Apex for Youth

I was always the only Asian kid in the gym.

I felt pulled in two directions, not quite fitting in with my predominantly white town, and not connected to my Asian heritage either. Then a stranger at basketball camp invited my dad to bring me to a practice in Chinatown, and everything changed.

For the first time, I was surrounded by people who looked like me. Sunday afternoons became $8 haircuts, roast pork over rice, and Chinese New Year parades. I finally had a community of youth going through the same things I was.

That was my mission moment, realizing how important it is for youth to have a place where they’re accepted and adults who support and look out for them.

Now I get to build that at Apex every day.

– Stephen, Athletics Program Manager, at .

We’re sharing the stories that made us – the memories, the lessons, and the loved ones who shaped who we are today.

Follow as our community opens up about the moments. ❤️

Spring photography walk with our 9th graders 🌸

Our youth used photography as a form of self-expression, exploring everything from close-ups of textures and action shots to portraits, reflections, and the quiet sounds.

These are the prompts they carried with them:

📸 Look Up — What do you see when you turn your gaze to the sky
📸 Look Closer — Get really close, or zoom in (texture close-up)
📸 Listen — Capture the sounds of a place in a still image
📸 Portraits — Make a portrait of a person with/without their face
📸 Action Shots — Capture intentional motion blur or freeze frames
📸 Community — Notice what might seemingly be mundane
📸 Reflections — Use mirrors, water puddles, or glass buildings to create visual echoes

We gave our youth cameras, and they showed us our community in Chinatown. ❤️

As part of their year-end projects, our mentor-mentee middle school pairs learned to document, create, and tell stories through photography.

Swipe to see their frames and their POV:

1. Basketball court across our office
2. Chinatown is home for our community
3. Moments around our neighborhood in Chinatown
4. Art murals around the office
5. Walking around through the eyes of a mentor-mentee pair
6. Urban paint murals
7. Street scenery around Chrystie Street
8. Where lines meet

When I moved to NYC post-grad, I didn’t know anyone in this community. Apex for Youth changed that.

I joined the mentoring program during COVID a little nervous, but i kept showing up.
Slowly, week after week, saying hi to the same familiar faces… and slowly, those hellos turned into friendships.

The kind where you plan monthly dinners, text each other spontaneously, and even book international trips together.

I genuinely could not imagine my life in this city without the people I’ve met here.

Join the Apex community of 1000+ volunteers. Apply by May 31st.
Learn more - link in bio.

“Love me, love my fart.” ❤️

My dad said this all the time while I was growing up. This was his way of telling us that belonging meant making room for each other’s messes, quirks, and imperfections.

No one told me to clean my room. No one needed perfect English or endless patience. We just knew each other’s hearts, and somehow, that was always enough.

That’s the energy I want to bring to Apex. A space where alumni don’t have to tidy themselves up before walking in, where the good, the bad, and the smelly are all welcome. Because when you truly belong somewhere, you get to be fearless.

Farts and all.

– Sarah Park, Alumni Program Manager at

This AAPI Heritage Month, we’re sharing the stories that made us — the memories, the lessons, and the loved ones who shaped who we are today.

Follow along all month as our community opens up about the moments.

In many Asian households, “I love you” was never said out loud, but it was always there.

It sounds like “Did you eat?” and “When are you coming home?”

Happy Mother’s Day to every mom and grandma who loves loudly in her quiet way. ❤️

How does your mom show love without saying it? Tell us below 👇

Share this with the mother figures in your life.