December Moments
📆 EVENT: ROARING INTO THE YEAR OF THE TIGER
Lions and dragons, and monsters, oh my!
Our Lunar New Year celebration is back again — bigger and better than ever. This year, we're Roaring into the Year of the Tiger with fierce fun co-designed by our very own committee of student advisors for the Colorado community! We'll gather to enjoy fresh dumplings from Meta Asian Kitchen, boba milk teas, and stations led by the girls.
Here's a sneak peek at a few of these stations:
🐲 Crafting a dragon mask
🦁 Watching a lion dance performance
📔 Listening to LNY-themed children's books
🧶 Weaving Chinese-staircase friendship bracelets
🍰 Participating in a cake walk for fun LNY-themed prizes
We'll also be joined by award-winning author Andrea Wang. Andrea will be sharing her story and reading her LNY-inspired book, "The Nian Monster." The first 15 families to sign up will receive a FREE signed copy of the book!
Space is limited for this event. Public tickets go on sale in January, but our newsletter subscribers and community members get first-access (2 weeks before it goes public). Tickets for ages 5+ are $15.
You won't want to miss this event, so purchase your tickets now!
Date: Saturday, February 5, 2022
Time: 10:00 am - 12:30 pm
Location: Asian Pacific Development Center (1537 Alton St, Aurora, CO 80010)
Admissions: $15 for ages 5+
Who's Invited: Everyone (not just the AAPI community)!
*Note: 😷 Masks are required regardless of vaccination status unless eating or drinking. You must show proof of vaccination or negative COVID-19 test (PCR) within 72 hours at the door.
Volunteer Opportunity. Are you willing to help make this an unforgettable event for you and our community? We'd love your help! Responsibilities may include set up, clean up, leading activities, and helping attendees with games & activities. Volunteers receive free admissions, dumplings, boba, and our Lunar New Year t-shirt (image above).
Andrea Wang will be joining us! She is the award-winning author of "The Nian Monster" (APALA Honor, PW starred review) and "Magic Ramen: The Story of Momofuku Ando" (JLG Gold Standard Selection, Sakura Medal, Freeman Book Award Honor, SLJ starred review). She has two books releasing in 2021: "Watercress" (JLG Gold Standard Selection, starred reviews from Kirkus, SLJ, PW, Horn Book); and "The Many Meanings of Meilan," her debut middle grade novel. Her work explores culture, creative thinking, and identity. She is also the author of seven nonfiction titles for the library and school market. She lives in the Denver area with her family.
Remember, the first 15 families to sign up will receive a free signed copy of the book!
📆 EVENT: LUNAR NEW YEAR SOCIAL
One Lunar New Year event isn't enough! That's why we're inviting AAPI girls to a Lunar New Year Social. We'll be eating a delicious dinner together before 2021 ends. There will also be a surprise gift unboxing 😜 Seats are limited to 20, so RSVP now before spots fill up!
Date: Saturday, February 22, 2022
Time: 5:00 - 7:00 pm
Location: TBD
Admissions: Free
Who's Invited: Colorado AAPI girls in grades 6-8 as well as the girls in our high school program
*Note: 😷 Masks are required regardless of vaccination status unless eating or drinking. You must show proof of vaccination or negative COVID-19 test (PCR) within 72 hours at the door.
🙋🏻♀️ NEW TEAM MEMBER: REESE SUN
Introducing Reese Sun! Let's give a warm welcome to our latest team member 👏
Reese is spearheading our outdoors program as the Outdoors Program Coordinator. She's filled with amazing ideas on how Asian Girls Ignite can support our girls in not only their mental but also physical wellbeing, create an AAPI community through the outdoors, and remove barriers to access.
She was a huge impetus behind building this new program as she planned, designed, and implemented both the hiking and climbing events. The program so far has brought a lot of fun and joy to our team and girls, so we're incredibly grateful to have her with us!
Reese is a second generation, born-and-bred Texan from Houston and avid hiker/skier/outdoorswoman. She's a Strategy Manager at The North Face, where she spends her time helping the brand grow in the right direction. Her favorite way of celebrating her Chinese heritage is making food her grandmother made for her when she was young. She is also certified in Wilderness First Aid.
Today is also her birthday — Happy Birthday Reese! 🥳🎂💕
Impact our Outdoors Program! As we're beginning to lay the foundations of yet another new program, we'd love to hear your thoughts on it. We take feedback seriously here, so everything you voice will directly impact AGI's build-out of future events in the outdoors.
We value your voice — please take 10 minutes to fill out our interest form.
🔄 PAST EVENT RECAPS
November 7, 2021
For the Brave Space: Understanding History & Ourselves event, we partnered with Joie Ha — founder of Community Organizing for Radical Empathy (CORE).
Students from our middle and high school programs engaged in community building activities and left with tools and strategies on how to respond to racism and discrimination. Everyone had a chance to connect with the AGI team, engage in storytelling of their own personal experiences, and receive an introduction to AAPI history and anti-racist coalition building.
We loved seeing all the girls lean into the activities and conversations. A special shoutout to Moonshot edVentures for donating the event space!
November 14, 2021
The Power of Storytelling: Climbing Different Paths to Resilience was the second event of our newest Outdoors Program.
High school program participants gathered for a unique combination of climbing and storytelling. They were joined by A.B. Palencia and Hannah Chen — two AAPI Colorado transplants with fierce love for outdoor adventures.Through their stories and activities, the girls learned how they can take many different paths towards resilience.
The determination the girls displayed when presented with "problems" to solve and the supportive sisterhood they showed each other was truly impressive.
A big thank you to Movement Climbing + Fitness in Rino for graciously providing the space for this event!
December 5, 2021
Holiday Social: Every Dish Has a Story was our inaugural Holiday Social event and we had a blast! Our girls, their families, and our community gathered for delicious Thai fried noodles, Vietnamese egg rolls, a trivia game, raffle prizes, and inspiring stories.
We were joined by storytellers Chef Quyen Trinh and Patricia Kaowthumrong who shared how they overcame adversity to achieve the successes they enjoy now. It was fun finally seeing our community in-person after an unprecedented year.
We're incredibly grateful to our community and cannot wait to see you all again next year!
