Camp exposes kids to different cultures

The voices of everyone in the Asian Culture Center resonated on June 13 as Zin Thanoo taught them how to sing a traditional Burmese children’s song.\nThanoo, a Bloomington resident, was a guest presenter at the Asian Culture Center’s eighth annual Culture Camp for Children, a free two-hour camp held Tuesday through Thursday during June and July. The camp usually hosts about eight to 15 children and teens in each session, and teaches them about the culture of different Asian countries, including Indonesia and the Philippines, said Asian Culture Center Director Melanie Castillo-Cullather.\n“We wanted children to learn and realize the importance heritage plays in someone’s identity,” Castillo-Cullather said.\nThe “Burma” themed camp included attending lectures by two Burmese students, learning traditional dances and songs, tasting food and making bracelets. Each room in the Asian Culture Center had a station that groups of students rotated through.\nCastillo-Cullather explained that the idea for the program came from the suggestion of Bloomington community members in 2000 who wanted language classes for kids during the summer. There were not enough resources to sustain a class, she said, so the culture camp was created and is run by volunteers from the IU community.\nIU sophomore Tun Pyit is a member of the Burmese Student Association and was a lecturer at the camp. Pyit spent 10 years in Thailand as a refugee and shared stories of his life and turbulent education during a period of civil war. \n“Burma is a small country that is very different from the U.S., which is very peaceful,” Pyit said. “I enjoy passing the stories on to (younger) generations.”\nGraduate student Erin Wilson is responsible for researching different countries and coordinating relevant activities for each session. The facilitators taught students how to make bracelets with turquoise beads and intricate knotting techniques.\n“Some refugees make jewelry as a means of income – the kids can get a feel of the life and have a keepsake,” Wilson said.\nCamp attendee Farrah Acito-Padrono is a sophomore at Bloomington High School South and a member of Kid Counselors In Training, a Bloomington organization that had several participants in the camp.\n“(It’s) important to learn about different cultures to work with students of different backgrounds,” Acito-Pardrono said. “I would love to come back.”