UP Alumni Association –SF Filipino Cultural …1 UP Alumni Association –SF Filipino Cultural Immersion Summer Camp July 8-20, 2013-San Francisco Post-Camp Report submitted by Letty

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UP Alumni Association –SF Filipino Cultural Immersion Summer Camp

July 8-20, 2013-San Francisco Post-Camp Report submitted by

Letty Quizon Program Chair, Filipino Cultural Camp-SF 2013

Background Filipino parents who work full time may not have opportunity to teach their children about the history, arts, customs, language, literature, music, dance, cuisine or geography of the Philippines. Most second generation Filipinos or those who grew up in America struggle with their identities and often, this stems from a sore lack of knowledge of what “being Filipino” really means. The Philippine Heritage Learning and Leadership Institute The University of the Philippines Alumni Association of San Francisco (“UPAASF”) intends to establish the Philippine Heritage Learning and Leadership Institute. When fully functional, this Institute aims to be the first permanent non-profit educational center that will educate Filipino American youth about their Filipino roots from a historical and cultural context. Course content will be delivered through a student-centered, project-oriented integrated curriculum. Classes will be conducted by distinguished instructors who are well-known and respected experts in their fields of study. We believe that the more our Filipino American youth become knowledgeable about their parents’ homeland, the more likely they will become engaged and involved in its development and progress while maintaining the Philippine legacy. To kick off the Institute, UPAASF launched a two 2-week cultural camp in San Francisco, details of which are mentioned below. Target Market Our primary targets are Filipino families with school-age children who send them to summer camps. Typically these families have parents who work all day and enroll their children in summer camps because they cannot leave their children by themselves in their homes. This fills the need for a place to drop off children while they go off to work the whole day. The lessons and social benefits the children get from these summer camps are added advantage.

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These families normally spend about $200 to $300 per week per child for quality learning camps like the YMCA and Parks and Recreation camps. Another target market includes parents who have always wanted to send their children to Filipino cultural classes to learn their heritage but have not found these in their communities. These parents are too busy to teach their children about their home country and its culture and history so having a cultural camp like this is an answer to a long-felt need. Objectives To educate and create cultural awareness and interest among Filipino American youth 10 to 16 years old residing in the San Francisco Bay Area.

1. To create a community of Filipino American youth who appreciate the value of their Filipino heritage

2. In the near future, to encourage these students and their families to visit the Philippines and possibly, UPAASF will conduct its own tour of the Philippines.

3. In the long-term, to have an exchange of students and/or instructors between Manila and San Francisco.

The 2013 SF Filipino Cultural Camp

Dates: July 8-20, 2013 Site: Bessie Carmichael Middle School Campus on Harrison/4th, SF Number of Attendees: 20 (boys and girls almost equal numbers) , 7-18 years old Time: 9 AM-3 PM (w/ 45-min lunch; mid-AM and mid-PM 10-min breaks) Schedule: Every day Monday to Friday, Field trip on first Saturday and Final Presentations and Graduation on Second Saturday Subjects taught and Advisers

1. Tagalog: Ester Delen 2. Filipino Music –Ron Quesada 3. Philippine Folk Dance –Jay Loyola 4. Filipino Cuisine – Cocoy Ventura 5. Philippine Costumes – Crisanta Malig 6. Filipino Literature – Oscar Penaranda

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7. Arts and Crafts- Norman Ragasa 8. Philippine Tourist Spots – Gab Agcaoile 9. History – Susie Quesada

Honorary Chair: Hydra Mendoza, SF Mayor’s Adviser- Education & Family Services

Program Chairs: Letty Quizon and Sonia Delen

Lead Instructor and Curriculum Development Director: Susie Quesada Camp Coordinator: Cecille Ascalon Camp Aide and Classroom Assistant: Richie Ang Sponsor: RAMAR Foods International Scholarship Foundation Community Partners: SF Mayor’s Office on Education, Phil Consulate General-SF, SF Academy of Arts(for bus for field trip)

Program Evaluation

Strengths: Success Factors

• Excellent Curriculum, very informative, interactive, ex: students were asked to re-enact the Battle of Mactan, made to do timelines for History, learned to dance a Filipino folk dance, played the kulintang together and came up with a rhythmical presentation, learned Tagalog words every day, sampled Filipino desserts and got exposed to Filipino fruits and vegetables, listened to stories from a published Filipino author, learned to sew a Filipino costume, and toured the Philippines through video and interactive lessons with the Phil map.

• Advisers were excellent as well. Very competent and good with children, knew how to engage them and keep their interest. Children loved them

• Students were good. Very enthusiastic learners of their culture, cooperative and produced good final presentations (brochures, videos, poems, storybooks);

• Keeping a journal gave children a lasting memory of the camp • Well-documented in video and photos

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• Venue and location were very good (near the BART and Caltrain) located in neighborhood with a lot of Filipino families; campus was secure and safe for children

• Classroom setting was perfect and conducive to learning: white board and screen were there ready to use, copier in the office, playground for children to play, nearby restroom and cafeteria for graduation ceremonies. We were given 3or more rooms to use including Principal’s office to have access to copier (important for instructors to make copies of lessons

• Field trip to Little Manila in Stockton demonstrated the beginnings of Fil Am History in the US and brought to life their history lessons

• Parents gave very positive feedback and were pleasantly surprised at how their kids brought home new info on their culture every day. They were impressed when they saw the children’s final presentations on graduation day.

• Our honorary chair Hydra Mendoza visited the camp and added to the excitement and morale of the participants

• Onsite Coordinator being there every day for the duration of the camp provided continuity and strong support to teachers and advisers

• RAMAR sponsorship was critical and made the camp possible (Budget Report attached)

• The camp was FUN!

Impact:

• Great impact to the FilAm community in SF. Participants got connected to their roots, learned about their culture in a scholarly way as taught by culture experts recognized in their field of expertise

• Improved family communication because lessons became conversation openers among family members;

• Created a close-knit community of Fil-Am youth who can be tapped to support or lead community events and initiatives

• Created a sense of pride in one’s own culture and a sense of belonging to one’s own community

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• Prime example of this is the way the children advocated for the re-dedication of the Victoria Manalo Draves Park in SF to honor a fellow Filipino who won Gold medal honors at the 1948 World Olympics

• Instilled a love of homeland and encouraged children to visit the land of their parents’ birth

• Raised the profile of UPAA-SF in the community as a credible organization that initiates/innovates/implements high-impact projects whose ultimate goal is excellence in education and leadership

Areas for improvement/Lessons for succeeding camps:

o Include Phil games (piko, luksong-tinik, tumbang preso) and Martial arts (arnis) in the next curriculum

o Add lessons in Philippine Art o Allow for enough lead time to market and recruit students (6 months) o Hold a parent orientation meeting to let them know what the camp is all

about to get their buy-in and cooperation o Ideal age range is 10-16 years old. A couple of students were too young (7-

9) years old and so their attendance was inconsistent o The children were bored and restless during the long speeches in the book

launch in Stockton field trip Recommendations for next camp

o Form committees instead of only 2 people running the program o Logistics Committee: Find venue, contract negotiation, coordinate

with venue officials re: room use, maintenance, security, safety, finance, payments (this took the longest time in SF camp)

o Program: Recruit/confirm advisers, coordinate schedules, curriculum development, registration, learning materials and presentation equipment, day-to-day running of program

o Marketing: MarCom/PR materials (brochure/poster/articles) recruit students and sign them up (6 months lead time)

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o Graduation: certificates, guest speaker, grad program, food, décor, clean-up, sound system, projector/screen, certificates of appreciation

o Fundraising/Finance: get grants, sponsorships, partnerships, create and maintain budget, process payments, etc.

o Solicit more sponsors Options to explore

1. Are we planning to run the camp again?

2. Where should we hold the next one? o SF again? o South Bay (Milpitas) o East Bay (Union City) o SF + one other area

3. What schedule do we implement?

o Every day like the SF one? o Every weekend? o Mornings or afternoons only vs. the whole day?

4. How much to charge now that we know program cost?

o Full sponsorship? o Tuition o Sponsorship and tuition combination

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PICTURES

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