Frequently Asked Questions

 

Do I have to be a resident of the city or region where the RLA is hosted to attend?

No you do not, you are welcome to attend any of the RLA trainings regardless of where your hometown is. Please note: regional trainings use area-specific case studies and feature speakers from that geographic region.

 

Who topics does the training cover?

The two-day program delivers interactive political training with topics including: developing your campaign plan; communications; digital organizing; power mapping; volunteer recruitment and management; and fundraising. RLAs provide tools and resources for current elected officials, individuals seeking to run for public office, and community stakeholders.

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Who should apply?

The RLA is geared towards Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AAs & NH/PIs) who have an interest in running for office at any level of the political process.

 

Is RLA limited to specific political parties?

No. APAICS is a non-partisan organization. Our RLA trainings have been attended by Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. Our goal is to provide the best training possible to the AA & NH/PI community regardless of party affiliation.

 

What should I consider before applying?

Before attending a Regional Leadership Academy training, applicants should know why they want to attend and what they want to achieve from the training. Applicants should have a good grasp of their motivations, values, and concerns. If you need assistance in determining if you should attend RLA, please contact us at programs@apaics.org and we can provide guidance to determine if RLA is the right program for you.

 

Is RLA an AA & NH/PI political history training?

No. RLA is not an AA & NH/PI political history training course. Because of the limited time, APAICS does not include an AA & NH/PI political history component in its training. For a comprehensive timeline of AA & NH/PI political history, please consult our website.

 

Our Curriculum:

• Campaign Planning

• Communications

• Online and Digital Communications

• Campaign Finance and Compliance

• Volunteer Management

• Fundraising

• Power Mapping

• Public Boards and Commissions

• Guest Speakers

 

Our Facilitators:​

• Madalene Mielke

• Cheryl Hori

• Christina Kuo

• Mario Salazar

• Shu-Yen Wei

• Régine Biscoe Lee

• Lan Diep

 

Our Partners

APAICS works with community leaders and partners to identify locations for each regional training. We work with our partners to create a unique program for each community, and to identify potential program participants.

 

Guest Speakers

APAICS invites AA & NH/PI electeds and those who have run for office at the local, state, and national levels to speak about their campaigns, the strategies they’ve used, and allow time for Q&A. Although APAICS invites guest speakers at every level of the political spectrum, guest speakers do not represent APAICS or the views of the organization. All remarks from guest speakers are solely attributed to them.

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Alumni Network and Programming

After completing the program, participants will gain access to the APAICS alumni network that includes participants from all of our other programs, access to our alumni events, and the RLA alumni group.