About Kalca

The Korean American League for Civic Action (KALCA) aims to develop, empower and mentor second generation Asian Americans to utilize their talents to become public service leaders on local, regional and national levels.

It is imperative that we nurture and support the young men and women who seek to lead our communities through hands-on internships, leadership training and one-on-one mentorship.

KALCA has been at the forefront on this endeavor for over a decade and has cultivated ongoing relationships with key government offices and non profit organizations in New York City. As KALCA approaches our 11th year anniversary, it is our goal to continue to invest in the next generation of leaders through our Public Interest College Internship Program and the newly launched Civic Leadership Program.

Public Interest College Internship Program

The KALCA College Internship Program (CIP) is a highly selective and intensive nine-week summer internship program that places college students in key government offices, leading non-profit organizations and high profile political campaigns. Placements include NYC Bar Justice Center, the New York City Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, Legal Aid Society, New York City Commission on Human Rights, Channel 13 World Focus, the Office of Senator Charles Schumer, New York City Comptroller Campaign, Citizens Union, Global Goods, and U.S. Senate Campaign for the State of New York.

Our interns get an insider’s view of civic and democratic processes, and participate in a specialized, hands-on curriculum to develop their leadership skills. The interns are supervised by senior staff in their assigned offices. The College Internship Program features individualized leadership training, the opportunity to meet civic leaders in small group settings, exploration of national, state and community issues, and receiving career advice in a wide range of public service professions including government, law, business, journalism, non-profit management and politics. Each intern receives a stipend of $2,000 for the summer.

Civic Leadership Program for High School and College Students

The Civic Leadership Program will provide an opportunity for high school and college students with leadership potential, regardless of their career goals, to learn how they can contribute to and strengthen our community.

The four-week leadership program provides students a unique opportunity to learn about the importance of civic engagement through leadership development courses/workshops and hands on community projects. The participants will also meet government and civic leaders, explore community and cultural issues and seek career advice from professionals in a wide range of vocations. Additionally, mentorship activities and cultural outings will be part of the program. A $250 scholarship stipend is awarded to each participant who successfully completes the program.

The Public Interest Career Exploration and Mentorship Series

The Public Interest Career Exploration and Mentorship Series lays the bridge between those who are seeking to enter into public interest careers and the current practitioners who want to give back to the community by sharing their valuable expertise and insights. To this end, KALCA has hosted and is hosting panel discussions on various public interest careers, such as law, media, politics, non-profit, environment, international development, arts and corporate philanthropy. We launched our Career Series in April 2009, and since then have had panel discussions and roundtables on the topics of journalism, public interest law, international affairs and the United Nations, politics, microfinance, Communications & Media, Government and Environmental/Green Jobs.

In the past ten plus years, KALCA's leadership programs have served several hundreds of participants by informing them of important and timely topics ranging from the importance of voting and effective campaign management to how to run for political office.

Voter Registration and Education Initiative

KALCA is implementing voter education and registration program to be carried out in the calendar years 2011 and 2012 leading up to the presidential election in the fall of 2012 and the next citywide elections in 2013. The purpose is to increase the actual voter registration numbers among Asian Americans in Manhattan and the outer boroughs and establish voter awareness for a new generation of civic participants.

Our past programming included non-partisan educational programming that prepared the community for the 2009 New York City elections. KALCA co-sponsored a NYC Council District 1 Candidates Forum, a Career in Politics Panel for over 100 students and young professionals, and helped monitor Asian American votes to prevent discrimination at the polls during the primary and general elections. Further, numerous KALCA members supported candidates of their choice by volunteering hundreds of hours during the elections months.