AALEAD

Founded in 1998, Asian American LEAD (AALEAD) seeks to promote the well-being of low income Asian American youth and families through education, leadership development, and community-building. In 2002, we purchased our own home at 1323 Girard Street in Columbia Heights and turned this into a community center for our youth. Our community continues to grow with the opening of our office in Wheaton, Maryland in 2006, allowing us to reach out to the Asian American community outside of Washington, DC.

Historically, we focused on the Vietnamese, Amerasian, and Chinese immigrant and refugee communities. However, to meet the changing needs and demographics of our community, we have hired a diverse staff and expanded our programs to serve more students. Currently, we serve over 300 youth that represent more than 12 different Asian ethnicities. Our on-site programs are located at the following locations in DC: Thomson Elementary School, Bancroft Elementary School, Wilson High School, and the AALEAD center. In Maryland, our programs take place at Einstein High School, Parkland Middle School, Argyle Middle School, Eastern Middle School, and Loiederman Middle School.