Youth Leadership Development Programs

For more than three decades, AAU has maintained a consistent focus on working with young people — to harness their bilingual and bicultural skills, and to engage their critical thinking and political awareness in the service of their communities. Today, AAU has two core youth programs. The Chinese Youth Organizing Project is AAU’s year-round youth leadership development program for Mandarin speaking youth. The AAU Summer Program is a social justice leadership program engaging pan-Asian, English-speaking high-school youth who mentor and teach children (grades 2 – 8) in a multi-cultural literacy focused summer camp experience.​All of AAU’s broader program work also includes youth leadership development. 250 youth volunteers are integral to the annual Mid-Autumn Festival. Youth leaders fuel AAU Chinatown Vote’s voter education, GOTV and citizenship application work. AAU’s work in FACTS school supports 500 children from diverse backgrounds to build pride in culture and community through the folk arts. Annually, AAU works with hundreds of children and youth to foster engagement, activism and pride in our communities. Learn more about our work with youth:

• Chinese Youth Organizing Project (CYOP)

• AAU Summer Program