Yearly Archives: 2015

• Under the Sea with AALEAD!

  By Justin Fogata, DC Elementary School Site Coordinator, and Charles Kuo, DC Elementary School Program Coordinator Photos Courtesy of AALEAD Staff   “The ocean stirs the heart, inspires the imagination and brings eternal joy to the soul” - Robert Wyland Our AALEAD DC Elementary School youth had the opportunity to discover and experience Baltimore’s National Aquarium this past Friday. Prior to our very first field trip of the year,  our classes prepared by engaging in

• Truth Be Told: Writing a New Chapter

  By Día Bùi, DC Middle & High School Coordinator Photos Courtesy of Día Bùi  

  "If I’m gonna tell a real story, I’m gonna start with my name” – Kendrick Lamar, Hip Hop Artist

  My name is Día Bùi, AALEAD’s DC Middle & High School Program Coordinator. I am a new face in this position. I started exactly four weeks ago at the beginning of

• Message from the ED: AALEAD Leaps into Fall

  AALEAD is bringing a ton of energy into Fall 2015.  We have so many new things happening, in addition to the launch of fall afterschool programs. We are now at 16 full-time staff!  We have brought on new staff to launch new programming serving even more youth this year.  We are so excited to have added after-school programming at

  AALEAD Making Gains in VA!

  By Yonsoo Kang, VA Middle School Program Coordinator Hello again! Last year, AALEAD’s Mentoring & Volunteer Programs Manager, Tina, and the VA Programs Manager, Shaima, worked really hard to establish AALEAD’s VA Programs, first through the Mentoring Program, then after school with the VA High School Program at Annandale High School. We are now expanding into Poe and Holmes Middle Schools in the surrounding community. Administrators and counselors in both schools have

• AALEAD DC: 3 Ways our Youth Reach for Success!

  By Charles Kuo, DC Elementary School Coordinator Photos Courtesy of AALEAD Staff This year AALEAD’S DC Elementary school program will highlight the importance of Discovery! The theme of "Discovery" promotes learning and growth. Our hope this year is to empower our youth to discover the world around them and approach learning in a fun and exciting way. Many of our youth will embark on their very own "Discovery Map", where they will learn through seven thematic units focused on a variety

• AALEAD MD: Reflecting on the Past, Looking Ahead to the Future

  By Diane Bui, MD Program Coordinator, and Keo Xiong, MD Programs Manager Photos Courtesy of AALEAD Staff As AALEAD Maryland staff prepare for another year of after-school programs, we have many positive memories to reflect on and are excited to create new ones moving forward.

  Greetings From Shanice!!!

  By Shanice Lo, MD Middle School Coordinator Photos Courtesy of Shanice Lo Hello, everyone! My name is Shanice and I’m excited to join AALEAD as a Maryland Middle School Program Coordinator. The past week was really inspiring - I got to know the awesome staff in AALEAD and learn about their interesting stories. Having lunch at Franklin Square in Washington, D.C., coffee chats outside

• Greetings From the New Mentoring and Volunteer Coordinator

  By Stephanie Lim, Mentoring and Volunteer Coordinator Photos Courtesy of Neel Saxena, Development & Communications Director Hello everyone, I’m excited to join AALEAD as Mentoring and Volunteer Coordinator. I started in this position on August 24th and I’ve been learning so much! The staff has been so welcoming and kind, and it’s been great working alongside them. I’m especially excited to be working with my ma

• Hello Again, AALEAD!

  By Yonsoo Kang, VA Middle School Coordinator Photos Courtesy of Yonsoo Kang Hi everyone! My name is Yonsoo Kang and I am the new Virginia Middle School Coordinator based in Annandale!  I'm excited to be part of AALEAD again and to be spreading the wonderful programs this organization has to offer into the VA middle schools. Annandale has a special place in my heart because my father's side of the family lived in that area for decades. Even though I lived in New Jersey until I was ten, I visi

• Message from the ED: The End of Summer . . . a Time of Transition

  August is a month of transition at Asian American LEAD.  Summer programs end and there’s a brief pause before school-year after-school programs begin. During this pause, we typically hold our yearly Staff Retreat before staff take the opportunity for vacation time before the fall.  This year was no exception – we had several days for a great staff retreat with fun team-building and thoughtful planning for the year ahead. Central to our staff retreat was discussion of the strategic plan w