By Diane Bui, MD High School Program Coordinator
Photos Courtesy of AALEAD Staff
One of the most exciting leadership opportunities AALEAD youth have is the chance to serve on our yearly youth council. Youth meet on a monthly basis to discuss what they hope to accomplish in programs, and help support planning events for their fellow AALEAD peers.
AALEAD Origins: Rooted in our Past, Creating Our Future
By Neel Saxena, Executive Director Photos Courtesy of Various Staff Logo Courtesy of DC Programs Manager, Charles Kuo Asian American LEADs orgins are rooted in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of Washington, DC where Sandy Dang, AALEADâs founder, saw the unmet need in low-income Vietnamese refugee youth and made supporting th
By Diane Bui, MDHS Program Coordinator Photos Courtesy of AALEAD MD Staff After-School programs in Maryland start THIS WEEK! We are so excited to be back in our schools, reconnecting with returning youth, and welcoming new youth to programs. Youth in schools today are busier than ever. Between magnet programs, IB classes, AP course loads and a number of after-school activities, itâs no surprise our youth are always on the move. This got our MD staff talking about when we were younger, and
By Keo Xiong, MD Programs Manager Photos Courtesy of AALEAD Staff March was an inspiring month of youth leadership in action. The AALEAD Maryland middle school after-school program spent their March learning about high school, and had extended opportunities to meet their high school counterparts. Middle school youth learned more about life after middle school through our âMiddle School to High School Transition Support Series,â which included in-class workshops and guided walk
By Neel Saxena, Executive Director Photos Courtesy of Saadia Ahmed On March 22, 2017, AALEAD hosted the Aspire to LEAD fundraising event at Top of the Town in Arlington, VA. This was AALEAD's 4th such fundraiser and my first as Executive Director. Last year I was behind the scenes and this year I had the incredible opportunity to join our youth in sharing our often overlooked stories as Asian Pacific Americans. This year's theme was Envision, Create, Transform. For our youth, staff, mentors
By Diane Bui, MDMS Program Coordinator Photos Courtesy of AALEAD MD Staff One of the luxuries of living so close to Washington, DC is the ability to travel into the city and learn about American culture through the many Smithsonian museums in the area. On Saturday, March 11, we had the opportunity to bring 22 middle and high school youth from our MD programs to the National Museum of the American Indian. In light of current events, it is crucial to learn more about other culture
By Charles Kuo, DC Programs Manager Photos Courtesy of AALEAD Staff 18 youth. 3 program staff. 2 vans. 1 life-changing experience. On February 17, 2017, 18 of o
By Keo Xiong, MD Programs Manager Any space that serves youth and young people should be safe, supportive, and stable. Safety, both physically and emotionally, sets the foundation for youth (and all people) to thrive. Creating a culture of support allows youth to share in each other's successes, and rally to uplift others in times of difficulty. Stability ensures that youth know they will always have a place to go and trusted people to talk to. When youth feel safe and supported in
By YLan Nguyen, MD Middle School Programs Coordinator Photos Courtesy of Chelsea Iorlano, Development and Communications Associate To close off the first semester of AALEAD programs in Montgomery County, we had our annual AALEAD Maryland Holiday Party. This yearâs theme, courtesy of the Maryland Middle School Youth Council members, was âWinter Masquerade Around the World.â We w
By Ari Pak, MDÂ High School Program Coordinator Photos Courtesy of AALEAD Staff, Youth Powerpoint, and Southern Poverty Law Center If anyone has ever