NEW YORK: The Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF), the nation's only pan-Asian children's advocacy organization, is accepting applications for the Asian American Student Advocacy Project (ASAP), a youth leadership program for New York City public high school students of Asian descent.

The youth leadership program urges Indian American public high school students to take advantage of the opportunity to learn how to make a difference in school, by applying for the program. ASAP aims to improve students' leadership and advocacy skills in order to create positive changes in their schools and communities.

In this fifth year of ASAP, students will research critical issues in their communities and present their recommendations to policymakers and school officials. In previous years, ASAP students have made recommendations to reduce harassment, promote mental health services, and improve services for English Language Learners.

CACF is seeking 20 New York City public high school students of Asian Pacific American descent. Students in the past have represented the diverse Asian Pacific American community and have come from all five boroughs and different high schools. In the past five years, ASAP has included students from the following ethnic backgrounds: Bangladeshi, Burmese, Chinese, Filipino, Indian, Indo-Caribbean, Korean, Pakistani, Malaysian, and Tibetan.

To improve the ways in which New York City Public Schools serve Asian Pacific American students, CACF believes that students themselves are the best advocates to effect change in their own schools. The program will take place in Lower Manhattan, New York City.

Interested students must submit an application with a letter of recommendation by July 11, 2008. Summer Orientation runs from August 25 to 30. And School-Year Program takes place one day per week after school for 30 weeks from Oct 2008 - May 2009.