
Young African leaders gather at IUPUI for collaboration, inspiration
The exchange of ideas and perspectives has become a summer tradition between Indiana University and the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders.
For the past four years, the program ushered in by the Office of International Development and the Office of International Affairs at IUPUI has brought 25 young professionals from Africa to spend weeks at IUPUI before visiting Indiana University Bloomington. This year’s fellows were based at IUPUI from June 19 to July 5 and will be in Bloomington through July 27. Their U.S. tour finishes with a visit to Washington, D.C., where they will take part in networking and panel discussions with U.S. leaders from the public, private and nonprofit sectors.
For many of the fellows, it’s their first trip to the United States. While here, they collaborate and network with their IUPUI counterparts, engage in academic coursework, and soak up Hoosier hospitality. The fellows take executive leadership-style seminars from the Kelley School of Business, O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, and Lilly Family School of Philanthropy as well.
Check out a recent story online highlighting some of the 2019 Mandela Washington fellows.
Connect with international students
The Global Jags Connect program brings together IUPUI international students with IU and IUPUI alumni, community organizations, and impactful IUPUI team members like those within the Office of the Vice Chancellor. As the 2019-20 academic year approaches, the Office of International Affairs is searching for families or individuals to become a part of this great initiative.
Global Jags encourages domestic hosts to introduce the student to life in Indianapolis and provide them with a personal experience of American culture. This could include going to sporting events, festivals or museums. You may invite your student to your home for a meal and introduce them to your traditions.
If you are interested in getting to know IUPUI’s scholars from abroad, sign up online.
Roll up your sleeve for the Staff Council summer blood drive
Summer is the toughest season for Indianapolis agencies to ensure patients have adequate blood supplies available. The IUPUI Staff Council rolled up their collective sleeves to organize a blood drive, which will take place July 17 in the Taylor Courtyard and the Medical Science Building Atrium. A bloodmobile will be parked near Taylor Hall from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and donations will also be accepted from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Medical Science Building.
Donors will receive a pair of flip-flops along with the satisfaction that their donation could save a life this summer.
Bring a photo ID. Don’t skip meals, and make sure you hydrate. Email choway@versiti.org for more information.
Submit your crazy photo captions today

The lazy days of summer are here, and it’s time for all to submit captions to the IUPUI Special Collections and Archives Photo Caption Contest for July. The person with the winning caption to a vintage photo receives a Fabulous Prize!
We salute Matt Hinsman for his winning caption for June’s Caption Contest photo: “They’re actually going to call it OOEE-POOEE?!”
Sponsorships now open for Regatta 2019
Help IUPUI’s biggest fall event float by sponsoring the hottest canoe race around. The 2019 Regatta will take place Sept. 21 in and around the downtown Indianapolis canal.
Team registration starts at 8 a.m. Aug. 28 but the excitement starts now.
CYC receives new iPads from PNC
The IUPUI Center for Young Children accepted 10 new iPads June 25 from PNC’s Grow Up Great program. The new technology is being used by the preschool teachers for professional development and to supplement their work with the annual Early Childhood National STEM Conference, which took place in February at the California Institute of Technology. The teachers attended thanks to a grant from PNC.
A main goal for Center for Young Children instructors is to increase reading levels in their young pupils. The iPads and the support from PNC are expected to produce positive results. The teachers will share their early findings with Indianapolis-area preschool and early-childhood teachers at a mid-August conference that will take place at the Center for Young Children.
Grow Up Great is a $500 million bilingual initiative to prepare children, particularly underserved children, from birth to age 5 for success in school and in life.