Korean American Young Leaders

(949) 535-3355

Types

Non Profit

Type

About Korean American Young Leaders

The Korean American Young Leaders (KAYL) is a non-profit organization under the Korean American Center for high school students who aspire to enrich their community. What makes KAYL unique is that it is 100% student led, with adults only serving in an advisory capacity.

Through KAYL, students have the opportunity to take on active leadership positions they might not otherwise have access to at school. We provide members with our youth insight into the world at large, engaging them in a critical reflection of issues affecting our local community.

KAYL strives to empower Korean-American students through leadership development and community service while promoting social justice for all Asian Americans!

KAYL was founded by a group of proactive high school students in June of 2016 in order to empower the Korean-American community within Irvine. Since it's founding, it has expanded past Irvine, with membership including students within the greater Orange County community, and hopes to attract students from all backgrounds.

While KAYL originally began as a volunteer organization, it has expanded to include social justice, community outreach, and political activism. In 2019, KAYL received a lot of mainstream coverage, such as the LA Times, for their advocacy work in gathering petitions to add Asian American Studies to the curriculum within IUSD. This year, we will build upon our success, pushing for a wider adoption of Asian American Studies as well as committing to further our work with the community and giving a voice to Korean/Asian American Youth.