Recent projects
Corrupt the Youth
I co-directed the Los Angeles chapter of Corrupt the Youth, a national organization created to bring philosophy to high school students and youths who would not otherwise have access to it. This has been a joint project between USC and UCLA graduate students, and for a long time we operated at the Los Angeles LGBT Center, where we facilitated weekly small-group discussions on a variety of philosophical topics, from the nature of love and friendship and the morality of abortion to the possibility of artificial sentience.
Minorities and Philosophy
I was the organizer of USC’s chapter of Minorities and Philosophy (MAP), an international organization created to address issues of participation in academic philosophy for members of historically underrepresented and marginalized groups. We have run reading groups, film series, and a thriving undergraduate mentorship program.
Selected past projects
Controversial Convention
I helped direct Controversial Convention, a non-profit organization based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam dedicated to bringing debate closer to Vietnamese youth. We hosted a summer camp and tournament that introduced World Schools style debate to high school and university students through a series of workshops designed to foster argumentation, critical thinking, and public speaking skills, with crash courses on a range of topics from international relations to medical ethics.
Gathering Philosophers in Southern California
I helped organize the Gathering Philosophers in Southern California (GPS) Workshop, an annual event held at USC for undergraduates from historically underserved groups in philosophy from Southern California and beyond. We offered keynote lectures, graduate-style seminars, graduate student panels, individual advising sessions, and continuing mentorship.
Translations
United Nations Volunteers
For six years I volunteered for the Vietnam Field Unit of United Nations Volunteers (UNV), a UN program seeking to mobilize volunteers around the globe for peace and development. You can view our 2014 bilingual publication of inspiring stories of volunteerism in Vietnam here.
Play for Peace
I was also a volunteer translator for Play for Peace Vietnam, a non-profit bringing cooperative play to youth in communities of conflict.
Quyen Pham 