Youth Program | FAQ | Links | Taro Buddies | Contact Staff

What’s the ACAS Youth Program?

The Youth Program at ACAS helps prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) by educating and outreaching to East and Southeast Asian youth across Toronto. All our activities are based on a non-judgmental peer education approach.

We provide:

1. HIV/STI prevention education workshops
2. Outreach at events, fairs, conferences, etc.
3. A volunteer peer educator program
4. Supportive social spaces for lesbian, intersex, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, gay, queer and questioning East & Southeast Asian youth through QAY, our Queer Asian Youth program
5. HIV/STI prevention events targeting East & Southeast Asian youth in general
6. Multilingual brochures and resources on prevention, testing, coming out, and other issues related to healthy sexuality (See Resources)
7. 7. In 2008-09, a LGBTTIQQ peer-led, youth focused workshop/forum series, Queer Luck Club, is launched. Funded by The Lesbian and Gay Community Appeal Foundation, it provides an opportunity for LGBTTIQQ youth to discuss issues that affecting their lives and share life experiences with their peers and an opportunity to train LGBTTTIQQ youth become leaders in the community.

More about our services

Workshops. We go to high schools, community organizations, and youth groups to facilitate free, fun & interactive HIV/STI prevention workshops. Our workshops are rooted in a peer-to-peer approach. We are committed to sex-positive, non-judgmental, pro-choice, and harm reduction principles of education.
Outreach. We also go to different areas of Toronto to hand out safer sex kits and talk to Asian youth to increase awareness about HIV/AIDS & STIs. We go to community centres, nightclubs, malls and other places where Asian youth hang out.
Peer Educators. East & Southeast Asian youth volunteers are educating each other about HIV/AIDS and STIs through the peer educator program. As a team, we provide HIV/STI prevention education workshops and outreach around the city. We’re always looking for volunteers interested in learning and educating their friends about healthy sexuality and safer sex choices.
QAY: Queer Asian Youth. The Queer Asian Youth group builds supportive social spaces for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transsexual, transgender, queer, curious, undecided, or questioning East and Southeast Asian youth and their friends. Some of our regular events include Bubble Tea Lounges and Movie and Games Nites. In 2003, we held a conference called Facts for Friction (F3), the largest conference for and by queer East and Southeast Asian youth in Canada. In 2005, we launched a Queer Asian Youth ‘Zine. In 2008, we’re celebrating our 8th Anniversary.

QAY volunteers meet once a month to organize events, which happen every 2 months. New volunteers are always welcome!

Counselling & Referral. Do you have a question about HIV/AIDS, STIs, sex or sexuality? Are you looking for a specific kind of help or service? Call us! You can call anonymously (we don’t have call display). If we don’t offer what you’re looking for, we can connect you with places that do.

For more info on the youth program, call Chi Ching Hui at (416) 963-4300, x. 29, or email youth@acas.org.