Registration Open for Al-Bustan Arabic Language and Arts Program

In an effort to expand educational opportunities for children of all backgrounds during the school year, in 2012, Al-Bustan resumes its weekly Saturday program at the Salvation Army Kroc Center. Open to Kindergartners through 8th graders, the Saturday Program focuses on Arabic instruction with reinforcement of the language through the arts.

The program will be divided into two parts. The first two hours is focused on the Arabic language, co-taught by two native speakers: Issam Bougtoub, a Moroccan fluent in English, Arabic and French, currently completing his Masters in Education at St. Joseph’s University, while working as a classroom assistant at Northeast High School; and Dania Bawadkji, a Syrian with a degree in literature from University of Aleppo, and currently pursuing coursework in early childhood education and speech communication. They will divide the students into two groups, sometimes grouped by age and sometimes by Arabic skill level, depending on the activity.

The second part of the program is percussion class taught by Hafez El Ali Kotain, a master percussionist who has been teaching with Al-Bustan for over 4 years.

Al-Bustan also offers an ADULT ARABIC LANGUAGE CLASS for beginner to intermediate levels, taught by Issam Bougtoub and Dania Bawadkji, 12-1pm, on same dates as youth program. Fee is $17/class for total payment of $289 for the semester. We need a minimum of 12 adults in order to offer the class. High school students can sign up for this class. Find out more information here and download this form to register.

When:

Saturdays, 10am-1pm. Classes run through June 2, 2012.

Where:

Salvation Army Kroc Center
4200 Wissahickon Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19129

Registration form and fee information can be found on Al-Bustan's site here.