Kai Yamamoto (center) is awarded a $5,000 scholarship by Girl Scouts of Orange County CEO Dr. Vikki Shepp (left) and GSOC’s Board of Directors’ Chair Christine Scheuneman on June 9 at the Girl Scouts of Orange County Green & Gold Celebration. Yamamoto learned she won the GSUSA $5,000 Gold Award Scholarship at the event.
IRVINE – Gold Award Girl Scout Kai Yamamoto is a recipient of the Girl Scouts of the USA’s (GSUSA) 2024 $5,000 Gold Award Scholarship for her educational project aimed at building an anti-racist future and developing more respect and empathy for those of AAPI heritage.
Born in China and raised by adoptive Japanese American parents in Southern California, Yamamoto spearheaded the creation of a new AAPI course currently offered by CSU Long Beach for her Girl Scout Gold Award project. The result is a no-cost, college-credit Asian American Pacific Islander ethnic studies course aimed at high school students.
The 15-week-long AAPI course radically differs from the traditional AAPI topics taught in most high schools and history books. It examines contemporary and relevant issues, including political activism, public policy, the media, as well as pop culture — all topics Yamamoto believes are important in creating a more positive world.
“When I was in high school, I noticed my history classes barely touched on AAPI topics. By not being included in the curriculum, AAPI students felt invisible, powerless, and like forever foreigners,” Yamamoto said. “By developing cultural awareness and encouraging critical discussions, we can avoid misunderstandings, and create a space of acceptance and friendship between communities.”
To make her ambitious dream a reality, the lifelong Girl Scout collaborated with Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD), CSULB and college professors. While Yamamoto weighed in on the subject matter, the course is taught by a certified teacher.
In addition to being available through CSULB, there’s potential for Yamamoto’s cultural brainchild to extend far beyond the Long Beach campus. The AAPI Ethnic Studies Course and all its interactive lesson plans are available as free resources for educators through the Diversify Our Narrative website.
“Girl Scouts of Orange County is incredibly proud of Kai. Her Gold Award project focuses on inclusiveness, empathy, and diminishes Asian American Pacific Islander stereotypes,” said Dr. Vikki Shepp, Ed.D., Girl Scouts of Orange County’s CEO. “Kai has been a Girl Scout since she was 5 years old. The mission of Girl Scouts is to build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. Kai is doing just that with her AAPI Ethnic Studies course by building bridges through education.”
Kai Yamamoto
Nationally, Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) is recognizing 111 members of the 2024 Gold Award Girl Scout class who identified issues in their communities, took action, and found or created solutions to earn their Gold Awards. GSUSA reviews and approves one Gold Award Girl Scout per council to receive a $5,000 scholarship. Yamamoto was one of four Orange County finalists recommended for the award.
Overall, this year’s class of national world-changers invested over 300,000 hours to address a wide variety of real-life problems, such as environmental sustainability, racial justice, mental and physical wellness, and gender inequality in STEM.
Yamamoto recently completed 12 years with Girl Scouts of Orange County as a member of Troop 881, based in Anaheim, with its longtime partners at Orange County Buddhist Church. As part of the Class of 2024, she graduated from Millikan High School in Long Beach and is now headed to UC Berkeley, where she plans to major in political science and international relations.
Yamamoto will continue sharing her passion for AAPI studies with others and stay involved in AAPI-focused organizations.