Asian American Pacific Islander Changemakers
2024 Leadership Cohort Program
Application Deadline: Tuesday, May 7th, 2024
The Missouri Asian American Youth Foundation’s AAPI Changemakers Program seeks to cultivate young leaders in the Missouri AAPI community through civic education, community engagement programs, and mentorship. The nine-week program will feature interactive workshops that focus on critical aspects of U.S. History, particularly civil rights and the democratic process. Historical content will be interspersed with leadership development that focuses on organizing training, event planning, and project management. To put lessons into practice, all cohort members will be awarded a sub-grant for an original, youth-led community project. Students will also receive a modest stipend of $100 upon completion of the program.
The inaugural cohort for Summer 2024 will be operated as a pilot program and conducted remotely. Exit interviews and an evaluate survey will guide the future development of this.
We are currently accepting applications from Missouri rising sophomores, juniors, seniors, and recent high school graduates interested in community service or civic engagement.
Program Overview
Eligibility: To qualify for the inaugural cohort for the AAPI Changemakers Program, you must be currently enrolled in a Missouri highschool and identify as Asian American or Pacific Islander. International students from Asia are also welcome to apply. For the 2024 Summer Cohort, the program will be open to rising sophomores, rising juniors, rising seniors, and recent highschool graduates.
Application: To apply for the 2024 Summer Cohort, you must complete the application form linked here. The application includes basic background information, general availability, and four short essay questions. Please limit answers to 200-300 words. We encourage you to portray your authentic self in the application: speak to what motivates you, even if it doesn’t fit the traditional idea of community, leadership, or identity!
Selection: After the application form closes on Tuesday, 5/7/24. MAAYF staff will evaluate written applications using the guiding questions:
What is the applicant’s capacity to work independently?
What kind of vision do they have for their community? What is their current connection to said community?
What is the applicant’s experience and understanding of leadership?
How might this applicant interact and support other members in the cohort?
Applications will be evaluated on a rolling basis, so we encourage students to apply early. Within a week of applying, applicants will be contacted over email for a brief conversation so MAAY staff can learn more about the applicant.
Around the last week of May, applicants will be notified over email of their selection as finalists. In order to secure their spot in the cohort, finalists will need to complete a signed agreement to participate in the program, a parental release form (if under 18), a media release form, and a bank account (or parent’s) for receiving project and stipend funds.
Eligibility, Application, and Selection
Program Participation
The program will feature weekly workshops at a set time that will be announced after the selection of the cohort. Additionally, students will undergo a 1-1 meeting with MAAY staff to discuss their community project, budget, and outreach plan. Similar check-ins will be scheduled on an “as needed” basis depending on the student's project. The program will culminate in the implementation of the community project, and an ending celebration to honor the cohort. All cohort members must complete an exit interview and survey as part of their completion of the program. In-person programming is contingent on MAAY staff capacity, but will not be mandatory.
Timeline
Program orientation will begin the first week of June. Workshops, training, and preparatory 1-1s will run through July. Students will implement their community projects which they have been developing throughout the summer in August. Exit interviews will be conducted in early September. Students may expect to receive their stipends after finishing their exit interviews.