Apply to A-VOYCE!
Are you a Boston or Greater Boston high schooler interested in social justice and making a tangible impacts and difference in your community? We have the program tailored for you.
Introducing A-VOYCE
Asian Voices for Organized Youth and Community Empowerment (A-VOYCE) is a FREE program open to anyone interested in learning about Asian American identity and making change in their community. Youth receive a stipend upon completion of the full school year!
Malden A-VOYCE 2023 Cohort’s Food Justice event, Seeds of Change. Photo by Reina Matsumoto.
“A-VOYCE equips youth to be community advocates who design spaces for collective dreams, joy, & power. We seek to guide youth from an inward exploration of personal identity into an outward transformation of community power.”
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By the end of the program, the A-VOYCE Chinatown and Malden Cohort members will develop:
a deeper connection to yourself, your community, and the world around you.
your own reflections on Asian American identity and history
reflections on how systemic racism affects the Asian American community
creative and professional skills in community advocacy, design thinking, building empathy, creative storytelling, critical thinking and analysis, and collaboration
a network of passionate community advocates and artists
a group final project, which will create tangible impact in the community
To learn more about A-VOYCE and past cohorts, visit our School Year page here.
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The program runs in Chinatown and Malden from Wednesday, October 8th 2025 to Friday, May 22nd 2026. Youth leaders will meet once a week for fun social events, leadership development workshops, and exciting field trips.
The Malden Cohort meets on Tuesdays. The Chinatown Cohort meets on Wednesdays.
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This program centers Asian American experiences, but is open to young people of all identities who express commitment to these topics of social justice, and are open to talking about race and identity.
You must have an interest in personal identity development, learning about social justice and have a strong commitment to the Asian American community.
Attendance is a high priority for this program! You must be available to attend all program sessions across the entire school year program cycle.
Does this program sound right for you?
Apply today! Applications are due by Sunday, September 14th at 11:59PM.
A-VOYCE
A-VOYCE is ACDC’s Youth Programs empowers youth to be advocates and community organizers to shape their neighborhoods for and by the community!
Photo by Reina Matsumoto
Through ACDC’s youth leadership program, A-VOYCE, and youth-led placekeeping initiatives (SaturPLAY and Films at the Gate), ACDC youth have the opportunity to:
Learn more about their identities with their peers
Develop their leadership skills
Provide service to the community
Gain public-speaking skills and experience
Earn money through internships and other programs
Learn how to use their voices and organize with community to bring about change in their neighborhood
“[A-VOYCE] helped me grow more as a person. I was able to vocally express my ideas and what I wanted, fit in with a group, and allowed me to navigate through finding my own identity and leadership style.”
What have our youth been up to?
Asian Voices of Organized Youth for Community Empowerment (A-VOYCE)
Photo by LD Tran
A-VOYCE, Asian Voices of Organized Youth for Community Empowerment, is the ACDC’s youth leadership program for high school students in the Greater Boston area. There are currently two A-VOYCE programs:
The School Year program runs in Chinatown & Malden: October - May/June
Summer Leadership Academy (7 weeks): July - August
Youth-Led Placekeeping Initiatives
ACDC engages young people in activating underutilized public spaces with family-oriented activities and cultural programming. Our youth plan, organize, and implement the events and activities for the benefit of all community members who live and visit the neighborhoods we serve.
Photo by The Chinatown Project.
SATURPLAY
Between April to October, youth organize a monthly series at Mary Soo Hoo Park at the Greenway, in partnership with the Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy.
Photo by Lee-Daniel Tran.
FILMS AT THE GATE
Every August, ACDC hosts a free film festival to bring community members of all ages together at the historic Chinatown Gate. Events such as this cultivate a sense of community and promotes increased accountability for visitors and residents to keep public spaces safe, clean and enjoyable for all.
Support our Youth Programs
Interested in A-VOYCE but missed the deadline? Submit to our Interest Form.
Follow us on Instagram (@asiancdc) or sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date on our youth programs!
