As the school year comes to an end, ACYC members prepare for their final campaign.As the stigma around Native Americans and their culture lessens, ACYC wants to break the barriers that surround Native American communities by hosting an informative and interactive event. ACYC members toured the Arcadia Library, pictured below, to find a suitable location for this event. Special thanks to Avril Cordova and Shannon Rivers for helping make this event possible. On Thursday, April 13 from 4-6 pm, ACYC will be holding a special event - "Breaking Barriers, Building Unity" - at the Arcadia Library Auditorium. If you would like to learn more about Native American culture, please join us at the event! 

Furthermore, ACYC will be hosting a cable bites fundraiser starting April 17. If you would like to purchase a cable bite, they will be available from any ACYC member. ACYC thanks you for your continuous support as we strive towards our mission. 

With spring just around the corner, ACYC will be opening applications for their 2023-2024 council. If you are interested in youth advocacy and would like to make a difference within the community, please attend our informational meeting on March 29 at 6 pm. No experience is needed, just a commitment to represent the voice of Arcadia's youth. For more information, the flyer will be attached below. 

In the month of October, ACYC mentorship applications opened, seeking hard-working and passionate students who are interested in civic engagement. 8 students from Arcadia High School have been selected. Great job and thank you to all who applied!

ACYC members also helped execute the Celebrating Arcadia History Makers event, which was hosted by the Arcadia Historical Society on Saturday, October 29. This event featured a video presentation, celebrating the people who helped make the history of Arcadia. Thank you to the Arcadia Historical Society for having us at this event!

As the school year progresses, ACYC members are working hard to prepare for future campaigns. On September 7th, Arcadia Civic Youth Council worked with Arcadia Public Library's Teen Center to initiate a "Drought Booth" to bring awareness to drought friendly practices. The booth contained different activities including a trivia, succulent making, and group discussions about the importance of water and conservation on local, regional, and national levels. ACYC hopes that everyone had a great time and was able to learn something new. 

On a more unfortunate note, ACYC recently volunteered at the Carol Libby Courtyard Dedication in memory of Ms. Libby, one of the earliest benefactors of ACYC. Passionate about service and Arcadian history, Ms Libby was a constant supporter of ACYC and helped us connect with organizations like the Arcadia Historical Society. Her kindness and generosity will be missed by both ACYC and the Arcadian community. ACYC sincerely thanks Ms. Libby for all her contributions. 

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Arcadia Civic Youth Council is back with new campaigns following the start of the school year! On August 25th, ACYC collaborated with National Honor Society (NHS) to host a "Navigating AHS" seminar, which focused on preparing AHS students for high school and encouraging a positive outlook on academic life. The seminar's panel consisted of Nathan Kuo, Grace Lee, and Becky Chen, three recent AHS alumni who were invited to share their high school experiences, tips for mental health, and what they wish they knew. Students were able to ask the panel and upperclassmen questions and discuss amongst themselves.

Similarly, Kaylee Kwan, ACYC historian, initiated a "Crosswalks" Campaign with the help of Claire Li, Chairwoman, and Rianna Marquez, Treasurer, that focuses on campus safety at AHS. If any students, teachers, or parents are interested in learning more, please fill out the survey linked here:
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe2VYLnigvSxCLXwTQYWKQPRNnGP7JekPLXIU03EKoMRVbEQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

More information will be released later. 

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).