Staff
Dr. Britt Yamamoto, Executive Director
Britt has long found great
inspiration and support from people who engage life with a passion that
comes from unbridled curiosity, a sharp and critical intellect, and a
rich sense of humor. In this way, it could be said that he was drawn to
iLEAP in search of more friends. As someone who has worked in and
around the nonprofit sector for over a decade as a board member,
program manager, volunteer and director, and been entrenched in the
Academy for even longer, Britt has witnessed his share of terribly
important--but uninspired, ineffective and utterly
humorless--initiatives. For him, iLEAP is an opportunity to think
creatively about the relationship between personal growth and social change and to push ourselves to work in collaboration with one another and rigorously engage the challenges
of life while, at the same time, not take ourselves too seriously.
Possible? iLEAP wouldn't be iLEAP if he didn't believe it to be so.
Not to disregard convention, Britt holds a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) from the University of Michigan in English Literature, a Master of Science (M.S.) from the University of California at Davis in Community Development, and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Geography from the University of Washington where he specialized in development studies, critical perspectives on service and civil society, and the political ecology of food and agriculture. He is a Core Faculty member in the Center for Creative Change at Antioch University, Seattle as well as a Clinical Assistant Professor in the University of Washington Department of Global Health and a 2008-09 Fellow with the World Affairs Council. He has extensive international experience in Asia and Latin America, been a Fulbright Fellow to Japan, and the recipient of a number of awards, including, the President's Award from Antioch University Seattle, the University of Washington 's Excellence in Teaching Award, and the highly prestigious and ultra competitive 'Nice Papa' award from a Japanese mothering magazine.
Stephanie grew up in a bilingual household, which fueled her interest in international travel and study from an early age. At fourteen she announced to her parents she’d be living in Germany her junior year of high school. Her father was convinced she’d change her mind up until she stepped on the plane. Other adventures include language school in Mexico, studying the impacts of development in rural Zimbabwe, and researching the Green Party in Berlin. Despite her love of international travel, she’s happy to call the United States her home, where she has also traveled extensively.
Stephanie’s formal education includes a BA in International Relations with a Minor in German and is currently pursuing a Masters degree at Antioch University Seattle in Environment and Community. Informally, she is educated in organic and sustainable agriculture, herbal medicine, permaculture and other fun things through a series of domestic adventures. She currently resides in Seattle with her dog, Linnaeus.
Hiroki Iwasawa, iLEAP Japan Program Director
Hiroki
is based in Chigasaki, Japan, the same city where he was born in 1979.
He has rich experiences in documentary filmmaking in both group and
individual projects. Traveling is one of the most important and
essential factors of his work both in filming and photographs.
Therefore, he has explored spaces not only in Japan, but throughout
Asia, Europe, Australia and North America. He was one of the first
graduates of iLEAP's Taking the LEAP program back in 2004.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) from the Tokyo Zokei University (Tokyo, Japan) in Filming, and a Postgraduate Diploma (PostGradDip) from Murdoch University (Perth, Australia) at the Institute for Sustainability and Technology Policy (ISTP) in Ecologically Sustainable Development where he specialized in indigenous sustainable cultures in South/South East Asia, using integrated study with Sustainability and Filming. Hiroki has involved with the non-profit organization KULCHA-Multicultural Arts of Western Australia (Fremantle, Australia) which promotes multiculturalism through the promotion of world music. Currently he is working to create change in his local community in Chigasaki, Japan through the promotion of sustainable food cycles and distribution methods.
Peter Zdrojewski, Program Associate
Peter grew up immersed in the colorful pages of
National Geographic and Travel. In the process, he fostered an
unbridled curiosity for what was beyond his hometown of Cleveland,
Ohio. After a trip to Fiji when he was 16, Peter quickly learned that
international experience could be so much more than stories and photos.
The experience becomes a complement, if not supplement, to the
conventional learning found within the confines of a classroom.
Peter holds a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Environmental Studies with a minor in Religious Studies from Eckerd College
in St. Petersburg, Florida. While pursuing his degree on the shores of
the Gulf of Mexico, Peter continued to learn the benefits of studying
abroad while in the Caribbean, West Africa, and Micronesia. After
school, he continued to follow his love of marine education and
conservation as a scuba instructor and research assistant in the
Caribbean, Madagascar, and Hawai'i. Peter currently lives in Seattle
and recently completed his Masters degree (M.A.) from Antioch University Seattle in Environment and Community, focusing on sustainability and education through experiential learning.
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