Fumie Ichikawa, director of operations policy for Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS), has been named to the inaugural class of the International Leaders Academy.
The announcement was made Sept. 7 by Mayor Joe Hogsett at the Mayor’s Office of International and Latino Affairs (OILA) and the Immigrant Welcome Center. The first session of the International Leaders Academy took place on Aug. 31.
“Every resident of Indianapolis has a stake in the future of Indianapolis – that includes close to 90,000 residents who are foreign-born,” said Mayor Joe Hogsett. “By offering a new and accessible path to greater civic engagement, the International Leaders Academy reinforces what makes living in our diverse community so special.”
Ichikawa has been with IPS for six years, joining the district in 2017 as director of special projects and then serving as director of research policy and assessment until earlier this year when she took on her new role.
The International Leaders Academy is a free leadership program aimed at empowering and connecting with immigrant Hoosiers. It was established by OILA in partnership with the Immigrant Welcome Center. The mission of the program is to teach participants about the inner workings of local government and increase their level of civic engagement.
The class of 15 participants is highly diverse, illustrating the multitude of heritages that call Indianapolis home. Ten nationalities and 20 languages are represented. The moderators for this year’s program are Ruth Morales, director of OILA, and Sergio Roldan of the Immigrant Welcome Center.