Digital Natives

We continued with our career assessment phase of this year where the children completed their career assessment tests. Companies like TWITTER, MORGAN STANLEY invited them into their offices so that they could meet people who actually do the jobs that were listed on their results.

We feel that having been introduced to professionals in their workplace further inspired the children to go back with added determination about their studies around software and how it can be used as a tool to articulate their ideas and work.

Many children in the homes continue to go to competitions for WORD, EXCEL and POWERPOINT where they are winning awards

We now have more requests from the home for focused projects such as the children building their own website for their respect homes and further software packages allowing the children to explore the possibilities of art through technology, for example.

In November APPLE will be hosting in both the Sendai and Omotesando, Tokyo Stores a FIELD TRIP for the children to come to the APPLE store for a 90 minute tutorial from the staff on how to make presentations.

We look forward to what the new year will bring as the children continue to explore their possibilities LIVING DREAMS has been happy to assist with.

Links:

• Metropolis Magazine Article

Currently we are working with the staff of the homes to understand the career assessment tests which have been taken or are underway.

RIASEC, the company which has donated the tests, is holding training sessions for the homes so that they understand the results and how to encourage the children to use the laptops to research more details about the careers their aptitudes point them towards.

Meanwhile firms such as Morgan Stanley and Herbert Smith have signed up to do career days at their offices which will include an office tour as well as introduce the children to the people in different departments such as IT, Mass Communications and Finance.

We are hoping that post the meetings, we will also have volunteers to act as mentors for the children for them to be challenged to use the software to a greater degree and depth catering the usage to the career preparation.

We are also holding a photo contest with the children in Kumamoto to encourage them to use the digital cameras we purchased for them as ways to focus their energies and creativity technically.

Last week we had interns from JP MORGAN join one of the homes to make drink tumblers by choosing a photo or image from the internet and adding to a WORD document and cutting out to place in the tumblers.

This weekend we have someone who is working with the children to be doing a few training sessions on how they could build their own website for the group home they live in.

We are looking for organizations who are willing to get closer and adopt a home to know more about the details of their needs and progress. Please contact us if you are interested.

michael@livingdreams.jp