Asian American Student Advocacy Project (ASAP)
CACF created ASAP to create a space for Asian American and Pacific Islander young people from across the City to learn about their AAPI identity, their community and history, and the importance of youth voice in policymaking to address inequities in our public school system.
In 2004, CACF started the Asian American Student Advocacy Project (ASAP), a youth leadership program for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) youth from across New York City.
ASAP educates, trains, and equips its Youth Leaders to be self-aware and informed advocates for their communities. ASAP seeks to build a community of AAPI youth whose voices are heard and incorporated, and with the collective power to create positive change, particularly in education.
Since 2004
275+
Over 18 years, ASAP has trained over 275+ young people.
Snapshot of recent cohort.
20
ASAP youth come from 20 different area high schools
15
they represent 15 ethnic groups
5
they live or attend schools in all 5 boroughs
90%
90% of the youth receive free or reduced lunch
PROGRAM GOAL
ASAP seeks to:
Activate AAPI youth to be life-long learners and change-makers who are prepared to thrive in the real world and take action
Help them understand their self-worth, their communities, and feel a sense of belonging
Educate and train them to build more equitable schools, communities, and systems that impact the lives of all NYC young people
We do this by:
Developing ASAP youth’s communication, critical thinking, and professional development skills
Helping them to build a shared sense of community, identity, and equity among AAPIs and other communities of color
Educating, training, and equipping them with the tools to be agents of positive change
Expand Opportunities
“Initially, ASAP was about expanding the conversation on AAPI issues for me.
However, this experience has brought me to the conclusion that our goal is to expand opportunities that contribute to the conversation on equity for everyone. ASAP has taught me so much about how to be conscious about people’s experiences and how they differ, even within the AAPI community, which I am glad to have learned as it goes beyond the generalizations that society makes.”
—
Anna Lu, ASAP Cohorts 2018-2020
Willing to Listen
“I joined ASAP because I wanted to connect more with my half-Asian identity and use it as a strength to positively impact all communities in NYC, starting with the AAPI community.
Through advocacy work in ASAP, I learned about the power we have as youth to create positive change. ASAP exposes us to environments with powerful people who are still willing to listen to our experiences and ideas. I also learned about the gaps between the AAPI community and other communities of color, which was significant to me because I always felt tensions between minorities, but never had the language and platform to discuss it.”
—
Nada Alnagar, ASAP Cohorts 2017-2020
Youth Leadership
2023 AAPI-LEAD Youth Conference
Who to Contact
For more information please contact Ada Lin, Senior Program Coordinator, at alin2@cacf.org.