About the
Asian American Youth Council of Dayton
The
Asian American Youth Council of Dayton started as a statewide
project called Asian American Youth Against Tobacco. AAYAT was a
statewide youth coalition under the umbrella of
ASIA, Inc.
with chapters in Akron,
Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus and Dayton. The purpose was to provide
peer education and leadership development to Asian American Pacific
Islander youth, with a focus on addressing issues in tobacco control for
Asian Americans at the local, state, and national levels. AAYAT was
funded through the Ohio Tobacco Prevention Foundation (OTPF). In 2008
the Foundation was disbanded and AAYAT lost its funding.
The Dayton
AAYAT chapter has been consistently vibrant with many notable
achievements. In 2004, AAYAT won the Group Advocate of the
Year Award from Tobacco Free Kids. In 2007, Dayton AAYAT member, Jolie
Yang won the International Youth Advocate of the Year award. The Dayton
chapter has been called upon to perform an impressive range of
challenges. In 2006, two members were asked to speak to the Ohio finance
committee. Other years saw our members sitting on a youth
panel at the National Conference on Tobacco or Health, giving presentations to large groups in the Southwest Ohio region
and planning Ignite events at a national level. One alumnus is now sitting on
the Legacy Youth Board while three have been national officers of
Ignite. The organization has had two LaSertoma Award winners, an
award based on volunteerism. (See resume.)
When the state of Ohio merged the Tobacco Prevention
Foundation into the Ohio Department of Health funding was no longer
available for AAYAT through state avenues. During the summer of 2008 the
Asian American Council, Dayton, adopted the Chapter and renamed the
group the Asian American Youth Council of Dayton (AAYCD). The group
continues to educate others about the dangers of tobacco and also raise
awareness about other issues that affect the AAPI community.
Eight
Dayton Asian American communities have partnered to implement the Asian
American Youth Council of Dayton. 2008-2009 funding was provided by the United Way of the
Greater Miami Valley. Several projects were funded by the
Physicians' Charitable Foundation of the Miami Valley among them the
teen-created puzzle workbook, 'Say NO to Tobacco' and the original
video, 'Top Ten Tobacco Facts' (can be viewed at the AAYCD Facebook
page).
Although
we have no current funding, our members remain steadfastly dedicated to
tobacco education. With a mixture of fun, talent and hard work,
they continue disseminating anti-tobacco messaging in many formats.
This
talented group of teens provides a reassuring glimpse at the nation's future
leaders. They are smart, creative and motivated; a winning combination
that should take both them at AAYCD far.
For
more detailed information about the past statewide AAYAT project,
browse its website
http://www.aayat.org.
For more information about the Asian American Council, Dayton visit:
http://iis.stat.wright.edu/AAC-Dayton/ . |