Heritage School Youth Programs
As a registered Heritage School, Donaldina Cameron House integrates culturally appropriate elements into our youth curriculum and celebrates Chinese culture and traditions.
Our Bilingual Afterschool Program (BAP) staff and students begin with a lesson in martial arts and/or taijiquan to start off their program each afternoon. The vigorous movements of martial arts help the children spend some stored energy after sitting in class, while the slow, subtle movements of taiji calm minds and ease tensions. Once the practice is over, students get their snacks and proceed to their classrooms to do homework that reinforce academic and literacy skills.
Heritage programming is vast and there is a concerted effort to include arts and crafts, culinary arts, games, stories, and home language maintenance. Teaching the children about their heritage reinforces their confidence, security, and sense of identity in a nation with a diverse population. If these lessons aren’t taught at home or elsewhere with regularity, centuries of accumulated priceless cultural knowledge and practices can disappear in a single generation. Our goal is to ignite the curiosity of the children’s minds: who they are, where they come from, why we value certain traditions and customs.
BAP operates from 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM, Monday – Friday, with a 2:00 PM start time on Wednesdays to accommodate early dismissal. Months of operation coincide with the SFUSD academic calendar.
Dragon & Lion Dance
Step into one of the most iconic Chinese cultural traditions! In this high-energy program, students will:
- Learn Dragon and Lion Dance fundamentals
- Build physical coordination and rhythm
- Strengthen teamwork, communication, and leadership
- Represent Cameron House at community celebrations and events
This program is more than performance — it’s discipline, community, and cultural pride in motion.
Schedule:
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM
Questions or Enrollment?
📞 Call us at (415) 781-0401
We’d be happy to help you join the Cameron House Heritage School community!
