students further developed skills learned in Level One, with a focus through the week on identity. Students learned how to describe themselves and others and played virtual games describing characters.
Lessons also focused on how to ask different questions about family and culture. Students compared their favorite hobbies with hobbies in Arab countries. By the end of the week, students were able to identify a person based on descriptions, as well as create a presentation on their life!
Students also delved into poems of the Middle East from the book 19 Varieties of Gazelle (pictured to the left) by internationally-renowned San Antonio resident Naomi Shahab Nye. These poems explored ideas of family heritage, cultural responsibilities, cooking traditions, and more!
Jude, a level one student, making tabouleh
Olivia, a level two student, making lemonade and halwa.
Ellie, a level one student, with her finished tabouleh
Sommer, a level two student, with her finished lemonade and halwa.
Thank you to our two funders, Qatar Foundation International (QFI) and HEB, who helped make this project possible for students! QFI is an educational organization that supports continued learning of the Arabic language. QFI focuses on primary- and secondary-age students in multiple countries. QFI’s grant made it possible for our students to learn the language and culture of the Middle East and North Africa. HEB is a San Antonio based supermarket chain that is dedicated to supporting local and healthy food supplies. HEB is also committed to serving the community in other ways, such as providing grants to non-profits. HEB’s grant to Culturingua and the Arabic Summer Camp enabled students to develop skills to cook traditional Middle Eastern and North African dishes.
Look at these amazing THANK YOU photos the students created!
This program was made possible through support and funding from Qatar Foundation International (QFI). QFI engages a diverse, global community of learners and educators, fostering cross-cultural connections through the exploration of the Arabic language and the Arab world's histories, cultures, and peoples in student- centered learning environments. QFI is headquartered in Washington, DC and is a member of Qatar Foundation (QF). To learn more about QFI please visit: QFI's website.