Hands Around the World Culture Camp (HATW) began in 1987.  They first started as part of Camp Pride, a Korean camp on the South Side of Chicago.  For several years the programs operated together and then the Northern  Chicago suburbs broke off and formed their own program named Hands Around the World.

Gail Walton is the director of the HATW program and many Ichild families know her as she is also the editor of Connections the newsletter for families with South Asian kids.

HATW has 7 sections: South Asia, Korea, Latin America, Philippines, China, African American, and Southeast Asia. They are in the process of adding Eastern Europe. The camp is always held the last full week in July.
Currently camp is held in a church in Wheeling, a Northern suburb of Chicago. HATW is five days long, hours about 9:30 am to 3PM.   Fees are less for parents who volunteer.

Children enroll in the section for their own heritage. Bio siblings can enroll in any camp. Kids of dual heritage sometimes spend part time in more then one camp such as kids who are Korean and African American.

Out of town families all stay at same hotel (group rates) and visit in evening around pool. There are some voluntary evening activities such as picnics, trips to temples, and ethnic restaurants.

During the day at camp kids learn about the culture of the area where they are from and also all of the other areas at camp. Lunch, for examples, rotates. One day Korean, the next South Asian, etc. Classrooms of similar age levels share experiences such as a South Asian group will go into a China class and teach them an Indian dance. The China group will go into the South Asian class and teach them a song from China.

To find out more information, contact Gail Walton at HandsATW@aol.com.