"Adventures in and out of Chinatown"
The Harvard Gazette (April 8th, 1999)
Photos by Kris Snibbe

Syping Siu, 7, a 2nd-grader at Josiah Quincy School, peers from behind the big book balanced by counselor Pintip Hompluem '99.

The kids love "project time" and field trips at the Phillips Brooks House Association's Chinatown Afterschool Program. And no wonder -- it's when they get to make murals, go ice skating, take a Duck Tour of Boston, and enjoy a cookout in the Quad. For the parents, however, as Co-Director Priscilla Chan '01 points out, it's "homework time" that is the "most important element of our program. The majority of parents do not have the English skills to help their kids with homework." The Chinatown Afterschool Program has been pleasing both children and parents since its inception in 1984, providing residents of Boston's Chinatown with a bustling, creative, and free after-school program. Sixty kids, ranging in age from 6 to 12, participate in activities in a safe and supportive environment overseen by 80 counselors, more than 60 of whom are Harvard students. Chan says, "Boston's Chinatown is almost an exact replica of what I saw growing up. It's really amazing how much of these kids I see in myself. And the kids are the real reason why I spend so much time working with the program. They are truly the greatest bunch of little people I have ever met."

Allen Ho '00 gazes into the courtyard at Boston's Gardner Museum during a field trip this past summer with Chinatown Adventure camper (left) Steven Hu, 12, a 7th-grader at Boston Latin School, and others.

Counselor Liza Ching '02 comforts a rain-weary Amy Tai, 7, a 1st-grader at Harvard-Kent School.

Felix Chiu, 10, a 5th-grader at Josiah Quincy School, and counselor Jimming Cheng '01 discuss two of Felix's favorite topics -- physics and math.