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 2:30 PM – 6:00 PM, Monday – Friday, with a 1:30 PM start time on Wednesdays to accommodate early dismissal. Months of operation coincide with the SFUSD academic calendar.
The Summer Adventures program is where the Heritage curriculum shines, providing instruction in the Chinese dragon and lion dances, cooking, arts, and Chinese and Chinese-American history. We are proud to offer programming that allows students to explore science and humanities while immersing themselves in Chinese culture.
The Heritage Apprenticeship Program is offered during the summer and is open to high school students. It is an example of Cameron House’s strong commitment to youth leadership development. Students in grades 9-12 learn valuable skills in communication, conflict resolution, diversity, and teamwork by mentoring younger students in grades 1-8. During one of the most popular activities, Apprentices receive intense training in traditional Chinese lion and dragon dancing, then pay it forward by teaching their younger students. This full circle experience develops Apprentices as future leaders by building their skills and confidence while instilling a sense of community.
During the summer months, Summer Adventures offers academic and heritage programming from 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM, with additional supervised recreation and care from 3:30 PM – 5:30 PM. All programs are based at Cameron House in Chinatown.
