Our Values

Community Ownership

Collective Growth

Civic Engagement

Democratizing Knowledge

Reciprocity

Access

  • Participants retain ownership of their data and stories. Research is stewarded within community, not extracted for external benefit.

  • Research should not be gatekept by academic institutions. Knowledge production is a civic right.

  • We build peer networks that extend beyond the cohort and strengthen collective action.

  • Communities should benefit directly from the research conducted within them. Stories are not collected without return.

  • Research shapes policy. By equipping participants with tools to generate and interpret data, we strengthen their ability to influence public decisions.

  • No prior research experience required. We use plain language, interactive learning, and practical tools.

“We realize the importance of our voices only when they are silenced.”

–Malala

Research within REACH equips Asian Americans+ with the tools, confidence, and community to investigate their own questions, collect and interpret data, and transform insights into stories that shape policy, funding, and public narratives.

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Cohort Learning Model

  • Our inaugural program invites Asian women+ to explore the stories that shape their communities. Through reflection, curiosity, and creativity, participants will investigate community narratives, listen to lived experiences, and transform what they learn into meaningful creative expression.

    Across three sessions, participants will build trust with one another, engage their communities through curiosity-driven conversations, and create projects that amplify voices and stories that are often overlooked.

    Through this program, participants will:

    • Build foundational research and storytelling skills

    • Learn how to turn questions and lived experiences into meaningful insights

    • Gain hands-on experience that can be translated into resume content, work samples, or interview talking points

    • Develop confidence in engaging with data and research processes

    Eight participants will receive a $300 stipend for their time and participation across 3 sessions.

  • We begin by asking an important question: What stories are missing from the narratives about our communities?

    In this first session, participants build relationships and establish a space of trust and connection. Together, they explore the stories that are often overlooked or underrepresented in their communities.

    Participants will:

    • Connect with one another and build a supportive learning community

    • Reflect on the narratives that shape their communities

    • Identify a question or story they are curious to explore

    • Design a small “curiosity mission” to learn from their community members

    By the end of this session, each participant will have a question they want to explore and a plan for listening to their community.

  • After connecting with their communities, participants return to share what they discovered.

    Together we ask: What did we learn from listening to our communities?

    Participants reflect on their curiosity missions and begin identifying patterns, themes, and powerful stories from what they heard.

    In this session participants will:

    • Share insights and experiences from their community conversations

    • Identify patterns and themes in what they discovered

    • Reflect on how these stories connect to larger community narratives

    • Begin transforming their discoveries into creative expression

    Participants can explore many forms of storytelling such as:

    • Photography

    • Oral history interviews

    • Narrative storytelling

    • Cultural cooking or baking

    • Visual art or creative displays

  • In our final session we ask: How can we turn our insights into stories that inspire change in our communities?

    Participants finalize their creative projects and share the stories they uncovered. This session is both a celebration and an opportunity to think about how storytelling can be a powerful tool for community advocacy.

    Participants will:

    • Complete and present their creative projects

    • Share the stories and insights they discovered

    • Celebrate their collective work and learning

    • Reflect on how they can continue using storytelling and curiosity in their communities

    By the end of the program, participants will leave with new skills, deeper community connections, and creative tools to continue uplifting stories from their communities.

“Fight for the things that you care about… do it in a way that will lead others to join you.”

–Ruth Bader Ginsburg