Registration is now open for Camp Musubi, a week-long program that exposes middle school students to Japanese American culture, with activities ranging from cultural workshops such as taiko and ikebana to field trips to historic landmarks.
Camp Musubi will be held from July 15 to 19, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Centenary United Methodist Church in Little Tokyo.
Vanpool services for families living in the South Bay, Orange County and West Los Angeles are available for the first time this year.
Activities will include a combination of cultural experiences, games and field trips. Workshops may include taiko, ikebana, martial arts, papermaking, cooking, calligraphy, etc. Guest speakers will include cultural artists, Japanese American professionals and athletes as well as representatives from community groups.
Past participants have gone on scavenger hunts through Little Tokyo and visited various sites such as Manzanar National Historic Site, the Japanese American National Museum, Terminal Island, and Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden at Cal State Long Beach.
The goal of Camp Musubi is to spark interest in Japanese American culture and community through hands-on experiences and interactions with people in the community. With the success of the first Camp Musubi in 2003, the program has since impacted hundreds of youth and their families by introducing participants to various community resources, sharing the history of the Japanese American community in Los Angeles, and cultivating connections among participants.
To register and for more information, about the Camp Musubi program visit www.campmusubi.org/ or www.kizuna-la.org/programs/camp-musubi/.