Edmonds-Woodway student partners with Edmonds College for AANHPI Heritage Month event series

May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month. Edmonds College’s Sociology and Diversity Studies departments partnered with the Asian American Education Project to host events to “learn about the incredible contributions of AANHPI individuals,” according to the Edmonds College website. 

Scarlett Luo, a junior at Edmonds-Woodway High School, is executive director of the Asian American Education Project group – a nonprofit advocating for inclusion of AANHPI history curriculum in schools across the U.S. She assisted staff from Edmonds College in organizing the events. She’s also scheduled as a keynote speaker May 21. 

The theme for the month is “A Legacy of Leadership and Resilience.”

Events can be attended in person or online via Zoom. Registration links along with more information can be found here. 

Schedule: 

Friday, May 16: 

“Leading with Aloha” lei-making workshop

– Noon, Snoqualmie Hall, room 307.

– Edmonds College staff are scheduled to host a lei-making workshop, a hands-on opportunity to learn the cultural art of lei making and how it relates to Hawaiian culture and principles. No experience needed. All materials will be provided and advance registration is required. Register here.

Speaker: Grace Go

– 4 p.m., Brier Hall, Center for Student Cultural Diversity and Inclusion

– Grace Go, a student at Cornell University who graduated from Mercer Island High School,  is the keynote speaker. She’s one of PBS’s 2024 “Up-and-Coming Storytellers Under 20” and has won awards for her work in podcasting. Those interested can attend in-person or register here to watch via Zoom. 

Wednesday, May 21

Speaker: Scarlett Luo

– 2:30 p.m., Brier Hall, Center for Student Cultural Diversity and Inclusion

– Luo works with several organizations to advocate for inclusion of AANHPI curriculum in schools and has hosted a professional development session at the Edmonds School District office. She and Go are the co-authors of “Mia’s Family Tree: Leaves of Legacy” a children’s book about a child who learns of the contributions her Korean and Chinese American family made to Washington state. Those interested can attend Luo’s speech in-person or register here to watch via Zoom. 

Thursday, June 5

Speaker: Dr. Scott Kurashige

– 4 p.m., Brier Hall, Center for Student Cultural Diversity and Inclusion

– Dr. Scott Kurashige is the president of the James and Grace Lee Boggs Foundation and has taught at Harvard University, UW Bothell, Shoreline College, among other institutions. He was previously president and executive director of the American Studies Association and has written or co-written four books on a range of historical topics. Those interested can attend in-person or register here to watch via Zoom. 

For more information on the events visit Edmonds College’s website. 

— Contact Ashley at ashley@myedmondsnews.com.