BASS 2026 Application Form

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Please fill out the following application to the best of your abilities.

Bay Area Solidarity Summer (BASS) is open to 18-23 year olds of South Asian heritage.

It will be held in in Oakland, California. You must be able to attend all 5 days of BASS, from Wednesday, August 12 to Sunday, August 16, 2026.

Apply by Sunday, March 22 for the best chance of getting in.

Have fun with this application. We want to get a sense of who you are and what you're looking for. Your answers can be short or long, and they don’t need to be fancy. Please don’t use AI.

Only members of the BASS organizing collective will have access to the information submitted through this form.

Have questions? We have an updated FAQ at www.solidaritysummer.org. If that doesn't help, e-mail us at bass@asata.org

Email *

1. The basics…

Name *

(first and last, please!)

Preferred email address
*

Please share an email address that you'll be checking over the summer. Try not to use a school or work email address.

Phone number *

Is it okay to text you in case of urgent or time-sensitive messages? *

Yes

Mailing address *

(including the city, state, and ZIP code)

Date of birth *

YYYY

Pronouns *

The pronouns you'd like others to use when referring to you, e.g. "she/her", "he/they", etc.

If you are/were a college student, what year/major and school? *

e.g. "finishing my 1st year biology at Foothill College, Los Altos" or "graduated economics at UC Davis in 2025"

Have you been to other camps or programs like this before? If so, which one(s)?

e.g. Jakara Sikh high school camp, retreat for climate activists, campaign skills training, etc.

2. Your South Asian identity/heritage…

By "South Asian" we mean people with roots in places like Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and other parts of the diaspora like Fiji.

We ask these questions to better understand how you identify, to help create a diverse mix of participants, and to tailor the experience.

Where in South Asia or the diaspora are your ancestors from? *

Please select as many as apply. This list is absolutely NOT exhaustive, so please use "Other" as needed.

Sri Lanka

Nepal

Bangladesh

Pakistan

India

Bhutan

Afghanistan

Burma

Fiji

Trinidad and Tobago

Guyana

Other:

Required

Do you identify with a particular region, state, province, or city within the subcontinent?

e.g. Punjab, Kashmir, Chittagong, Jaffna, Hill-Country, Karachi. Please be as specific or general as you'd like.

If you grew up speaking any languages other than English at home, which ones?

e.g. Urdu, Tamil, Pashto, Nepali, Fiji Hindi, Punjabi, etc.

What religious and/or cultural background (if any) did you grow up with or do you identify with?

e.g. "culturally Muslim," "Sikh," "Dalit Christian," "grew up Buddhist, identify as atheist", "Hindu on one side, Parsi on the other," "none"

How do you identify? What are some of the elements that you feel make you "who you are" in relation to yourself and to your world? We ask because we value diversity, the opportunity to create a welcoming space, and want to know how to best meet participant needs. *

Don't know where to start? Previous applicants have occasionally mentioned things like: gender, sexuality, race, disability, faith, immigration pathways, caste, region, class or socioeconomic status, food choices, mixed-race background, adoptee background, "third culture" background, etc.

3. Help us learn about you…

Please keep your answers to each of the following questions to 150 words or less.

Why would you like to join us for BASS 2026? *

(150 words or less)

What specific experiences do you have with organizing, activism, or community-related projects for social change? *

(150 words or less)

What's one way you've challenged or taken action against racism, sexism, classism, ableism, homophobia/transphobia, worker exploitation, imperialist domination, or other forms of oppression? *

(150 words or less)

What issues are you interested in, and why? What issue fires you up the most right now? How do you plan to work on this issue in the next year? *

(150 words or less)

Name a person or movement you admire for their work in creating social change. Why do you admire them? *

(Doesn't need to be South Asian)

Do you have a connection to the West Coast in general, or the Bay Area in specific?

(It's OK if you don't! We want to understand where participants are coming from)

4. Help us shape BASS for you…

What would you like to get out of the BASS experience? Are there any specific topics you want to learn about? Topics you want to share with others?

How did you learn about BASS? (check all that apply) *

This question is really important! We have limited capacity, and your answer will help us focus our efforts.

BASS alumni (please list their name below under "Other," so we can thank them)

Friends (please list their name below under "Other," so we can thank them)

Teacher/educator/mentor (please list their name below under "Other," so we can thank them)

Parent or family member

Community/activist/campus organization (please list their name below under "Other," so we can thank them)

BASS volunteer (please list their name below under "Other," so we can thank them)

BASS website

Email from BASS

Email from a mailing list (please list which one below under "Other")

Bluesky (if possible, please list the person's name below under "Other," so we can thank them)

Instagram: official BASS account

Instagram: someone's story or repost (if possible, please list the name below under "Other," so we can thank them)

Instagram: paid ad from BASS

TikTok (if possible, please list the person's name or account below under "Other," so we can thank them)

Facebook: official BASS page

Facebook: paid ad from BASS

Facebook: somewhere else, e.g. via a friend or group (if possible, please list the name below under "Other," so we can thank them)

X/Twitter (if possible, please list the account name below under "Other," so we can thank them)

Other:

Required

5. Final details…

Are you vaccinated for COVID-19? Are you willing to get tested and/or wear a mask at in-person BASS events? *

We'll probably require a rapid test in the morning, and will evaluate any masking needs closer to August. The exact requirements may shift based on current public health recommendations. Email us if you have questions.

Yes

Other:

Will attending BASS cause loss of income, and therefore be an economic hardship? *

We may be able to work with applicants to help offset that loss through stipends, etc.

Yes

Share more about your circumstance (optional):

We ask you to put in at least $50 for 5 days of instruction, meals, and community-building. BASS is heavily subsidized to keep cost from being a barrier to participation. *

We encourage you to give according to your capacity. Your answer to this question won't affect the selection process.

I would like to apply for a need-based scholarship to cover the $50

I will be able to pay $50

I can afford to pay $100

I can afford to pay $150

I can afford to pay $200

I can afford to pay $250

I can afford to pay $300

Will you be attending summer classes? If yes, could that conflict with your ability to attend BASS from August 12 - August 16? *

If selected, how will you attend the daily in-person sessions in Oakland, California from Wednesday, August 12 to Sunday, August 16? *

The program will run from approximately 9 AM to 5 PM each day, plus at least one evening gathering. BASS 2026 will not provide housing.

If accepted, we'll send you more specific location details, so you can make plans. We're happy to offer pickups/dropoffs from BART.

Please leave a note in "Other" if you'd like details on carpool options, connections to potential hosts or roommates, or limited need-based stipends/scholarships.

I can probably figure out my own housing and transportation

Other:

If selected, I will arrive on time during the 5 days, participate in discussions, and help create a sense of community. *

The program will run from approximately 9am to 5pm each day, plus one evening gathering.

Yes

A copy of your responses will be emailed to the address you provided.

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