In the summer of 2007 the Homeless Children's Education Fund offered to the shelters it serves a series of week-long "camp" experiences for their resident children. Sisters Place chose to host the Pittsburgh Dance Ensemble's African Cultural Expression workshop. The camp introduced children to African culture, arts, and history through drumming as well as movement and language.

Here's but a portion of what the children learned over the week.

We start with the "Five Qualities":

be focused,
be disciplined,
have self-control,
show respect,
and have a positive attitude
in all that you do
here in this place, at school, at home.

We practice self-control so that we can play the drums with respect.

These West African drums are
the jun jun, the kenkeni, and the jembe (djembe and djun djun in French)

We have to focus our attention on the rhythmic beats of our hands on the goat-skin covered jembe – the bass, tone, and slap – so that we can do them correctly in various combinations, like

and with sticks on the cowhide covered jun jun and kenkeni, combinations like

Because of our positive attitude, we have learned how to play the drums, to do a simple dance, and also to speak many phrases in Wolof, the language of Senegal: my name is; yes; no; thank you; you're welcome; I'm listening/I understand; how are you, I'm fine.