• Please bring a digital device. You will be able to connect to the UT Guest WiFi Account. Please note that the safekeeping of any digital devices will be full responsibility of the participants.

• No pre-academy homework. We understand that educators are at the tail end of another busy year, and might like to prioritize the start of the summer months with some much-needed rest. A detailed Academy schedule will be shared with supplementary resources that can be consulted for further background-building during and after the workshops. Additionally, we understand that educators have differing levels of knowledge regarding Asian American topics of interest in education. Therefore, we’ve designed this academy to provide introductory knowledge with a wide-range of topics. 

Participants are responsible for arranging their own lodging.

We were able to coordinate a special rate at Hilton Hampton Inn & Suites (which is a 5-minute walk from the College of Education). 

Last date to make a hotel reservation at Hilton Hampton Inn & Suites with the special rate ($243.98/taxes included) is June 6th.

Each session will provide and share resources. As well, the schedule provides supplementary resources that can be consulted for further learning building. We will also be providing a set of books for each of our participants to continue learning after the conclusion of the academy.

We will have content specific planning time on Days 2 and 3 of the Academy. In addition, we are excited to launch a year-long virtual professional development series during the 2025–2026 school year. This series will feature humanities scholars and provide dedicated, content-specific planning time for educators. Please let us know if you are interested in participating.

During the Academy, teachers will explore a wide range of topics related to Asian Americans in education, examine key moments in Asian American history, and learn from archivist scholars, community leaders, educators, and students. Together, we will engage with curriculum frameworks, archival materials, and classroom resources to support the integration of Asian American Studies into educational practice. The Academy centers both historical understanding and content-specific application.

The Asian American Studies course that has been designed and piloted in the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 school years based off of a TEKs framework. Other resources and suggestions will be given to help supplement learning in the classroom in ways that help foster humanizing approaches to teaching and learning with Asian American students and families. 

The Academy is designed to meet participants where they’re at. Asian American History hasn’t been taught traditionally, so we don’t expect participants to come with a lot of prior knowledge. All we ask is that you come willing to learn!

• We are excited to launch a year-long virtual professional development series during the 2025–2026 school year. This series will feature humanities scholars and provide dedicated, content-specific planning time for educators. Please let us know if you are interested in participating

• The long-term sustainability of the Asian American Ethnic Studies course relies on expanding implementation to at least 20 school districts, in alignment with SBOE and TEA guidelines. If you or colleagues are interested in starting an Asian American Ethnic Studies course—or supporting its growth at your school—we’d love to connect.Please reach out to Lily Trieu (lily@asiantexansforjustice.org) or Mohit Mehta (mohit.mehta@utexas.edu)

This is the second year of the Asian American Studies Academy, the only in-person, statewide professional development in Texas specifically focused on Asian American Studies with an emphasis on Texas Asian American history. In Texas, Asian Americans are the fastest growing demographic and this is reflected in our classrooms. The Academy was created to support K–12 educators in deepening their understanding of Asian American histories and experiences—especially those rooted in Texas communities. Asian American history is American history.

The Asian American Studies Academy is a collaborative partnership between the Department of Curriculum and Instruction (College of Education) and the Center for Asian American Studies (College of Liberal Arts) at the University of Texas at Austin, in collaboration with Asian Texans for Justice. The program is funded by Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC) and College of Education research grant.

We will be providing a letter from the College of Education to you at the end of the academy depending on the number of hours you complete. At the end of the academy, we will collect information for any additional recipients for your letter stating CE credits (i.e. principal, continuing education office). 

• A prepaid parking pass has been emailed to you for your use only and will be valid for all three days—please be sure to print it out, bring it with you, display the permit on dashboard. You will need to scan in and out of the parking structure. See image below!

• Freshman Orientation will take place on June 23rd and 25th, and heavy traffic is expected at Brazos Garage during the morning (7:30–9:30 AM) and afternoon (4:00–7:00 PM) hours on those dates.

  • For guests staying at the Hilton Hampton Inn & Suites (a 5-minute walk from the College of Education), we recommend leaving your vehicle parked at the hotel and walking to campus.

  • For those who will plan to park on campus, a daily parking pass will be provided. We recommend parking at Conference Garage or Rowling Hall garage on June 23rd and Brazos Garage on June 24th to help avoid the Freshman Orientation congestion. Your parking pass will be valid for only these three parking garages.