I feel very fortunate to be part of the Al-Bustan community. I come from a mixed Arab and American background, my father being Palestinian and my mother American. I grew up traveling back and forth to Palestine, even spending several years living there, but I always felt incredibly out of place. This, I felt, was…
A Parent’s Reflections on Al-Bustan Camp
Our family was so happy when we learned that al-Bustan would be offering in person camp again this summer. The summer of 2019 was our first time enrolling and we were very impressed with the programs, the teachers, and other staff. We are an Egyptian and American family and we have been so grateful to…
Arab Community Day as an Arab-American Teen
Being a first-generation Arab immigrant, I grew up with the belief that I was never good enough. My language was often criticized, when I tried to speak Arabic and connect with my culture I was often told: “just speak English instead” or “don’t talk in Arabic”. Because of this scrutiny, I never excelled in speaking…
Insights from Interns: CraftNOW
What is CraftNOW? This summer, Al-Bustan participated in an event called CraftNOW Create – Summer Camp Edition where different art organizations within the city brought crafts to summer camps and rec centers all over Philly. At Al-Bustan, we chose a craft for camps that was simple, allowed for individual imagination, and taught the kids something about the Arab…
Camp from a Counselor’s Perspective
My name is Grace DiDomenico and I am interning at Al-Bustan for the summer of 2021. A little about me: I am a senior at Philadelphia Performing Arts Charter: A String Theory School. I have lived in Philadelphia for my entire life and come from an Italian-American family. Growing up, I was surrounded by art in many forms: whether that…
