【Award Announcement】Nakayoshi Gakuen's 'Connecting the World through Learning' Wins Silver at the 12th JACE Event Award NPO Division!

Nakayoshi Gakuen Project, in collaboration with schools, local governments, and companies nationwide, has won the Silver Award in the 'Students, NPOs, Various Organizations, and Individuals' category at the 12th JACE Event Award for their 'Local Communities as Stakeholders in World Peace: Connecting the World through Learning' lecture series.

The award is a comprehensive recognition system hosted by the General Incorporated Association Japan Event Industry Promotion Association (JACE) for outstanding events both domestically and internationally. In its 12th iteration, the award was selected from 174 entries, and Nakayoshi Gakuen's initiative was chosen for the Silver Award in the 'Students, NPOs, Various Organizations, and Individuals' category.

Nakayoshi Gakuen Representative Yuichi Nakamura holding the Silver Trophy at the JACE Event Award

In the 'Connecting the World through Learning Project 2025,' over 50 schools nationwide and more than 10,000 children, students, teachers, and local community members participated. Issues such as war, poverty, refugees, disasters, and educational disparities around the world were framed not as distant events but as challenges that can be addressed by their own schools and communities. The passion generated from the lectures was channeled into creating teaching materials, peace messages, local initiatives, and implementing lessons overseas.

Connecting the World through Learning Project HP https://nakayoshigakuen.org/coreloop/

JACE Event Award HP https://award.jace.or.jp

'Education for Peace That Doesn't End with Lectures' Model Recognized

On the official JACE Event Award website, Nakayoshi Gakuen's 'Connecting the World through Learning (CoRe Loop) Experiential Peace Lectures' is introduced as a series of events that connect the passion generated immediately after a lecture to the next action, with the slogan 'Don't just listen to the lecture and stop.' Participants choose specific actions such as creating teaching materials, donations, and participating in overseas activities. Finally, videos, letters, and reports from the field are shared as a 'homecoming' to experience how much they have brought the world closer to peace. This mechanism has been recognized and evaluated.

Turning the 'Seeds of Peace' inspired by the lecture into reality is the goal of the Connecting the World through Learning Project.

What Nakayoshi Gakuen has always valued is the idea of 'beyond the event.'

They do not let the children's feelings of 'Maybe I can do something too' after listening to a lecture end with just a fleeting emotion.

They turn the wish for peace into actions that create peace.

They deliver these actions to actual educational sites in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East and bring back the local reactions to Japanese classrooms. This cycle is what Nakayoshi Gakuen has been practicing with schools nationwide as 'Connecting the World through Learning.'

Nakayoshi Gakuen's activities featured in JICA Magazine, implementing support activities using teaching materials from Japanese schools worldwide

Learning born in schools nationwide reaches classrooms around the world

In the 'Connecting the World through Learning Project 2025,' teaching materials and works created in various schools across Japan were utilized in local classrooms through Nakayoshi Gakuen's overseas educational support activities.

In Tsushima City, Nagasaki Prefecture, Tsushima Nishibu Junior High School students created picture book teaching materials themed around the regional issue of marine plastic waste. These materials were used in schools in Lumbini Province, Nepal, where children in landlocked regions expanded their learning on the common themes of 'garbage,' 'resources,' 'environment,' and 'the future of the region.' Additionally, a flying disc made from recycled marine plastic materials was introduced, developing learning that transcends environmental education, sports, and international understanding.

Tsushima's marine plastic waste explained by Representative Yuichi Nakamura

Nakayoshi Ultimate implemented in Kenya and South Sudan

In Yotsukaido Town, Gifu Prefecture, Yui Elementary School created disaster prevention books and newspaper slipper sandals. In Nepal, these were used as teaching materials to convey Japan's disaster prevention awareness and the importance of 'being prepared' to local children who experienced the 2015 Great Earthquake. The disaster prevention teaching materials created by the children served as a catalyst for them to think about actions to prepare for disasters, turning Japan's regional disaster prevention learning into a practical contribution to global disaster education.

Nakayoshi Gakuen Director Ri'e Nakamura teaching the importance of disaster prevention to students in Nepal

In Mihara City, Hiroshima Prefecture, soap made by students of Miwa Elementary School was utilized in Nepal's WASH education. Local children learned the importance of handwashing while holding the soap, understanding that hygiene protects their own and their friends' health. Following the initiative of 'AOGA SOAP' from Aoka Elementary School in Mihara City, Hiroshima Prefecture, being utilized in Rwanda, the learning of Hiroshima's children has become an activity supporting global hygiene education.

Nakayoshi Gakuen Director Ri'e Nakamura conducting WASH education in Nepal

In Hiroshima City, Hiroshima Special Needs Education School, peace posters created by the students were sent to Rwanda. After co-creation with local schools, the 'learning homecoming' was realized, returning to Hiroshima again. Furthermore, the school's thoughts on peace reached Nepal, expanding internationally as learning that connects special needs education and peace education.

Peace posters from special needs education schools that reached Rwanda and peace posters from Rwanda that returned to special needs education schools

In Sakura City, Chiba Prefecture, handmade teaching materials and local culture such as picture combination teaching materials and paper cup kendama from Oji-dai Elementary School, origami from Mano-dai Elementary School, and Sakura miso and recipes were utilized in schools in Nepal. Everyday learning created by Japanese children became high-quality teaching materials supporting education in overseas classrooms, creating opportunities for cross-cultural understanding and inquiry-based learning.

Origami from Sakura City that reached Nepal

'From the Supported to the Supporter'—Learning that Generates Self-Efficacy

Nakayoshi Gakuen's initiatives are not just about sending materials or teaching materials overseas.

Children learn, think, and create in their own regions, and Nakayoshi Gakuen incorporates these into lessons according to local educational challenges. Then, they return the results of how they were utilized in the field to Japanese schools through photos, videos, letters, and reports.

Through this cycle, Japanese children gain the realization that 'our learning has helped someone in the world.' This fosters self-affirmation and self-efficacy, holding significant educational value that leads to the next action.

Nakayoshi Gakuen positions this cycle as learning of 'Return, Reflect & Redesign' and delivers it to schools nationwide as the 3R-Forum Lecture (a feedback lecture to experience Return, Reflect & Redesign).

Nakayoshi Gakuen's activities featured in UNESCO

Growing Recognition Domestically and Internationally

Nakayoshi Gakuen has been implementing various initiatives, including social reintegration support for former child soldiers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, educational support in refugee camps in South Sudan and Uganda, peace education in Cambodia, Rwanda, Syria, Nepal, and other countries, disaster support, vocational training, and food support.

The 'CoRe Loop' model, which feeds back practical knowledge gained from these sites into Japanese school education and delivers Japanese children's learning back to the world, has been introduced in UNESCO's Inclusive Education in Action and is attracting attention both domestically and internationally.

This JACE Event Award win is a recognition of Nakayoshi Gakuen's collaboration with schools, local governments, companies, and communities nationwide.