THE FOLK ARTS AND CULTURAL TREASURES CHARTER SCHOOL
A K-8 educational vision for Chinatown and Philadelphia. “Believing in the strength of our community.” Organized by Asian Americans United in association with the Philadelphia Folklore Project

We are now located in our newly rehabbed building at 1023 Callowhill Street. For more information, visit www.factsweb.org.

"Giving meaning to the lives of our children in the present while preparing them to become active citizens in a democratic society." - Grace Lee Boggs, author
Educate to Govern

OUR MISSION
The Folk Arts and Cultural Treasures (FACTS) Charter School provides children with an academically strong education that fosters a love of learning and that engages students with their own cultures and communities as well as others in our city, country and world. FACTS gives our children a joyful place for learning, a place to learn to think critically and deeply, and a place that respects culture and folk arts as powerful resources.

Planned by educators with a long history of working with Philadelphia children, the FACTS Charter School aims to bring to Chinatown a publicly-funded institution dedicated to the children of Philadelphia. The school is supported by tax dollars and not by tuition. It is free and open to all. Our school is both a neighborhood resource and a multicultural institution - open and dedicated to all in the Chinatown community and beyond.

About the Founders:
Our school’s founding members bring years of experience in education, teaching English for non-native speakers, history, cultural anthropology, folklore, public policy and administration, computer science, public health, and business administration. Nearly all our founders have advanced degrees, including two with doctorates and seven with masters degrees from Cornell University, Drexel University, Harvard University, Philadelphia College, Temple University, University of Pennsylvania, University of Texas, and Hong Kong Polytechnic. As individuals and organizations, they have won numerous awards, published articles and books, and been nationally and internationally recognized for their work.

For 21 years, Asian Americans United has focused its work on the development of our young people. AAU has provided award-winning enrichment programs for thousands of children including free summer school programs, free after school homework help and arts programs, and free access to city museums for families through community-based field trips. Asian Americans United has been recognized both locally and nationally for the quality of our work with immigrant and multi-racial children. In addition, AAU founded the Chinatown Mid-Autumn Festival; organized the Chinatown Parents’ Association which won a school bus for the families of McCall Elementary School; and has been a leading advocate in education issues particularly around teacher and educational quality, especially for immigrant and bilingual children.

The Philadelphia Folklore Project has worked to sustain community cultural life in Philadelphia for over 19 years. PFP offers award-winning folk arts education programs; produces documentaries, children’s books and videos; produces exhibitions and public programs, and provides technical assistance to local artists and community groups. Through this technical assistance, PFP has helped artists and grassroots groups to raise over $2 million in funding to support traditional arts and culture in Philadelphia. PFP maintains relationships with hundreds of local artists, including Sifu Cheung Shu Pui, Peter Tang, and the Philadelphia Chinese Opera Society.