AAU Summer Program

Our AAU Summer Program develops the leadership skills of English-speaking youth over the course of 7 summer weeks and provides 4 weeks of literacy-based multicultural education and community engagement summer programming for children. Youth leaders actively develop their leadership skills by mentoring and teaching 50 younger children ( 2nd to 9th grades). Youth leaders take part in weekly hands-on workshops taught by AAU’s lead staff team on topics such as: multicultural education pedagogy, culturally relevant teaching styles, needs of English language learners, social justice issues and Asian American history. A Community Action Project (CAP) component gives youth and children hands-on opportunities to work towards goals around deeply felt issues in their communities (i.e. neighborhood development and gentrification, language access, environmental sustainability, etc.). Children learn from positive youth role models, multicultural literacy-based interactive curriculum, and opportunities to make real world contributions in their communities.

The past summer’s CAP courses included topics on sustainability, Asian representation in media, and health inequalities in minority groups. Younger children designed working solar ovens and solar powered garden-lights for AAU’s community garden. Older children delved into deep discussions on Asian misrepresentation in the media and healthcare issues faced by minority groups. CAP provided the younger children with an impactful experience of how they can work to improve their own communities. The lessons taught to the older children culminated in final presentations on community health. Youth and campers also engaged in team building games, athletics, and art classes. These activities allow the youth and campers to connect with their physical and artistic sides, which along with CAP help cultivate individual, social, and community awareness.