Hands On Tokyo Youth Impact Project

As the 2025-2026 school year enters its final semester, the twenty-three members of the Youth Impact continue to initiate meaningful projects to positively impact communities in Tokyo. Moving into the final stretch of the year, members are continuing their activities through three main focus groups: Environment, Education and Children’s Homes.

Environment

After conducting two initiatives focused on community cleanups, the team gained valuable experience in adapting activities to different environments and participants. Building on these experiences, we conducted a trial workshop on recycling plastic bottles into practical items such as solar system models and pencil holders. Through the preparation process, our members learned the importance of communication, careful child-friendly planning especially for activities involving using cutters or scissors. 

We hope to officially implement this workshop in the near future with the children and other community members who were previously involved in Youth Impact projects. The main objective of the workshop is to raise awareness about plastic overconsumption while encouraging participants to explore creative ways to extend the usability of everyday materials. 

Overall, the preparation process has been an invaluable experience, we are excited to make this workshop a reality and continue connecting with different communities. 

Education

Our group’s main purpose this year was to provide educational support for people with special needs. Working with participants ranging from elementary school children to adults, we used our bilingual skills and diverse backgrounds not only to teach English vocabulary, but also to share different cultures. 

Futaba no Kai In-person Activities:

We collaborated with Hands On Tokyo’s Futaba no Kai activity to provide interactive English sessions for people with disabilities, including participants with Down syndrome and autism. Through activities such as origami, painting, and seasonal crafts, we created a fun and engaging learning environment. Two sessions were held this year, with another planned for the end of May.

Matsuzawa Online Monthly Activities:

We also created monthly online lessons for children with special needs, including those with Down syndrome and ADHD. Using themed slideshow lessons, we taught English vocabulary through interactive games and activities.

Through these events and activities, our team was able to gain so much in so many ways, such as organizing, leading, creating, and most importantly, learning to effectively work in a team to achieve the best outcome. 

“One of my highlights was teaching our friends from Futaba-no-kai how to make cherry blossom trees using crumpled origami. Another one would be our Christmas-themed event where everyone got their own take on making Santa Claus. It was definitely wholesome to see their creativity and how they made the simple origami task even more fun. Their excitement definitely fueled ours, and ultimately, we were able to teach them English vocabulary whilst having a great time.” - A, member of Youth Impact’s Education Team

Children’s Homes

This semester, the Children’s Home group focused on creating inclusive and memorable experiences for children from diverse backgrounds. One of the group’s most meaningful activities was participating in a blind jogging event, where volunteers ran alongside visually impaired participants. Through this experience, members gained a deeper understanding of trust, communication, and accessibility, while also challenging their own assumptions about visual impairments.

Inspired by this experience, we collaborated with Ichigo No Kai, an organization for visually impaired children, to organize a running and picnic event. Drawing from what we had learned during blind jogging, volunteers became more mindful of how they communicated and designed activities, creating a more engaging and inclusive environment for the children. Through these experiences, the group learned the importance of providing opportunities where every child can participate confidently and enjoy meaningful connections.

Others

Besides these activities, our members also volunteered at the 20th Anniversary Volunteer Gathering of Hands On Tokyo, where we supported the event as MCs, booth staff, and reception volunteers. Through this experience, we gained valuable insight into event logistics, coordination, and teamwork while contributing to a large-scale community event.

---------

Report compiled and written by Youth Impact members
Edited and submitted by Kat Nguyen

Nearly half of the Youth Impact 2025–2026 program has been completed. Over the past four months, youth participants have engaged in diverse volunteer activities, demonstrating growing leadership, initiative, and social responsibility. In addition to supporting existing programs, youth have begun proposing and leading activities of their own.

Key Activities

• Inclusive Education & Disability Support: Youth supported English-learning programs for people with disabilities, both online and in person, and facilitated holiday-themed activities promoting inclusive social interaction.
• Blind Jogging Program: Participants served as guide runners for people with visual impairments, gaining firsthand experience in accessibility and inclusive sports. This has inspired planning for a future program focused on children with visual impairments.
• Kodomo Shokudo (Children’s Cafeteria): Youth assisted in serving hot meals to approximately 200 children in need in Setagaya Ward, increasing awareness of food insecurity and community support.
• Environmental Action: Through a beach cleanup focused on microplastics, youth learned how everyday waste impacts the ocean and the importance of sustainable practices.
• Youth-Led Roppongi Cleanup: Youth successfully led their first independent community cleanup, coordinating a diverse group of participants across ages, abilities, and nationalities.

Learning Outcomes

Through these activities, youth strengthened:

• Leadership and initiative
• Understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Environmental and social awareness
• Collaboration across diverse communities

These experiences are equipping youth with practical skills and confidence to continue contributing as community leaders beyond the program.

Youth Reflections

”Leading the Youth Impact team this year has taught us to receive feedback with openness. With members from both Japanese and international schools, we’ve learned that listening to diverse perspectives is essential to effective leadership. We put this into practice by dividing the team into three subgroups—environment, education, and children’s homes—based on members’ interests. These smaller groups allow for more meaningful participation and ensure members feel heard. As a result, members see their efforts reflected in the wide range of events we organize. While keeping a large group consistently engaged has been challenging, we are committed to fostering an environment where every member feels encouraged to share their ideas in the months ahead. We look forward to a successful term!”- Youth Impact Leadership Team (2025–2026)

“The beach clean-up was a meaningful opportunity to give back to both the community and the environment, while working alongside others to recognise the value of volunteer work. With the event taking place close to Christmas, it was nice to contribute in a tangible way rather than viewing the holiday solely as a time for exchanging gifts, which helped me reflect on the true, deeper purpose of the holidays. Despite it being the middle of winter, I was surprised by the large number of participants, many of whom were laughing, cooperating, and turning what could have been a dull task into an enjoyable shared experience. I was also impressed by how clean the beach already was, to the point where we were genuinely struggling to find any litter. This made me appreciate Japanese culture more deeply, particularly the strong sense of responsibility many people show in taking their rubbish home and respecting shared public spaces. While the comedy performance was not the best I have seen, it sill exposed me to something new.” - L, Beach Clean up participant

“It was really enjoyable and meaningful for me! T and I worked together creating slides and a scavenger hunt activity that would be interactive and engaging for the children. It was my first time teaching children with disabilities and I really love how most of them were really enthusiastic and talkative. Seeing their energy and participation made the experience really rewarding!!” - Y,  Teaching English for children with intellectual & mental disabilities participant

Names are abbreviated to protect the privacy of youth under 18.

Links:

• Youth Impact Instagram