Virtual Program for AAPI Youths Heading to College

February 1, 2021

With the emergence of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, many communities were forced into lock down and students were transitioned to remote learning. These changes had significant economic and psychosocial impact on Asian-American Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities including increases in reports of stress and isolation among the youths. Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC) and EastBridge Foundation (EBF) wanted to help AAPI youths to successfully navigate the transition to college by learning from peers and to create opportunities for students to connect with peers and mentors for support while at college. We converted our 2019 College Resilience Program into a virtual program for 2020. We held a virtual College Transition Fair via Zoom Conferencing for incoming freshmen on June 12th. The event consisted of a panel of rising sophomores sharing their experiences with the transition to college and offering their insights on campus life and on selecting an academic major. This was followed by break-out sessions with facilitators for small group discussion on college relevant topics.

A virtual College Send-Off Event was held on July 30th. 45 students and volunteers attended the event, an opportunity to connect with peers and mentors. The summer events were followed by a College-Mentorship Program where an incoming college freshman was paired with an upper classman for peer advice and support during the fall semester. Ten incoming freshmen were matched with mentors. They met virtually for weekly check-ins and monthly workshops on college relevant topics such as effective note taking, different study methods and stress relieving methods. The Program concluded with a holiday celebration in December to celebrate their progress and review what they learned