Apply for Year 5 of the API Community Leadership Institute!

The Asian Pacific Islander Community Leadership Institute (API-CLI) was founded in 2011 with the vision of developing community leaders & building collaborative alliances and partnerships among Asian Pacific Islander (API) communities to address racial and ethnic disparities. The Institute is led by Immigrant and Refugee Community/Asian Family Center (IRCO/Asian Family Center) in partnership with the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon (APANO). It is one of six culturally-specific leadership programs funded through the Coalition of Communities of Color, supported by Meyer Memorial Trust, Collins Foundation and Oregon Community Foundation. These six leadership programs, together, are known as the BRIDGES Leadership Initiative. Within the context of culture, each leadership program empowers and makes visible communities of color, immigrants and refugees, expands the pathways for social inclusion, increases civic engagement and networking in communities of color, and builds culturally-specific social capital.

As Asian and Pacific Islanders in Oregon continue to face barriers in achieving racial equity in employment, education, occupation, income, housing and more, API-CLI’s objectives are to:

1. Build and strengthen API community leadership capacity by cultivating current and emerging API leaders from across Oregon.
2. Connect API leaders to leadership opportunities by building a strong network among API leaders and between API leaders and other Coalition leaders.
3. Create systems change for a more equitable Oregon.

Accepted 2016-2017 API-CLI fellows will join a diverse cohort of API community members for a comprehensive 8-month long program with activities including: monthly workshops, networking & leadership opportunities and skill building trainings. This program is offered in English. Upon acceptance, each fellow will receive a full scholarship to cover cost of the program (valued at $5000 per person).

Seeking Prospective API-CLI Fellows Who Have:

• Commitment to attend all 8 required intensive monthly workshops/leadership skill trainings, beginning September 2016 and ending April 2017
• Interest and readiness to speak out and build an API advocacy voice
• Interest and readiness to address racial and ethnic inequities
• Commitment to build and preserve long-term relationships with an API community
• Commitment to build alliance with/among other API communities and communities of color
• Commitment to serve API communities in Oregon upon graduation

Click here to download the 2016_2017 Application Packet! Applications must be received by 5 PM on Friday, July 8.

For more information please contact:

Sophorn Cheang, Project Director: sophornc@irco.org / 971-271-6501
Chiao-Yun (Anny) Hsiao, Project Coordinator: chiao-yunh@irco.org / 971-271-6528
Kara Carmosino, APANO Staff: kara@apano.org / 971-340-4861