Education Programs

1.Two competitions for high school students

1) "Write to Your Representatives " Competition

Launched in 2022, this program encourages high school students to participate in civic activities by identifying, researching, and analyzing community or social issues, comparing them to existing policies, and proposing innovative solutions. This initiative aims to enhance civic engagement and leadership skills, empowering students to make a positive impact on their communities. Participants will earn 20 hours SSL after submitting.

The program has received strong support from prominent legislators, including U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen, Ted Cruz, and John Cornyn; Congressmen Jamie Raskin, Gerry Connolly, and former Congressman David Trone; Maryland Governor Wes Moore; and several state officials from Maryland and Virginia. These leaders have recognized the program’s impact through videos, letters, and commendations.

Review & Judging criteria

The quality and effectiveness of the contestant’s proposals.
The social responsibility of the letters.
The likelihood of a successful launch.

2) Yes! Young entrepreneurs solutions--business plan competition

Since 2018, the International Leadership Foundation (ILF) and the Yuan Foundation have co-hosted the annual AAPI Business Plan Competition. This initiative offers high school students a valuable platform to showcase their entrepreneurial ideas while developing essential soft skills and cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset. For more information, please visit the “Yes! Young Entrepreneurs Solutions: Business Plan Competition” webpage.

Review & Judging criteria

Quality and effectiveness of the Business Plan.
Effective use and impact to the community.
The probability of a successful launch

3)Competition Rules

1.Participants must be high school students in the United State..

2.Team: each team may have no more than 5 members, and at least one of whom must be an Asian American.

3.Any work submitted must be original, plagiarism is prohibited.

4)Judging committee

The Yuan Foundation has the honor of inviting judges from various fields to review the competition entries.We will post the detailed information of Judges committee later.

5)WALL OF HONOR for Awards winners of Two competitions

"Write to Your Representatives Contest"

2022 Awards Winners; 2023 Awards winners; 2024 Awards Winners

"Yes! Young Entrepreneurs Solutions: Business plan competition"

2022 Awards Winners; 2023 Awards winners; 2024 Awards Winners

2.Two online Academies

Goal

To better promote AAPI high school students’ participation in civic engagement and the two competitions, Yuan Foundation will continue to host two Academies. The tuition fee is $100 for students in the United States and $150 for international students.

1) Civic Engagement & Leadership Academy

This 10-hour, flexible online program, which you can complete at your own pace, is designed to help high school students develop their leadership skills while learning about civic engagement. The program includes classroom instruction and project-based learning that allows participants to apply the concepts and skills they learn to real-world situations. All participants not only receive their Civic Engagement and Leadership Certificate, but can also earn 10 SSL hours after completation

2) Entrepreneurship & Leadership Academy

This 10-hour, flexible online program, which you can complete at your own pace, is designed to help high school students develop their entrepreneurial mindset and leadership skills. During the program, students will not only explore the fundamentals of entrepreneurship, but also learn about leadership styles and strategies, team building, etiquette and effective communication. All participants will receive their Entrepreneurship & Leadership Certificate upon completion of the program