Go For Broke National Education Center (GFBNEC) announced Dec. 16 that Kurt T. Ikeda has been named director of programs and engagement for the national nonprofit organization.

Ikeda brings an operations and education background with over seven years of experience leading programs, strategic partnerships, and teams in nonprofits and cultural heritage sites. Additionally, he has served marginalized communities in Los Angeles as a high school teacher and a LAUSD school board fellow.

Ikeda has extensive experience in all aspects of program development, including organizational leadership, urban and rural community partnerships, grants, and large-scale World War II War Relocation Authority camp pilgrimage planning.

In his new position, Ikeda will play an integral role in GFBNEC’s future growth and sustainability by defining and refining how the organization will attract and connect with new audiences. His primary responsibility will be to advance the organization’s mission and deepen engagement with key stakeholders through an innovative and impactful slate of public programming, exhibits and initiatives.

Ikeda will help further establish partnerships and collaborations that will continue GFBNEC’s work to broadly enhance the awareness of the legacy of the American World War II soldiers of Japanese ancestry, and its relevance to contemporary issues surrounding social justice, civil liberties and democracy.

Previously, Ikeda served as chief of interpretation and education, and as an education specialist, for the National Park Service at Minidoka National Historic Site in Idaho; education manager for the Japanese American Museum of Oregon in Portland; interim executive director for OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates, Greater Los Angeles Chapter; and English teacher and poetry coach at Camino Nuevo High School in Los Angeles.

A Shin-Nisei from Torrance, Ikeda holds a masters of arts in urban education: educational policy and administration from Loyola Marymount University, and a bachelor of arts degree from UCLA in applied linguistics and a minor in education studies. His personal passion is to the create meaningful public programs centering on social justice, wellness, and cultural heritage.

“I am honored to be joining Go For Broke National Education Center,” said Ikeda. “I aim to embody the Go For Broke spirit of my great uncle-in-law, and ‘go all in’ to uplift the excellent educational and community-based programming this organization has to offer. I am looking forward to working closely with Mitch, the dedicated staff, and the Torchbearers to help ignite innovation and build wider engagement of our mission to remember, educate, and inspire.”

Dr. Mitchell T. Maki, GFBNEC’s president and chief executive officer, welcomed Ikeda and noted that his programming and educational background will further transition the organization’s work and engagement with multicultural and multigenerational audiences from across the nation.

“Kurt’s passion and experience will be a strong addition to our organization’s team,” Maki said. “With the building of the Go For Broke Plaza, we are excited to have a permanent home and interactive space as we bring our story of democracy, valor and equality to the next generations through robust programs, partnerships, and community collaborations.”

GFBNEC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that educates the public on the valor of Japanese American veterans of World War II and their contributions to democracy. Its goal is to inspire new generations to embody the Nisei veterans’ core values of courage, sacrifice, equality, humility and patriotism.

Founded in 1989, GFBNEC maintains the Go For Broke Monument and the interactive “Defining Courage” exhibition in downtown Little Tokyo, as well as extensive oral histories and archives, education and training programs, travel exhibit, and other initiatives.

“Go For Broke” was the motto of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, a segregated Army unit composed of Japanese Americans from Hawaii and the mainland. The term was Hawaiian slang for “shooting the works,” or risking everything for the big win in gambling — as the Nisei soldiers did while fighting in the field and facing prejudice at home in the U.S.

For more information, visit goforbroke.org.

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