The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Asian Pacific Advocacy, Culture and Education
Asian Pacific Advocacy, Culture and Education
Learn more about your impact
The APACE Academy Fund supports local Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) high school students to participate in an annual week summer program at ASU that focuses on Asian Pacific American history, culture, contemporary topics, public speaking and engagement.
The APACE Academy was established in 1995 due to concerns raised by Arizona’s AAPI communities regarding marginalization and a desire for their children to develop a better understanding of their history and culture. Approximately 30 students participate in APACE Academy each year, engaging in activities that help them discover connections to their cultural identity, history and their own career aspirations. Daily activities, scheduled from 8:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., include team-building activities, a storytelling workshop, culture show and tell, mock trial, career exploration and classes on history, culture and contemporary issues. Among the issues to be explored this year are AAPI mental health, racial stereotypes and radical healing, community advocacy and the climate crisis.
It is our goal to continue operating the APACE Academy at no cost to students and their families - your support will help make this happen.
“I was with other Asian Americans and they were similar to [my age]…For the first time, I could be seen as a person, as an individual. And that was transformative” -- Thomas Chiang, Class of 1995
Impact of Donor Support
Because of you:
- More learners can pursue higher education. In 2022, 22,000 donors contributed $66.3 million for scholarships.
- More students succeed. ASU ranks #1 among the state's public universities for its 86% first-year retention rate thanks in part to donor-funded student success initiatives.
- And donors helped ASU offer more than 4,500 hours of free tutoring.
I believe ASU is a major life force in our community and I want to do my part to help it thrive."