The magnolias, cherries and azaleas are making us all dizzy with the arrival of spring. We are emerging (I just got my second COVID vaccine!) from a year of lockdown. It is hard to resist the impulse to shout exultant nonsense syllables like “Woohoo!” But the Al-Bustan organization, which has given me joy for over a decade now, has, this…
A Warm Place to Reconnect with Arab Community after a Sudden and Unfortunate Departure
Exactly one year ago today, I was on a plane returning to the United States from my post in Irbid, Jordan where I had spent almost the last two years working at Yarmouk University. Unfortunately, I had to be quickly evacuated once knowledge of the pandemic had surfaced globally. I was so disheartened. My plan had been to…
It’s Different and That’s Okay: Lessons Learned in Al-Bustan’s Arab Arts Program
One hundred pounds of clay. One hundred sketchbooks. One hundred watercolor sets or, if you prefer, 800 watercolors. One thousand two hundred oil pastels and the same in colored pencils; Four hundred sheets of watercolor paper. All for more than two hundred students from more than twenty schools. The numbers are dazzling and dizzying. An…
Thoughts from Al-Bustan’s Tutor Amna
I am currently a tutor for Al-Bustan in an afterschool program called طموحات, or Tumuhat that serves students from grades three to eight in the ESL program. Initially, this began as a volunteering opportunity that I sought out in September with Al-Bustan. I have been tutoring students learning Arabic at Drexel since sophomore year and I…
Temple Practicum Students Share their Experiences with Al-Bustan After-School Arab Arts Program
Al-Bustan was fortunate to have three graduate students and aspiring artist-educators from Temple University join us for our After-School Arab Arts Program this year, Mary Kate MacFarland, Sophie Shields, and Charlotte Calautti. Check out the reflections of Sophie and Charlotte below, as they talk about what they learned from observing the program! During my time observing the afterschool program…
