Hosted by AACI and in partnership with NBC Bay Area, Growing Up in America (GUA) is an annual art, essay and video contest that engages hundreds of Bay Area students from kindergarten through 12th grade.

Founded over 25 years ago by Lance Lew of NBC Bay Area, GUA offers a unique platform for young people to creatively explore and celebrate their cultural identity through the lens of civic engagement. TEN student winners are selected for a cash award and a chance to appear on NBC Bay Area! 

As AACI celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, we were excited to announce changes to the contest. Just as AACI’s primary focus has evolved from serving only the Asian community to supporting individuals of all ethnic backgrounds, we are now encouraging participation from students of ALL ethnicities.  To reflect this inclusivity, the contest has been renamed from Growing Up Asian in America to simply Growing Up in America (GUA).  The contest still aims to spark creative exploration of the student’s cultural identity. 

The next Growing Up in America contest will officially launch in February 2025. Learn more about the contest below and spread the word to Bay Area students! Visit https://aaci.org/gua/. For questions, please contact AACI at (408) 975-2075 or e-mail gua@aaci.org