A-VOYCE : Asian Voices of Organized Youth for Community Empowerment

A-VOYCE (Asian Voices of Organized Youth for Community Empowerment) is a youth development program of the Asian Community Development Corporation that develops leadership potential of Asian American youth from Greater Boston by bringing their voices to the public to effect positive change in the community through the power of dialogue and storytelling.

A-VOYCE encourages youth to bring themselves and their voices to interface with the public, and engender greater support for and understanding of the Chinatown and Greater Boston AA community through the Chinatown Youth Radio Project (CYRP) and Chinatown Walking Tour Collective (CWTC).  CYRP produces a weekly live Asian American youth public affairs and music radio show and CWTC leads Chinatown community tours to give visitors new historical, cultural, and personal interpretations of the neighborhood.  A-VOYCE content is researched and developed by youth after intensive training in their field of choice.

A-VOYCE grew out of our former program, the Young Leaders Network, and since the beginning of 2006 has worked on activities including:

• The Chinatown Youth Radio Project Broadcast has broadcasted over fifty hours of material since March of 2006, with listeners tuning in from Boston to California.
• The Chinatown Walking Tour Collective has given over eight thematic tours of Chinatown since spring of 2006 to groups including Tufts University, Harvard University, and Emerson College.
• NYRPC – sent two youth members to Portland, Oregon to attend the National Youth & Radio Project Conference in 2006.
• Was one out of six groups from around the country to receive a scholarship to the Third Coast International Audio Festival in 2006 in Chicago, Illinois.
• Have met and participated in the workshops of radio producers from all over the U.S.

Current Initiatives:

• Chinatown Youth Radio Project (CYRP) – In reaction to the closing of SINOCAST, a Cantonese radio station previously broadcasted in Boston, the CYRP serves as a sounding ground in which youth and community members alike can air their concerns, opinions, and grievances while at the same time showcasing their talents and skills weekly on WMFO 91.5 FM, the Tufts University/Medford Community Radio Station. Their show will focus on the Greater Boston Asian community and general Asian American history, culture, and concerns.

• Chinatown Walking Tour Collective (CWTC) – A-VOYCE members engaged in the CWTC receive specialized training in tour creation, guide interpretation, and community storytelling. Those involved in this initiative will research the history of Chinatown (with emphasis on the Chinese Historical Society of New England's archives) and develop thematic guided walking tours of Chinatown. The youth-led tours will highlight the cultural vibrancy of the neighborhood, and inform the audience of the rich immigrant and ethnic heritage of the community.

If you are or know of any youths, ages 14 to 19, who would be interested in becoming part of A-VOYCE please have them contact Amy at amy@asiancdc.org or call 617-482-2380 ext. 206.

888 Washington Street, Suite 102 | Boston, MA 02111-1426 | 617-482-2380 t | 617-482-3056 f | info@asiancdc.org