Creating a 'Point of Contact with Society' for Truant Children: Implementing a Distribution x Food Education Program in Collaboration with a Local Business

NPO Manabidane (Iruma City, Saitama Prefecture), in cooperation with Fukushima Shokuhin Co., Ltd. (Moroyama Town, Saitama Prefecture), conducted a 'Distribution x Food Education Program' and a 'Mock Economy Marche' for truant children.
For children learning outside of school, their points of contact with society tend to be limited.
To address this issue, this initiative provides an opportunity to interact with the real world in collaboration with local businesses.
Such practical applications are initiatives that expand the possibilities of social participation for children learning outside of school.

Listening to an explanation about distribution

Truant children tend to have limited opportunities to come into contact with society and work in their daily lives.
At Manabidane, we value learning opportunities where children can feel connected to society through experiences, not limited to academic subjects.
Against this background, there is a demand for practical learning opportunities to maintain contact with society even outside the classroom.

Distribution x Food Education Program (March 5)

We invited Fukushima Shokuhin Co., Ltd. to conduct a lecture on distribution systems and local production for local consumption, as well as a cooking practice.

The company has a system that handles everything from bulk purchasing of agricultural products to processing and distribution, and the children learned realistically 'how food is delivered'.

In addition, they cooked 'Norabou-na' (a local specialty of western Saitama), Sayama tea udon, and taro croquettes, deepening their understanding of local ingredients.

Afterwards, time was set aside for interaction with the company's employees, providing an opportunity to feel 'connections with people' rather than just work.

Junior high school students are listening seriously. Boiling Sayama tea udon.

Making a sesame dressing dish using the hit product 'Norabou-na'.

Mock Economy Marche & Cafe (March 17)

We held a marche where children planned and created products, selling them using the virtual currency 'SEED'.

The sales were distributed at a ratio of '70% for children / 30% for the organization', creating an experience close to actual economic activities.

Initially, some children hesitated to open a stall, worrying 'What if it doesn't sell?', but on the day, many products were sold, and some were even completely sold out.

The store manager giving a morning assembly before the marche opens.

The experience of having what they made evaluated leads to the children's self-confidence.
In particular, I feel that praise from peers will grow into a great strength.

A 4th-grade girl's shop. A 2nd-year junior high school student's shop.

After a lunch break, we opened the cafe.

Dividing duties into hall and kitchen staff, we served drinks and 'Pororu Roll Cake' provided by Fukushima Shokuhin.

The customers were parents, relatives, and university students who came to volunteer.

Because they rarely meet people outside their families in real life, the customer service staff were very nervous. Also, even when dealing with family members as 'customers', there were scenes where they taught polite behavior using honorifics or kept it in mind themselves, witnessing firsthand what can be gained through such opportunities.

Serving customers firmly despite being nervous.

The cake set that was served. The roll cake provided by Fukushima Shokuhin.

Settlement / Consolidation of Learning (March 23)

For the settlement of sales, we explained the '7:3' ratio using concrete objects, and each child tackled the calculation using their own method.

By comparing with sales records and performing the calculation, confirmation, and receipt themselves, it became a more realistic learning experience.

Having the store manager confirm if the billed amount calculation is correct. The salary of the child with the highest sales.

Future Prospects

Even for children who do not attend school, having a connection with society is important.

At Manabidane, we will continue to provide opportunities to softly feel future social participation within our daily activities.

Based on this initiative, we are considering expanding opportunities for collaboration with local businesses in the future, implementing similar programs, and deploying them externally.
Companies and organizations that are interested, please contact us.

About Non-Profit Organization Manabidane

In Iruma City, Saitama Prefecture, we operate 'Free School Iroiro Dane / Iroiro Dane+', where truant children and children who have difficulty fitting into school can learn with peace of mind.

We also conduct activities to create a 'safety net for learning' in the community through the production and distribution of truancy support guides and holding symposiums for supporters.

We aim for a local society where any child facing difficulties can envision their own unique future.

Manabidane is looking for supporting members to back us as peers.