For this article, we spoke with Ms. Minako Oki Ahearn (class of 1982), founder of the Japanese-English dual language immersion charter school, International Charter Academy of Georgia.

The connection between Minako and ICU precedes her own birth. Her father, Hideo Oki, served as an assistant to Swiss theologian Dr. Emil Brunner when he taught at ICU from 1953 to 1955. Just 10 years after the war, both of her parents were fortunate enough to receive scholarships from the United States to pursue studies at Union Theological Seminary in New York, where she was born. (Left photo below: Dr. Brunner and Mr. Hideo Oki, Right photo: Baby Minako and her parents in NY)

After returning to Japan and completing her primary education there, the family moved to the United States when her father was invited to teach at a seminary in Kentucky. On her first day of school, she couldn’t understand any English and vividly remembers not being able to eat anything during lunch. This experience later proved useful when Minako became a principal in the United States.

After spending about six months in Kentucky, the family returned to Japan. Minako eventually enrolled at ICU and joined a group called English Play Studio, where she played the lead role in “The Little Prince.” This production won the top prize at the TIAF (English Drama Contest), which involved four universities: the University of Tokyo, ICU, Aoyama Gakuin University, and Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. Looking back, she says, “In my life, I have always been blessed with wonderful groups of people. When goals were achieved, it was not accomplished by my efforts alone but through teamwork.”

During her one-year study abroad program at Wesleyan College in Georgia, she developed an interest in the pipe organ and studied organ performance. She pursued further studies in Europe and played the pipe organ in churches in the United States, Switzerland, and Japan. “Although I didn’t continue playing the organ for various reasons, I will always treasure the fact that I was able to serve churches around the world,” she remarks. (Left photo below: Minako leaving to study abroad and her mother, Taiko, at the airport, Right photo: Minako playing the pipe organ in Switzerland)

After returning from Switzerland to the United States, Minako entered the field of education and served as a principal at a dual language school for many years. One day, the idea of starting a state charter school came to her mind. A charter school is a publicly funded school established by parents, teachers, community organizations through authorization (charter) from the state or school district to address educational challenges that may be difficult to tackle in traditional public schools. Charter schools have more flexibility in terms of curriculum, teaching methods, and overall operations compared to traditional public schools. Minako’s idea was to establish an elementary school that offered bilingual immersion education in Japanese and English. The immersion program is a learning method in which students learn not only the target languages but also other subjects in an environment where they are fully immersed in both languages.

“This time too, I was blessed with people from various countries who came together and contributed their wisdom. We faced many challenges, but even during major crises where we thought it was hopeless, we persevered as a team. In the end, we were able to obtain the approval for the charter school. It would not have been possible without the support of many people in both Japan and the United States, including my husband, children, and parents.” International Charter Academy of Georgia (ICAG), which opened in 2018, values intercultural respect and promotes collaborative learning where Japanese-speaking and English-speaking children help each other in a two-way exchange. Classes are taught in English and in Japanese. English-speaking and Japanese-speaking teachers form a team and provide high-level Japanese education based on the curriculum guidelines of the Japanese Ministry of Education (MEXT), and implement an ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) approach that is distinct from regular public schools.

With ICAG Founding members (Minako is the fourth from the right)

“After the founding of ICAG, I realized that its mission to nurture global citizens who promote peace worldwide with a broad view of the international community was very similar to ICU’s mission. I was deeply influenced by the values that I acquired during my time at ICU. I am deeply grateful to everyone I met at ICU.” Minako, who retired last year and currently resides in Tokyo, dreams of volunteering in refugee camps and providing children with the opportunity to simultaneously acquire their mother tongue and the language of their country of asylum. “This year marks the 60th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s March on Washington. Reflecting on the fact that people from diverse backgrounds came together and marched peacefully, I wish that today’s children will have that kind of future.” Minako’s pursuit of peace and service continues.

Minako and her family