Dance Classes:
"Sonares de Mi Tierra" (Sounds of My Land) is the House of Panama's children's dance group led by knowledgeable instructors. Children ages 4-12 are taught different folkloric dances from various regions of Panama. The dance group participates in multiple events throughout the year.

Historical Classes:
The House of Panama offers classes about Panama’s diverse culture. In addition, we also teach the proper way to wear Panamanian cultural attire (the Pollera and the Montuno).

Sister City Society
The House of Panama is part of the San Diego-Panama Sister City Society. The Sister City Society has connected the Metropolitan School of Panama and San Diego’s Canyon Crest Academy (CCA).
CCA students created a Robotics workshop for the school in Panama, which is the FIRST Robotics Lego League program ever used at the Metropolitan School of Panama.

Lawn Program:
Our annual Lawn Program is held every year on the 3rd Sunday of August. At this event, the House of Panama sells food and shares the history of Panama and Panama's connection to Balboa Park. We also invite different Panamanian dance groups to entertain visitors for a full hour

The Ethnic Food Fair and December Nights:
The House of Panama participates in both events yearly. The Ethnic Food Fair is held on the last Saturday of May, and December Nights is held on the first Friday and Saturday of December. For each event, the House of Panama provides different Panamanian drinks and food that range from Tamales to Sancocho.

For the Ethnic Food Fair the menu is similar to that of the lawn program.

The December Holidays feature banana leaf tamales, a special vegetable chicken soup called Sancocho, which is made from a root that is called “ñame”.  Jamaica made with ginger is a refreshing drink to be enjoyed.

There are seven distinct indigenous cultures in Panama. They are divided into four major groups: the Ngöbe-Buglé, the Guna, the Emberá-Wounaan, and the Naso-Bribri. These indigenous communities of Panama still maintain a very traditional lifestyle and have their own dialects, languages, and customs. They are also self-governing.

Contrary to the sometimes erroneous belief that the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea are on different water levels, they are indeed on the same level. The purpose of the Panama Canal’s locks is to bring ships up to Lake Gatun level.

The name Chiriquí (a Province in Panama) means “The valley of the moon.” Chiriquí is a province with rich tropical rainforests and beautiful valleys. It is home to the highest peak on the Isthmus of Panama, standing 13,800 feet above sea level. This peak offers a breathtaking view of the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.

Balboa Park in San Diego, CA, began as 1400 acres of land set aside in 1868 by San Diego civic leaders. The park was known as “City Park” and became a destination for men and women seeking transportation to Panama to work on the Panama Canal.

Land Area: 78,200 sq km 
Population: 4,314,767 (2020 est.)
Capital City: Panama City 
Language:  Spanish (official), English 14%; note - many Panamanians bilingual
Religion:  Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant 15%
Form of Government: constitutional democracy
Economy: Panama’s dollarized economy rests primarily on a well-developed services sector that accounts for three-fourths of GDP. Services include operating the Panama Canal, banking, the Colon Free Zone, insurance, container ports, flagship registry, and tourism. Oriented services and a construction boom stimulated by tax incentives.
Export: bananas, shrimp, sugar, coffee, clothing

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Source: The World Factbook - Panama