ILA Frequently Asked Questions

We have successfully completed the Fall 2022 cohort of the Indigenous Leadership Academy (ILA)! The application for the Spring 2023 cohort will open on December 5, 2022. Follow along with AIPI for upcoming blogs, posts and everything else ILA. 

In this blog post, I wanted to answer some questions I’ve gotten from people about the Indigenous Leadership Academy. If you are an Indigenous person who wants to be a contributor to your community you should apply to this academy!

When does the application open?

The application will open on December 1, 2022. You can apply here: https://bit.ly/NDNLed 

When does the application close?

The application will close on January 6, 2023 at 11:59 pm, so be sure to get your application in as soon as possible.

Who Can Apply?

Anyone who lives in the United States and meets the criteria listed on the application is welcome to apply. The application is open to residents nationwide. Arizona residents will comprise 50% of the accepted participants. Spaces are limited. 

How is the cohort run?

The cohort will be taught exclusively on Zoom with class materials and participation on Canvas. The first module and the tenth modules are on a Saturday and are about six hours in length.The middle two through nine modules are held for one evening a week for three hours. We utilize Canvas and there is about 1.5 hours worth of reading each week. During the modules, we have guest speakers, and professionals on that module's topic. The guest speakers are such a great way to give life and context to each module. You will be given the steps to plan out a project of your choosing that will benefit your community in some way. 

What will I learn about?

Module 1: Indigenous Leadership Practices

Module 2: Understanding Political and Economic Contexts in Indian Country

Module 3: Research, Data, and Indigenous Knowledge

Module 4: Innovation and Sustainable Enterprise-Building

Module 5: Response and Responsibility

Module 6: Communicating Your Story and Exhibiting Professional Etiquette

Module 7: Building Relationships and Growing Your Network

Module 8: Bridging Differences and Fostering Consensus

Module 9: Community-Centered Management Practices

Module 10: Developing Leadership Capacity and Looking to the Future

What kind of people am I going to be meeting?

There are people from all walks of life in the cohort. They all share the common goal of wanting to create something meaningful for their community. I enjoyed seeing how close they all became throughout the cohort and how much they continue to grow as leaders since completing the academy. 

You can learn more about the Indigenous Leadership Academy here: https://aipi.asu.edu/indigenous-leadership-academy