Friday, August, 20th from 12:00 PM PT to 1:30 PM PT
CONGRATULATIONS TO the 2021 CAUSE Leadership Academy cohort
The 2021 edition of the CAUSE Leadership Academy (CLA) differed from the past editions. Founded in 1991 as the California Asian American Student Internship Coalition (CASIC), CLA’s goal is to develop a pipeline of civic leadership for the Asian Pacific American (APA) community. Traditionally, the program consists of four elements: The Internship, Civic Leadership Workshops, Civic Engagement Project, and an Annual Capitol Summit. To prioritize public health, CAUSE has adapted the CLA program to a virtual format for the 2021 cohort. This shift created new avenues for the interns to engage with the APA community and learn about critical issues in the following ways:
The Internship
Prior to 2020, this program was a full-time summer commitment and interns were placed in various offices in Los Angeles and expected to complete a group project. This year, interns will work on a joint project through CAUSE as part of their internship which will be part-time (approx. 18 hours a week.)
The 2021 CLA cohort focused on energy conservation through an APA community lens for Energy Upgrade Calfiornia. The interns produced a multi-platform, multi-media campaign raising awareness and exploring ways the APA community is involved in energy conservation efforts. As a part of this campaign, the interns virtually interviewed community elders, wrote blogs, and created collateral in the form of graphics and short-form videos. See more below.
COMMUNITY IMPACT PROJECT
Each intern cohort develops a civic-based project to empower the larger community. Students learn the importance of and develop greater experience with community organizing. Students gain professional experience in achieving their project goals with guidance from CAUSE staff. Project results are presented at the conclusion of the program. Students learn the importance of community organizing as well as the work that goes into it.
The 2021 CLA cohort focused on the 2022 Los Angeles Mayoral Race as well as issues critical to the APAs of Los Angeles. Through workshops, discussions, and research, the interns developed a communications plan with accompanying collateral to engage the Los Angeles community and future mayoral candidates on current issues affecting the APA community.
Through CLA, interns gain a deeper awareness of the civic issues facing the APA community in California and learn how to engage in politics across various sectors. By the program’s end, students will not only move on from the program with the skills, knowledge, and access to make change but will have made change through their project!
2021 CLA GRADUATION PROGRAM
2021 INTERNSHIP PROJECT
Each intern cohort develops a civic-based project to empower the larger community. This year, the 2021 CLA cohort explored the intersectionality of Asian Pacific American communities and energy conservation. The interns produced multimedia, multi-platform social media campaigns raising awareness for APA community approaches to conservation and conducted interviews with APA elders highlighting their experiences with energy conservation.
Learn more APA energy conservation through the research and interviews conducted by the cohort:
Social Media Toolkit Samples
The 2021 Leadership Academy is Supported by
PRESIDENTIAL
senatorial
congressional
GUBERNATORIAL
Civic Leadership Academy
