Group Photo
The program concluded with student presentations and a Leadership Panel featuring local leaders, where students shared their ideas and gained valuable insights into community leadership and impact
The AAPI Coalition and the Jaisohn Center successfully launched the first session of the Youth Leadership Institute, a two-day leadership development program for 16 high school students from diverse backgrounds across the Greater Philadelphia region.
Held July 17–18 at the Jaisohn Community Wellness Plaza in North Wales, the Institute brought together students for a series of interactive workshops, small group projects, and a leadership panel. Participants explored how youth can contribute to building stronger, more inclusive communities through leadership, communication, and civic engagement.
“It’s inspiring to see the next generation of leaders step up with such thoughtfulness, purpose, and hope,” said George Choe, president & CEO of the Jaisohn Center. “This Institute is about more than leadership skills — it’s about empowering youth to see themselves as changemakers in their own communities.”
The program concluded with student presentations and a Leadership Panel featuring local leaders, where students shared their ideas and gained valuable insights into community leadership and impact.
The Speaker Panel included John Han, Esq., Vincent Ahonkai, M.D., and Dr. Pamula Hart (Credit: AAPI)
“The Leadership Institute has been a powerful platform for our youth to discover their voices, sharpen their leadership, and ignite their potential,” said Imraan Munshi, co-chair, Youth & Young Leadership Development Committee, AAPI Coalition & Jaisohn Center. “Watching these young leaders step forward with such passion, creativity, and purpose has been nothing short of inspiring. They are not just preparing for the future — they are shaping it.”
The second session of the Youth Leadership Institute will take place August 6–7, 2025.
The Youth Leadership Institute is co-led by the AAPI Coalition — a collaboration of leaders representing eight Asian American ethnic communities in Montgomery County working to advance impactful and meaningful initiatives for Asian American communities across the region — and the Jaisohn Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving Asian American and other underserved communities through culturally and linguistically responsive healthcare, social services, senior programs, education, and advocacy.
