On June 25, college presidents, education leaders, students, policymakers, federal government officials and corporate executives from across the nation will gather in Washington, D.C. at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center for the Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund’s (APIASF) fourth annual Higher Education Summit. This year’s event will to help increase college completion and student success among Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students and help strengthen the capacity for Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISI). The event theme will be Moving Forward: Engaging the Changing Face of America and will build on new research presented by the National Commission on Asian American and Pacific Islander Research in Education (CARE).

The event aims to raise awareness about the unique needs of the AAPI student population and the institutions they attend through the presentation of new research, panel discussions, a town hall meeting and a series of concurrent sessions submitted by leaders in higher education and the community. The day’s activities will help advance the work of APIASF and CARE’s Partnership for Equity in Education through Research (PEER) Project that was launched at the 2012 Higher Education Summit.

“As the nation’s fastest growing community of color, equitably meeting the needs of AAPI students in higher education is going to become increasingly critical for not only institutions but local communities,” said APIASF President & Executive Director Neil Horikoshi. “To meet the needs of America’s economy, additional investments in higher education policies must be made to ensure that underrepresented and underserved AAPI students are able to access college and succeed in earning a postsecondary degree. This year’s Summit will identify steps that community organizations, policymakers and institutions can take to help increase student success.”

The PEER project works to help realize the full degree-earning potential of the AAPI student population. Considered one of the largest investments in history to increase AAPI student success, the PEER project is a three-year effort supported by The Kresge Foundation, Lumina Foundation, USA Funds and the Walmart Foundation. Initial project findings will be presented at the Summit.

Following the day’s events, APIASF will be hosting a special evening reception to celebrate the organization’s 10-year anniversary. Senator Mazie K. Hirono will serve as the reception keynote speaker and APIASF will recognize the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS), OCA and the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC) as the three founding community organizations.

For more information about the 2013 APIASF Higher Education Summit, visit APIASF’s website at www.apiasf.org. Also, follow APIASF on Facebook (www.facebook.com/apiasf) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/apiasf) to receive live event updates.