2025 API Action for Community Advancement

(Application portal will be open on March 31 2025

ACA encourages API students to contribute to our community through innovative endeavors. We actively welcome project proposals from students, fostering a culture of creative engagement and service. ACA will award $250 scholarships for successfully completed projects.

Below are the proposal requirements.

Beneficiary

Please describe the population that will benefit from your project, such as the API community, seniors, students, underserved individuals, immigrants, or the general population. It is essential that beneficiaries include residents of San Diego County.

Eligibility

Applicants must be residents or students attending schools in San Diego County.
Applicants must be of Asian Pacific Islander descent.
The team leader must be a current or rising high school student during the summer of 2025. Team members may also include middle school students.

Requirements

Projects must be non-commercial and focused on benefiting the community.
Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
1. Physical health, mental health, healthcare access, senior citizen welfare.
2. Cultural enrichment, environmental conservation, gun violence prevention, racial equality, immigrant integration, education access, poverty alleviation, homelessness assistance, youth empowerment, women's empowerment, disaster relief, food insecurity, community infrastructure improvement, civic engagement, and technological literacy enhancement.
We encourage team projects, which must consist of at least three students. Each team member will be assigned specific tasks and deliverables to ensure collaboration and accountability.
Additionally, the team lead must designate an adult supervisor to oversee the project. This can be a parent, teacher, coach, or another qualified mentor.

Application Process

Please complete the application form to submit a project proposal of 500–1,000 words. Your proposal should include the project title, beneficiary population, objectives, execution plan, budget analysis, and expected outcomes. Additionally, provide the names, schools, email addresses, and incoming grades of the team leader and members.
You're welcome to review the projects approved in 2024 and projects approved in 2023. However, please note that we do not accept proposals closely resembling those from previous years. We encourage fresh, innovative proposals each year.
The application deadline is May 15th, 2025.
The ACA committee will conduct a group interview, where the team lead will present the proposal to the panel.
Applicants will receive notification of their acceptance status by June 14th, 2025.
Some project proposals may entail long-term or large-scale endeavors extending beyond the summer. In such cases, please outline a robust delivery plan specifically tailored for the summer period, even if it only represents a portion of the larger project. Successful completion of the project includes delivering and presenting the proposed summer delivery plan.

Application Form

Communication with ACA

The ACA internship committee will not provide step-by-step guidance for the execution of community projects, but we are committed to supporting you to the best of our ability if you seek advice or assistance.
ACA will primarily communicate with the team lead via email. It is important to regularly check emails from [email protected] and the ACA board member coordinating the community project. Please ensure timely responses to any inquiries or updates.
If your project deviates from the original proposal during execution, please notify ACA promptly and submit a revised project plan for approval. Failure to communicate any changes may result in the project being ineligible for the ACA scholarship.

Deliverable

Please upload your midterm project report by July 20th to provide an update on your project's progress.
The final project report, highlighting major milestones, should be uploaded by August 17th.
All participants are required to attend the ACA summer intern graduation ceremony and present their projects in person. The ceremony is tentatively scheduled for mid-August (date and location to be confirmed). If any team member has a scheduling conflict and cannot attend in person, please inform ACA as soon as possible and arrange for an online presentation.
Projects that do not meet all three of the specified deliverables will not be eligible for the ACA scholarship and certificate.

Time Commitment

We recommend that each team member dedicate a minimum of 40 hours to the project, from the application draft date through to the award ceremony presentation.
Team members have the flexibility to schedule their work hours during the summer. You can begin working on your project as soon as you submit your application, and the deadline for submitting the final project report marks the end date.
Please maintain a detailed log of project hours for each team member as part of the final project delivery document. Since task assignments may vary, each team member should keep their own individual log. This log is essential for accurately documenting contributions. Upon request, ACA can also verify and sign off on your volunteer service hours.

Scholarship

Each approved team that successfully completes and presents their proposed project will receive an ACA scholarship of $250. A first $125 check will be granted to all approved project that deliver midterm update following project plan, and a second $125 check will be awarded after reviewing the final project delivery. Receipt of second check depends on project execution and final presentation quality.
Each approved team that successfully completes and presents their proposed project will receive an ACA scholarship of $250.
- A first $125 check will be awarded to all teams that submit a midterm update in accordance with their project plan.
- The second $125 check will be awarded after the final project delivery and presentation, contingent upon the quality of the project's execution and presentation.
- The use of the team scholarship is at the discretion of the team lead and members, allowing for flexibility in how the funds are allocated.
Every team member will receive a personalized certificate from either the Mayor's office or a Council member's office, with the student's name included on the certificate.