The 2025 Asian American Youth Symposium
- Ages 14+
Get ready for a day of inspiration, connection, and empowerment at the 2025 Asian American Youth Symposium!
Date and time
Location
College of San Mateo
1700 West Hillsdale Boulevard San Mateo, CA 94402Refund Policy
Agenda
9:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Registration
9:30 AM - 9:45 AM
Opening Remarks
9:45 AM - 11:15 AM
Trailblazers Panel: Stories Beyond the Script
11:15 AM - 11:45 AM
Coffee Break
11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
Multiple Breakout Sessions (Youth)
11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
Breakout Sessions: Parents
11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
Breakout Sessions: Educators
1:00 PM - 2:10 PM
Lunch Break
2:10 PM - 3:25 PM
Listening & Speaking Up
2:10 PM - 3:25 PM
Reclaiming Our Stories — Film Screening & Conversation with Josh Chuck
3:25 PM - 3:40 PM
Break
3:40 PM - 4:20 PM
Comedy Show & Finale
About this event
- Event lasts 8 hours
- Ages 14+
- Free venue parking
Join us for this transformative event celebrating and empowering Asian American youth through discussions about identity, community, leadership, and more. For more information head to our Event Page.
This Youth Symposium is a transformative gathering designed to uplift, connect, and empower Asian American students, parents and guardians, and educators. Through dynamic panel discussions, interactive breakout sessions, and cultural showcases, participants will gain fresh perspectives, practical insights, and a deeper commitment to personal and community growth.
This is a space where students, parents/guardians, educators, and community members can connect, share, and learn from one another. Students will meet inspiring professionals from different fields, gaining real-world guidance to help shape their futures with confidence. Parents/guardians will gain a deeper understanding of the challenges their youth face — and how to support them through advocacy and open conversations. Educators will gain practical strategies and curriculum resources to bring Asian American studies into their classrooms and foster more inclusive learning spaces.
This event is designed to be a step forward towards lasting change, connectivity, and community empowerment.
Speakers
We have assembled a panel of distinguished speakers and moderators and are adding more over the next few months. Please visit the Schedule and Speakers list on our website from time to time to see who has been added. Partial list:
- Eddie Ahn – Executive Director, Brightline Defense
- Paul Bien – Vice President of Baseball Analytics, San Francisco Giants
- Wesley Chan – Filmmaker and Co-founder, Wong Fu Productions
- Jayson Chang – Professional Development Manager, Asian American Education Project
- Stephanie Cheng – Product Advisor and Coach, UC Berkeley Haas School of Business
- Josh Chuck – Filmmaker and Producer
- Kathy Fang – Chef and Owner, Fang Restaurant
- Mina Fedor – Founder, AAPI Youth Rising
- Melinda Gonzalez – Clinical Psychologist, Harker School, San Jose, CA
- Eunjee Kang – Social Studies Teacher, Bohannon Middle School, San Lorenzo, CA
- Caroline Lee – Clinical Psychologist
- Jason Muñiz – Site Director, UC Berkeley History-Social Science Project (UCBHSSP)
- Sean Niu – Filmmaker and Producer
- Daniel Tam-Claiborne – Deputy Director, Serica Initiative
All youth participants (under 18) must fill out this consent form for tickets to be validated.
All participants must fill out a Breakout Session Form to validate their registration.
For group tickets, email [email protected] for a code BEFORE you register.
For other questions, contact us at [email protected] and visit our Event Page for more information.
Frequently asked questions
The Youth Symposium is for youth 14-21 years old, their educators, and their parents/guardians. However, community members at large who are interested in exploring and celebrating Asian American identity and culture and cultivating youth leadership are welcome to participate.
Absolutely! This symposium unites participants and speakers to explore identity, professional paths, cultural pressures, and more facing Asian American youth. It also includes sessions for parents and teachers. Youth attendees must submit a parent/guardian consent form, even if attending alone.
Yes, parents and guardians are encouraged to attend. There is a refundable registration fee for adults. See “Is there a registration fee?” below for more information.
The event is free for youth. However, a refundable deposit of $25 is required for adult registration to help us plan appropriately for space, materials and meals. But if you come to the event, we will refund your deposit shortly after the event ends. This fee is waived for educators leading a group.
Educators can register student groups and parents — email [email protected] for a code for group registration. Adult registration is free for teachers bringing groups. A group ticket will automatically enter the group in a raffle for a free field trip (valid through June 2026).
See the Agenda above for a description of the breakout sessions. All participants must fill out the Breakout Session Sign-Up Form — sent to you with your registration confirmation email — to reserve a spot in one of the breakout sessions. More details on the Event Schedule are on our website.
Yes, meals and refreshments will be provided at no cost to participants, including vegetarian options.Please bring your own lunch if there are additional dietary restrictions.
Adults and youth should register independently, even though they may be related. A registration confirmation email will be sent to you, including a link to reserve a spot in the breakout session of your choice.
The deadline to register is August 30, 2025. Early registration is encouraged as space is limited and the breakout sessions may fill up quickly. See the Event Schedule for a description of the breakout sessions.
The Roots and Wings Youth Symposium will be held at the College of San Mateo Theatre, 1700 W. Hillsdale Blvd., San Mateo, CA, with free parking. See our Event Page on our website for more details.
Event Page: 1990institute.org/programs/youth-symposium-2025. Full schedule and bios for our speakers/moderators: 1990institute.org/programs/youth-symposium-2025/schedule-and-speakers. Please check back from time to time as we will be adding even more speakers. Hyperlinks in Event Description above.
Please email us at [email protected] and include the subject line “Youth Symposium Question.”