July 1- 7, 2004

mixpicks

Bustan a Move

Al-Bustan means "the garden" in Arabic, an appropriate name for a children's Arabic language and culture camp held in the idyllic confines of Morris Arboretum.

Open to children of all backgrounds from 6 to 12 years of age, Al-Bustan begins its third year on July 5. Classes will run on weekdays until July 23. New this summer are an exchange program with William Penn Charter school — in which Al-Bustan and Penn Charter students will play sports together and share lunch — and an artist-in-residence program featuring local specialists in Arabic art, music, dance and literature.

Al-Bustan is first and foremost a language camp. Two hours of each day are devoted to learning the Arabic language. The rest of the day is composed of hands-on music, drama and art instruction that helps to reinforce the day's language lessons. The program is open to children at all levels of proficiency in Arabic, including beginners. The only requirement is an interest in learning the language.

Al-Bustan Camp is an ongoing project of Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture, a nonprofit dedicated to greater cross-cultural understanding, as well as the promotion of Arab language and culture in the United States.

Al-Bustan Camp, runs July 5-23, Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania, 100 Northwestern Ave., 267-303-0070.

—Joel Tannenbaum