WAANT brings together student, campus, and community voices to create a safe space for communication about Asian American mental health and for exploration of creative approaches to destigmatize mental health in Asian American communities. Through a series of integrated arts workshops with artists and activists, it creates unique opportunities for students to become community story collectors.

Students who participate in WAANT engage in a series of story-collecting workshops that culminate in a public event consisting of stories presented through a variety of art forms: theater productions, poetry, music, digital film clips, comics, photographs, and other visual media.

Collaborations
DHD 420: Mental Health, Asian Americans, and Community Engagement
UIC Department of Disability and Human Development
Spring 2023

In partnership with Chicago’s Asian American communities, DHD 420 takes an interdisciplinary approach to taboo-related mental health issues faced by Asian Americans. Students engage with community leaders and activists to gain a deeper perspective of stigma, disparity issues, and barriers that affect the lived mental health experiences of Asian Americans.

In 2023, this course was co-facilitated by UIC professor Dr. Rooshey Hasnain, community collaborator Ginger Leopoldo, and mentors. Students learned story-collecting techniques through a series of workshops. This experience culminated in a theatrical presentation during the WAANT production on April 25, 2023.