Recruiting 120 Adult Volunteers to Support High School Students Who Cannot Rely on Parents in Their "First Step into Society" – Nest-leaving Project 2026 – Choose Between On-site and Online Participation!

The Nest-leaving Project is a six-month, six-session program. It is a flagship program of Certified NPO Bridge for Smile (B4S) where you can closely witness the growth of high school students.

■ No special qualifications required! Why not start supporting children with a compassionate heart?

Many third-year high school students living in children's homes or foster families due to abuse or poverty leave their facilities and start living alone immediately after graduating high school. At 18, they bear the full responsibility for housing, work, money, and relationships.

B4S's Nest-leaving Project (Nest-leaving PJ) is a program where high school students learn the necessary knowledge, experience, and communication skills to step into society, and also build connections with peers in similar situations and adult volunteers.
Last year, 263 third-year high school students and 123 adult volunteers participated from the Tokyo metropolitan area, Saga, Kumamoto, and Hokkaido.

We await your volunteer participation as "a reliable adult"! No special skills are required. All that is needed is a compassionate heart.

■ "Changes" that emerge over six months

In the Nest-leaving PJ, through each workshop and dialogue, the expressions and words of high school students gradually change.

A high school student who was initially downcast and nervous to speak,
By the third session, would proactively talk about "this happened at my part-time job,"
And by the final session, would talk about their future, saying, "I want to try this kind of job."

The high school students, volunteers, and staff participating in the Nest-leaving PJ are the same members each time.
Initially, everyone is nervous, but gradually they open up. The skill of "casually talking" becomes a great strength for young people leaving institutions. This is because being able to talk to someone or consult with them can prevent isolation. Volunteers who participated also commented, "The activity I thought was for someone else became an experience that broadened my perspective and way of thinking." and "I was also happy to meet adults from diverse industries and experiences that I wouldn't normally encounter in my daily life."

■ On-site and Online formats – Choose your participation style

There are two ways to get involved, depending on your lifestyle.

On-site format
You can interact directly. In addition to support during seminars, various roles are shared.
Online format
Available from anywhere in the country (including overseas participation). You can participate with less time and physical burden.

If you live in Hokkaido, Saga, or Kumamoto, please consider participating in the "On-site format" in your respective regions, in addition to the online format.

About Branches

High school students and adult volunteers belong to teams called "Branches." Please be assured that activities for the six months are conducted not individually, but in fixed branch units. Each branch consists of approximately 20-25 members, including high school students and adult volunteers.

*Please note that we may not be able to accommodate your preferred branch.

– 2026 Branches (Confirmed) –
● Sunday Branch 8/16 9/13 10/18 11/15 12/13 1/24
[On-site] Nakano, Yokohama, Chiba, Hokkaido (Sapporo)
[Online]

● Saturday Branch 8/22 9/19 10/24 11/21 12/9 1/30

[On-site] Akihabara, Kokubunji, Yokohama, Kumamoto, Saga

[Online]

*This year, the establishment of a new "Kobe On-site venue" has been decided!
Details such as seminar dates will be announced as soon as they are confirmed.
If you are interested, please register as a volunteer first.

Adult volunteers having a final meeting before the high school students arrive. Branch leaders are also volunteers.

Online branch. After the seminar, a review is conducted to prepare for the next session.

Program Overview

Detailed information → here (PDF)

■ Period: August to January of the following year (Pre-training, etc., held in July)

● Pre-training: "Children's Homes and the Psychological Impact of Abuse"
Please take the online training on a convenient date.

Dates: May 17 (Sun) / July 11 (Sat) / July 26 (Sun) 10:00-12:00

● Nest-leaving Input Session
Explanations of mindset and supplementary information for Nest-leaving PJ participants. Held in July (multiple dates available).

● "Toranomaki" (study guide) preparatory sessions held online the week (or two weeks) before each seminar.

● Nest-leaving Seminars: All 6 sessions

■ Application Process (3 steps)

① First, please see the "Detailed Information" → here (PDF)

② Please complete "Volunteer Registration." → here

Application for Nest-leaving PJ is 5