At its best, creativity allows individuals to pursue new ideas, express themselves, and explore problems that are important to them. This month I read about a group of middle school students who did exactly that. AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) Youth Rising describes itself as follows.
AAPI Youth Rising is an organization started by middle-schoolers. Our mission is to take small actions to make positive change in our communities. In March 2021, AAPI Youth Rising organized a 1,200+ person rally to bring awareness to the increase in xenophobia against Asians in America. We continue to speak out to make a difference.
Here they are in 2021, introducing their initiatives.
For AAPI Heritage Month in May 2022, AAPI Youth Rising sponsored a new initiative “One Day of AAPI History,” in which they volunteer to teach a one-hour lesson about some of the often-unknown but important contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. You can learn more about it here. You also might want to explore their list of resources for teaching important AAPI history. These are activists who know their goals and are moving forward—all before finishing high school.
The AAPI Youth Rising is doing important work. They also are vital examples of what young people can do, given the opportunity. These could be young people in your school, your home, or your community. If you hear young people around you with a sense of mission, I hope you listen up. Share the story of AAPI Youth Rising and offer what support you can. Our world is full of problems that need passion, new ideas, and hard work. And I suspect the young workers are all around us.
creativiteach 