Bay Area Turkish Community School

Friends of Anatolia has financially supported the Bay Area Turkish Community School (BATCS) by allocating a portion of its income from the 2006 Turkish Cultural Foundation grant.

Through this giving, Friends of Anatolia managed to fulfill all three parts of its mission:

Education: Supporting the education of elementary school kids in the Bay Area
Philanthropy: Creating an opportunity for collaboration to spread the idea of volunteerism among Turkish-American kids and their families
Culture: Promoting Turkish language, arts, and culture to preserve it among Bay Area residents.

BATCS was founded by the Turkish-American community living in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1989. The objectives of BATCS are:

* to improve the Turkish speaking, reading, writing and comprehension skills of children ages between 5-12

* to teach Turkish culture, values, traditions and history.

Their classes are also mixed with fun activities for children such as meeting new friends, learning new games and songs, and going to field trips. Special programs, including audio-visual presentations and Bayram potlucks, celebrate national and religious holidays.

The BATCS operates under the leadership of Turkish American Association of California (TAAC) which provides policies, resources, and guidance. A group of volunteers teach the classes according to a specific curriculum. For more information on BATCS, such as volunteer opportunities and class schedules, click here.