「Volunteering」カテゴリーアーカイブ

AJ Johnston: Volunteering at Ohara Gakuin

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For my Community Involvement Project this semester I volunteered at Ohara Gakuin, an elementary and middle school in Ohara, a small town north of Kyoto. After a scenic bus ride up to the town, I spent my Wednesdays having lunch with the school’s students, assisting with their English classes, and observing other classes on a variety of subjects. Ohara Gakuin provided me with a look into the Japanese education system and the inner workings of an ordinary school. Studying the way in which teachers approached students of drastically different age groups and learning about English instruction in Japan was fascinating, and getting to know some of the kids over the course of my short time at the school was a lot of fun.

I would advise students looking into this CIP to definitely check it out, as it was a truly unique experience, particularly if you’re interested in working with children in the future or looking into the JET program. Try to take every opportunity to chat with the kids and other teachers, even if it’s awkward or neither party fully understands what’s being said. The kids generally want to get to know you, but can be shy or unsure of how much Japanese you understand— don’t be afraid to go for it and mess up! 

Evan Arbolante: Volunteer at the local Animal Shelter

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I worked at one of Kyoto’s local animal shelters for my CIP.

I had a great time taking care of the dogs and cats. Some of my responsibilities included walking the dogs, teaching them how to sit and walk alongside you, and cleaning their living spaces.

This CIP is perfect if you love animals and share a passion for protecting and caring for them. For me, it felt like a weekly therapy session where I could destress and build bonds with both the animals and the shelter staff.

For those wondering what CIP to choose, find something that excites you and offers a space to connect with others. The most valuable part of the CIP is that it gives study abroad students a chance to form a special community within Japan. Think about what kind of community you’d like to be part of when deciding on your CIP. No matter what activity people choose, CIP often leaves a warm and lasting place in our hearts—so my best advice is to come excited and ready to participate!

Jonathan Wu: Volunteering at the Kyoto International Manga Museum

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This Spring semester, I volunteered at the Kyoto International Manga Museum, where I assisted with archiving, shelving, and preserving manga while learning about Japanese workplace culture and library systems.

Volunteering at the museum was incredibly fulfilling, not only because of the unique nature of the space itself (a hybrid museum/library), but also because of how much I learned about intercultural communication and the subtleties of Japanese work etiquette. As someone who has personally loved anime and manga for a long time, getting to volunteer in a space dedicated to their preservation and study made the experience even more special. This space was a place of personal growth, cultural exchange, and meaningful connections for me, and I am incredibly thankful to have been given the opportunity to be part of it.

My advice to incoming students and prospective students: Don’t be afraid of discomfort or feeling out of place at first while abroad; these moments are often where the most growth happens. Observe how others interact socially, and most importantly, be curious and open-minded. You’ll be surprised at how much you can learn simply by participating with sincerity and respect.

Jack He: Volunteering at Nalba

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Nalba is a 子ども食堂 (children’s cafeteria) that resembles a afterschool daycare. Primary school students join together to play, eat dinner, and play more. My responsibilities primarily entailed playing with the children and helping with the cooking. Throughout the semester, I made friends with both kids and the adult volunteers who work there. I would wholeheartedly recommend Nalba to those who enjoy playing and spending time with children.

Sloane McLean: Volunteering at NALBA Children’s Cafeteria

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Although NALBA is a cafeteria, as a volunteer I was more so responsible for playing with the kids as meals were being prepared rather than participating in the cooking. We would all have dinner together, during which I would make small talk with the kids and volunteers, and then it would be time to clean up and keep the kids entertained as they waited for their parents to come pick them up.

I love kids so this was an incredibly rewarding (though physically tiring) CIP experience for me as I got to develop relationships with the children and see them excited to spend time with me every week. The volunteers at NALBA are incredibly warm and friendly, and the children were very curious about why I was in Japan and also wanted to know about the USA, so there was always a lot to talk about and I easily made conversation with the people I met there.

I highly recommend NALBA to anyone who is nervous about their Japanese skill level but still wants a bit of a challenge for themselves — it’s easy to connect with the kids because there are so many games you can play together which require limited conversation ability, but at the same time you will definitely still need to practice the more advanced grammar you are learning in class when talking to the kids (and they talk a lot!). Speaking with the older volunteers was always a little outside of my language comfort level, but I’m glad I pushed myself. My biggest advice for anyone in a similar situation is to just power through any hesitancies you have at your CIP. Don’t be afraid to strike up a conversation, and ask clarifying questions as often as needed! I would say the latter piece of that advice is definitely extremely important, as it’s absolutely necessary in order to understand what the rules and boundaries are.

Overall NALBA was a warm and energetic environment I enjoyed going to every week, and leaving it was really hard. I hope many more KCJS students will participate there in the future!

Gavin Dutterer: Volunteering at Ohara Elementary and Junior High School

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At this CIP, I went to Ohara Elementary and Junior High School once a week, eating lunch with the students and helping out primarily in the English classes. I worked mostly with the 6th graders as they worked on their end-of-semester English presentation, offering advice and answering any questions they had. If you’re interested in this CIP, I’d recommend getting ready to get out of your shell, as a lot of the students are shy and it can be difficult to talk to them. However, it’s a great experience, and being able to help them and provide them with an international perspective they probably wouldn’t get to experience otherwise is extremely rewarding.

 

Christine Kang: Volunteer at Mitsuba Kindergarten

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I volunteered at Mitsuba Kindergarten, a local preschool in Kyoto, where I spent time each week interacting with children aged 3 to 6. My responsibilities included playing games, drawing, singing songs, helping with origami, assisting children with snack time and bathroom trips, and participating in their daily routines alongside the other teachers. I was essentially a “sensei” figure to the kids, helping out wherever needed while using the opportunity to practice and improve my Japanese.

The experience was both heartwarming and humbling. While the children were incredibly affectionate—often drawing me pictures, hugging me, or sitting in my lap—there were also moments when the language barrier made me feel unsure or overwhelmed. I struggled at first with basic vocabulary and knowing how to communicate in a way kids would understand, but over time I gained confidence by listening carefully, asking questions, and even laughing along with them when I made mistakes. I also learned a lot about Japanese culture, especially how structure and rule-following are emphasized even from such a young age.

I highly recommend Mitsuba Kindergarten to students who enjoy working with children and want to practice their Japanese in a natural and supportive environment. It helps to go in with an open mind, a playful spirit, and the willingness to learn—not just language, but how to communicate and connect without always having the right words.

Sergianni Jennings: Volunteering at Mitsuba Kindergarten

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This semester for my CIP I volunteered at Mitsuba Kindergarten. As a volunteer, I was able to play with children and also act as an assistant to the teachers for any help they needed. I had a really great experience at my CIP this semester and was able to make a lot of memories with the kids. I especially enjoyed sitting down and drawing together with them and was touched by the amount of drawings they gave me throughout the semester.

The teachers were also incredibly kind and I always enjoyed talking with them during my volunteer hours. The kids also have a daily snack time and the teachers would often include me as I had not tried many of the Japanese snacks that they served!

I would recommend this CIP to anyone who loves playing with kids and being in a lively environment. I would also suggest to those who do this CIP to have confidence in your Japanese when speaking to the children or teachers as they are all kind!

Alex Li: Volunteering at Mitsuba Youchien

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For my CIP, I volunteered in the Mitsuba Youchien every Tuesday for three hours. I would help the kids with drawings, puzzles, and other games as well as talk with them in Japanese. It was an extremely enjoyable experience and I was able to improve my Japanese through talking with the children. Although it was a bit intimidating at first, I thought they were much more patient and understanding than I had initially thought and it became second nature to talk about what they were doing and their hobbies and interests. I would recommend for people looking to do this to start asking specific questions and not being afraid to put yourself out there: that’s often the only way you will be able to start making deeper connections with the children.

Mia Nakamura: Volunteering at a Nursery

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For my CIP, I volunteered at Pesutarotchi Nursery, which is a place for kids from ages 0-6. Every week, I would go to the nursery, wake the kids up from their nap, gather them and eat a snack together, play with them, and then help clean up. The reason that I wanted to do this activity for my CIP was because I do not have much experience with young kids since I am the youngest child and cousin on both my dad and mom’s sides, so I wanted to get more comfortable playing and interacting with them. A lot of the time I felt very awkward, but after some time, just being around the same kids allowed me to build a rapport with them, so after a while they would come and play with me. My advice to incoming students is to just act like a kid when you’re playing with the kids and don’t overthink how to interact with them.