Dear County and District Superintendents, Charter School Administrators, High School Principals, Counselors, and Scholarship Coordinators:

2026 Asian Pacific Youth Leadership Project

I am requesting your help in disseminating information about a statewide conference sponsored by the Asian Pacific Youth Leadership Project (APYLP), which is a nonprofit organization, to your students.

The APYLP works with Asian and Pacific Islander students in California to build on their understanding of what it means to be Asian and Pacific Islander American youth in today’s culturally and ethnically diverse society. The APYLP High School Conference offers group workshops on leadership development, cultural identity and awareness, the legislative process, and public speaking skills as well as an opportunity to participate in mock legislative sessions and to hear from elected officials and prominent speakers from the Asian and Pacific Islander communities.

Fifty juniors and seniors will be selected from the statewide applicants to participate in this conference on March 26–29, 2026, in Sacramento. The APYLP will pay all expenses for the participants, including travel, lodging, and meal expenses, through sponsorships from private corporations, higher education institutions, professional organizations, and individuals.

The organization is especially interested in reaching students with leadership potential but who have difficulty developing or realizing that potential due to language, economic, cultural, or other barriers. Applications must be submitted or postmarked no later than December 15, 2025.

APYLP is celebrating its thirty-sixth anniversary in 2026 and could not have achieved its successes without the support of California educators over the years. For more information and to download an application, visit the APYLP website at https://www.apylp.net/.

Thank you for your assistance in promoting this wonderful opportunity for our students.

Sincerely,

Tony Thurmond
State Superintendent of Public Instruction