Gene Luen Yang is the next National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature

Library of Congress names award-winning graphic novelist to promote youth literacy.



This is so cool. The Library of Congress has named Gene Luen Yang the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature -- the first graphic novelist to be so honored since the post was created in 2008.

Gene Luen Yang Is Next Ambassador for Young People's Literature

Gene is the acclaimed, award-winning author of American Born Chinese (2006), finalist for the National Book Award and winner of the Michael L. Printz Award. His other books include Boxers & Saints (2013), The Shadow Hero (2014) and Secret Coders (2015). He currently works on Superman for DC Comics.

The National Ambassador for Young People's Literature raises national awareness of the importance of young people's literature as it relates to lifelong literacy, education and the betterment of the lives of young people.

Secret Coders by Gene Luen Yang & Mike Holmes

New graphic novel series teaches young readers the magic of computer coding.



Secret Coders, the latest book from award-winning graphic novelist Gene Luen Yang with artist Mike Holmes, imagines an adventure story for middle schoolers that's kind of like Harry Potter, only instead of magic wands, the young students use computers and learn the magic of computer coding.

The series is set at Stately Academy, where the walls and buildings are crawling with mysteries. The founder of the school programmed clues and puzzles into its very stones to challenge his enterprising students. A seventh grader named Hopper and her friend Eni are determined to get to the bottom of it. Using their wits and their growing prowess with coding, they set out to solve the mystery of Stately Academy no matter what it takes.

Here's a preview of Secret Coders:

CBD 2014 Youth Conference: "Breaking Barriers"

Sunday, August 17 at the Asian American/Asian Research Institute



This is for young folks in New York City... Chinatown Beautification Day began in 2003 as a project of the Chinatown Youth Initiative to address concerns that Manhattan's Lower East Side had become neglected in the aftermath of 9/11. CBD has evolved into a two-day event that includes a cleanup and conference, bringing together youth from all the around city for a unique learning experience.

The Youth Conference segment of Chinatown Beautification Day is happening this Sunday, August 17 at the Asian American/Asian Research Institute. There will be a variety of workshops, as well as words from keynote speaker Juliet Shen, the activist and writer behind Fascinasians.

Here are some more details about the conference:

Attention AAPI Youth: Apply to the E3! Ambassadors Program

White House Initiative on AAPIs invites young leaders to "Educate, Engage, and Empower"


Calling on the next generation of AAPI leaders! The White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders is looking for youth leaders to take part in the newly launched E3! Ambassadors Program.

E3! stands for "Educate, Engage, and Empower. They're seeking bright and creative AAPI leaders to brainstorm innovative solutions to serve the community in the priority areas: education, mental health, pathways to public service and the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).

Up to 150 applicants will serve for one academic year. Here are some more details:

Letters From UndocuAsians, August 13

A Theater Performance By Undocumented Asian Youth



Letters from UndocuAsians is a theater production written, directed, and performed by undocumented Asian youth members of RAISE (Revolutionizing Asian American Immigrant Stories on the East Coast). The production is inspired by the everyday lived experiences of undocumented immigrants -- from navigating friendships to maintaining family in the face of immigration policies. If you're in New York City on August 13, you can catch a performance at the Barrow Street Theatre.

Here are some more details:

Apply to the Muslim Youth Voices Project

Free summer filmmaking workshop presented by the Center for Asian American Media



The Muslim Youth Voices Project is a national initiative of the Center for Asian American Media. This three-year initiative is an effort to amplify the expressions and celebrations of Muslim youth ages 12-18 by providing the tools to tell their stories -- stories often invisible to the national public.

This round, CAAM is offering free filmmaking workshops for youth in the Bay Area and New York City. But heads up -- the application for the one in Fremont is due this Friday, July 18. (Sorry for the short notice.)

Here's some more info:

White House hosts AAPI Youth Forum

Tune in Thursday, July 17 at 9:00am EDT

This is pretty short notice, but if you see this in time, the White House Office of Public Engagement and White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are hosting an online AAPI Youth Forum tomorrow morning.

Tune in Thursday, July 17 at 9:00am EDT to see various members of the administration talking about issues affecting young AAPI leaders, including education, mental health, pathways to public service, and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.

Here are some more details about the webcast:

This kid just got a planet named after him

MIT's Lincoln Laboratory honors teen scientist Michael Shao



People of planet Earth! You can now look up into night skies (probably through a super high-powered telescope) and see the planet named for a really smart teenage scientist named Michael Shao.

Planet named after Detroit Country Day School student

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Lincoln Laboratory has named a minor planet after Michael Shao, a junior at Detroit Country Day School in Michigan, in recognition of his achievements at the 2013 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, the world's largest high school science research competition.

Shao's project, winner in the Animal Sciences category, analyzed a worm's simple nervous system:

More Than Half of Asian American Teens are Bullied in School

Saw this infographic posted on the Giant Robot's Twitter last week... We've seen this statistic shared before, but it's worth repeating and reinforcing. And seriously, it hasn't become any less upsetting.

According to survey data released in 2011 by the US Justice Department and Education Department, Asian Americans endure far more bullying in U.S. schools than any other ethnic group, and compared to other teens, Asian American teens are three times as likely to face bullying on the internet.

A report released last year by the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund and The Sikh Coalition revealed that half of all Asian American students surveyed in New York City have been the target of bias-bullying and harassment, mirroring national statistics.

And according to a report released earlier this month, more than half of Sikh school children are bullied.

Throw in the scores of stories I've posted the years about young Asian Americans who have taken their lives after enduring bullying, violence and harassment in school, and it's all a stark, powerful reminder that we need continued efforts to confront and combat this issue.

Stand up and speak out!

AAJA accepting applications for JCamp 2014

Six-day intensive journalism training for high school students



Attention young journalists! The Asian American Journalists Association is currently accepting applications for JCamp 2014, a six-day intensive journalism training camp for high school students. The all-expenses-paid program brings together students from across the nation to sharpen their journalism skills and work together in a unique learning environment. It's happening July 29 to August 3 at Emerson College in Boston.

Here are some more details about the program:

Summer Music Academy for Real Teens (SMART), July 8-26

Young people of Boston! This one's for you. The Summer Music Academy for Real Teens (SMART), sponsored by Chung Changing Lives Inc. and the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center, is a three-week summer music education for teens. SMART seeks youth ages 13-18 of all backgrounds from all over Boston to develop their passion to learn and create music. The program runs July 8-26 at the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center.

The program is made possible by the generous support of NFL player Patrick Chung, who himself is the son of professional musicians -- music producer Ronald Chung and reggae singer Sophia George-Chung: Former Patriot Patrick Chung presents $25,000 to Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center.

Here are some more details about the program:

apply to the yuri kochiyama leadership program

This sounds like a great opportunity for young people in the metro-Detroit area...

The Yuri Kochiyama Leadership Program at the University of Michigan is an outreach program to Asian Pacific Islander American high school students. The sessions, which meet Saturdays and begin in October, focuses on Asian American heritage, identity and awareness.

Here are some more details about the program:

Asian American teens bullied more than any other group

This probably won't come as a surprise, but it still sucks to hear... It's official: Asian Americans endure far more bullying at U.S. schools than members of any other ethnic group. When it comes to Asian Americans targeted for racial abuse and harassment, compared to other teens, the numbers aren't even close: Asian Americans most bullied in US schools: study.

According to new survey data release over the weekend for the Bullying Prevention Summit, 54 percent of Asian American teenagers said they were bullied in the classroom -- a figure waaaaay above the percentages of other groups. And Asian Americans teens are apparently three times as likely to face bullying on the internet: