Another year passes, and Arcadia Civic Youth Council finally gathered in-person to welcome its new 2022-2023 Youth Board! The new council discussed future plans and campaigns for the upcoming school year, as well as ways to improve ACYC's involvement in Arcadia's affairs. To the new council, we welcome new members Alysia Shang, Ashley Lim, Joya Sarkar, Kai Wetterau, Rianna Marquez, Saanvi Sakthivel, and Wesley Chen! Congratulations to those who made it, and we appreciate the continuous support from everyone who expressed interest in and applied to our organization! Last but not least, ACYC would like to recognize the graduating council, and we thank you for your amazing dedication and contributions towards youth advocacy in Arcadia.  

Graduating members: Becky Chen (Chairwoman), Arina Miyadi (Graphic Designer), Megan Lee (Secretary), Sesylia Koh (Secretary), and Robinson Lee (Arcadia Historical Society Representative). 

As the mentorship comes to an end, the Arcadia Civic Youth Council is now opening applications for our 2022-2023 Board. Applications could be found at our Google Classroom (code: q2ugb3c) and are due Tuesday, April 5th at 11:59. Best of luck to those applying!

ACYC hosted a History Day event on February 18th as part of our mission to promote and preserve Arcadia's history throughout the city. Guest speakers from the Arcadia Gilb Museum presented on the history of the Santa Anita Assembly Center as well as its operation during World War II. Students were able to listen in on the insightful presentation and share their reflections on a cork board after discussing in groups. Located inside the Arcadia High School multipurpose room, students had lively conversations on top of having the opportunity to reflect on their thoughts on what it was like being a Japanese American during this time. 

ACYC would like to personally thank the AHS National Honors Society, AHS History Bowl, and the Gilb Museum of Arcadia Heritage for making this event possible!

During the month of January, ACYC members hosted a fundraiser by selling tote-bags (seen below). Due to everybody's continued support, we managed to sell over a hundred tote-bags. Along with the fundraiser, Arcadia Civic Youth Council collaborated with the Gilb Museum, National Honor Society, and History Bowl to plan a History Day that will take place in Arcadia High School's multi-purpose room on February 18th. The event will focus on the use of the Santa Anita Park and the Japanese Assembly Center. 

In light of dead week at Arcadia High School, ACYC collaborated with the AHS Wellness Center to distribute free goodie bags to its students, allowing them to de-stress before finals week! Each goodie bag contained a mini pop-it, candy, notebooks, and encouraging notes.

ACYC also released the application for the 2021-2022 ACYC Mentorship, allowing students to gain experience in local advocacy, student leadership, and public speaking. Members will have the opportunity to contribute and engage in major ACYC campaigns on top of learning useful techniques of civic engagement. 

Due to the proximity of the holidays, Arcadia Civic Youth Council members participated in activities to give back to their community. After careful planning and research, ACYC packed healthy sack lunches and donated them to the Foothills Unity Center, where they were distributed to those in need. 

Along with the food donation, ACYC brainstormed for an upcoming wellness event. Since finals are coming up, it's important to encourage students to focus on their mental health while studying. To relieve the stress that many students end up feeling, ACYC decided to host a Pop-It distribution in December (more information about this event will follow in December's monthly update). 

In the month of October, ACYC joined in on the discussion to voice student perspectives on the Apache Designation and name in the Apache Name Information and Input Forum. Student Council Apache Commission also presented a brief slideshow on how Arcadia High School currently works in liaison with the White Mountain Apaches. 

To celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Arcadia's Gilb Museum, ACYC helped volunteer by setting up the area, accommodating the guests, and listening to guest speakers, including Council Members Sho Tay and Paul Cheng and Congresswoman Judy Chu. 

ACYC helped out at the Downtown Arcadia Halloween Harvest Festival as well! Our members pitched in by volunteering at the Arcadia Historical Society's arts and crafts booth and taught children how to make peacock fans and bookmarks. 

Do you see a problem in Arcadia that you believe should be addressed? This month, Arcadia Civic Youth Council launched a survey to get a better understanding of what we can improve on in our city. After thoroughly reviewing submitted responses, ACYC brainstormed and put together a long-term plan to confront topics ranging from teacher accountability to mental health awareness. In October, members from ACYC are planning to meet with Ms. Dillman, the principal of AHS, to discuss concerns and pitch potential solutions. 

In the month of August, members of ACYC helped out at the City of Arcadia's Community Forum on Homelessness, which offered a space for residents to discuss homelessness in Arcadia. Our members checked residents into the event and responded to questions. 

ACYC also hosted a blood stem cell registration drive in conjunction with Be The Match®, a nonprofit organization. To assist the thousands of people diagnosed each year with life-threatening cancers, Be The Match® made it their mission to save lives through cellular therapy. For more information, please visit Be The Match's official website at bethematch.org or see ACYC's informational video at bit.ly/acycdriveinfo.

​This month, ACYC supported the Arcadia City Council by participating in the Patriotic Reverse Parade and Food Drive, a socially-distanced drive-by event hosted by Downtown Arcadia.  Wearing eye-catching costumes, ACYC enthusiastically cheered and waved at passing cars! All donations from the canned food drive went to Foothill Unity Center, who will use the proceeds to help our neighbors. 

Following the Food Drive, ACYC also hosted their own Beyond STEM Career Day. Because of Arcadia having a primarily STEM-focused environment, students don't usually get the opportunity to explore fields outside of science and math. ACYC gave them the chance to learn from professionals in career fields relating to the arts, government, education, and more.