AALEAD VA Middle School Program

• VAMS Youth Council Explores Ice Cream Flavors!

  By: Amanda C., VAMS Youth Council Member Photos courtesy from various sources Summer is just around the corner, in 57 days to be exact! For many students, summer means, hot and sunny days, pools, no school, vacation time, and my personal favorite; food! There are many different types of treats kids like to eat in the summer, a very popular one being Ice Cream. You probably know about the usual and basic flavors: Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, and Mint Chocolate Chip. These are actually the mo

• The diversity of a Lunar New Year celebration

  By Ha Nguyen, Development & Communications Associate

  Photos courtesy of AALEAD Staff

  Every year as January starts to wrap up and February approaches, the atmosphere is filled with excitement, hope, and anticipation for the upcoming Lunar New Year. This year, February 5 marked the first day of the Year of the Pig, the twelfth and last animal of all zodiac animals.

• A Peek Into The AALEAD Virginia Summer Program

  By: Sharon Rajadurai, VA Summer Programs Intern and AALEAD Virginia Youth Program Coordinators (YPCs) Photos courtesy of AALEAD staff   Virginia Summer programs have been two weeks filled with fun, learning, and growth. Our days begin with ice breakers and team building activities led by our eager Youth Program Coordinators (YPCs). YPC is an opportunity for our high school AALEADers during the summer to develop their leadership skills by participating in the

• Summer Intern Spotlight: Sharon Rajadurai

  By: Sharon Rajadurai, VA Summer Program Intern Photos courtesy of Sharon Rajadurai Hello all! My name is Sharon Rajadurai and I am this summer’s Virginia Program Intern. I am so excited to be living in Virginia this summer and to be fulfilling this role to the best of my ability.

• Stress Less Week at Poe Middle School

  By Pallavi Rudraraju, VA Middle School Program Coordinator Photos courtesy of Ha Nguyen You may not know it, but May, in addition to being APAHM - Asian Pacific American Heritage Month - is also Mental Health Awareness Month. Thanks to the support of 

  What Leadership Means to Us

  By Pallavi Rudraraju, VA Middle School Program Coordinator Photos Courtesy of AALEAD Staff   This week marks the first full week of Spring (regardless of what Punxsutawney Phil has to say about it), and with fast-approaching, warm weather and bright sunshine comes a new focus on leadership and career exploration in the VA Middle School programs. Last week, VAMS youth had wo

• Getting in Touch with Our Roots

  By Pallavi Rudraraju, VA Middle School Program Coordinator Photos Courtesy of Pallavi Rudraraju   As you may know, AALEAD’s theme for this 2017-2018 school year is “AALEAD Origins: Rooted in Our Past, Creating Our Future.” Our goal is to learn about our past and use it to create the future we want to see in the world. For the past few weeks in the VA MS After School Program, we have been focusing on just that!  

  Bringing out the Family of AALEAD

  By Emily N., current AALEAD youth and Pallavi Rudraraju, VA Middle School Program Coordinator Photos Courtesy of AALEAD Staff Last week, AALEAD’s VA Programs sent off our youth for winter break with a fun and activity-filled Winter Holiday Party. For many of our new AALEADers, it was the first time they interacted with staff and youth outside of their school. As a program coordinator, I am thankful for and proud of all the hard work our VA youth put in to the party. Our Youth Councils play

• 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, AALEAD’s founder, saw the unmet need in low-income Vietnamese refugee youth and made supporting th

• When It Comes to Our Youth, Expect the Unexpected!

  By: Pallavi Rudraraju Photos Courtesy of AALEAD Staff As I near the start of After School Programs in Fairfax County, and head into my fourth month as the VA Middle School Program Coordinator, I feel so grateful for a wonderful beginning to my journey in the VA Middle School Program. Over the past few months, I have worked with MD and VA high schoolers during their leadership retreat, co-facilitated the VA MIC CHECK Summer Program, and learned immensely along the way. One important less