NPO Grow & Leap Holds “My Story Project Fes. vol.5,” Welcoming 125 Teens, University Students, and Adults with Satisfaction Score of 4.83/5.0

NPO Grow & Leap, based in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture and led by Representative Director Kayoko Kurata, held “My Story Project Fes. vol.5” on March 21, 2026 in Nagoya and on March 28, 2026 online. The event brought together teenagers and adults across generations and social positions to put their own experiences and thoughts into words. A total of 125 junior high school students, high school students, university students, and working adults participated across the two sessions. The event recorded very high evaluations, with a satisfaction score of 4.83/5.0 and an empathy score of 4.82/5.0. Participants described it as “a place where you can feel the energy of teenagers with your whole body” and “a place like a crossroads in life.” Through dialogue, adults were also moved by the way junior and senior high school students earnestly received their words, creating a time of new learning for both sides. Report: Appreciation Report_My Story Project Fes. Vol.5 Event footage: YouTube About My Story Project Fes. My Story Project Fes. is a place where junior and senior high school students share what they have discovered through their own experiences and inquiries, including what values they cherish and how they want to engage with society. It is also designed as a space for social co-creation, where young people meet adults interested in nurturing the next generation and engage in dialogue beyond age and social roles. The event shines a light on the meaning of each person’s “own story.” By sharing these stories with others, participants cultivate self-understanding, understanding of others, and a sense of connection with society. Event Program 1. Self-presentations by junior and senior high school students from the fifth MSP cohort Students who participated in My Story Project (MSP) gave self-presentations, sharing insights gained through facing themselves and exploring themes of personal interest. They told authentic stories, including the resolve to move forward from the struggle of feeling that they had “nothing special,” and experiences of noticing “invisible frameworks” and expanding their perspectives. 2. “Stories Afterward” by MSP alumni Students who had previously participated in My Story Project reflected on how the project changed them and shared their current inquiry-based activities. 3. Real voices from people involved in My Story Project A university student who mentored the fifth MSP cohort said, “MSP is a place where you can freely take on challenges.” A father of a fifth-cohort MSP student said, “MSP is a third place that nurtures passion.” Mr. Sato from a sponsoring company said, “MSP is a starting point for making the world more wonderful.” 4. Theme song “Boku no Iro” An acoustic performance of the theme song “Boku no Iro” helped create a stronger sense of unity among participants. 5. Group discussions between junior and senior high school students and adults Participants split into small groups and engaged in open, equal dialogue between students and adults, building on the presentations by all MSP students. Through warm and sincere exchanges, the discussions created a time of mutual learning across generations. Participant Changes in Numbers Post-event surveys showed high results across all items, with average scores above 4.7 on a five-point scale. At the same time, the sense of “connection with society” showed room for further growth, indicating that a key future theme will be how to apply internal realizations within society. Participants commented: “I thought it was wonderful to be able to learn in your teens about important things you might otherwise regret later in life.” “It was impressive to see junior and senior high school students and adults learning from each other.” “I was surprised that there are adults who listen seriously to our voices.” Event Overview Dates: March 21, 2026 in Nagoya / March 28, 2026 online Venues: Meijo University Social Collaboration Zone shake / Zoom Participants: 125 total visits (76 in Nagoya / 49 online) Satisfaction score: 4.83/5.0 Empathy score: 4.82/5.0 Appreciation for Support This event was made possible through the support of annual collaboration partner companies, sponsoring companies, and many individual supporters. Thanks to their warm support, Grow & Leap was able to create a space where many dialogues and realizations emerged. The organization expresses its heartfelt gratitude. Grow & Leap will continue its activities toward realizing a society where future generations can design careers true to themselves and expand their individual possibilities. Annual collaboration partner companies, in Japanese alphabetical order: 299 Live Production LLC, DENSO Corporation, Phalanx LLC, Mold Model Co., Ltd., Yamakawa Co., Ltd. Event sponsor companies [Silver], in Japanese alphabetical order: matomato Inc. Event sponsor companies [Bronze], in Japanese alphabetical order: IMOM Inc., ShoWorks Inc., NS Solutions Chubu Corporation, Freed Co., Ltd., Maruten Sangyo Co., Ltd., Yamachu Sanshin Shoji Co., Ltd., Yamamoto Komuten Co., Ltd. In-kind event sponsor companies, in Japanese alphabetical order: Curie Inc., Matcha Lab Organization Overview Name: Specified Nonprofit Corporation Grow & Leap Representative: Representative Director Kayoko Kurata Address: Duo Veil Hisaya Odori 302, 1-7-30 Izumi, Higashi-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 461-0001, Japan Established: April 2018; incorporated in May 2021 Business: Career support for junior and senior high school students URLs: https://growandleap.com/ (website) / https://www.instagram.com/growandleap (Instagram) Contact Specified Nonprofit Corporation Grow & Leap Secretariat Contact person: Kai Matsukuma TEL: 080-6924-8099 Email: info@growandleap.com Media Inquiries For interviews, article publication, or interviews with speakers and participants related to this event, please contact the organization through the form below. If the form is unavailable, please contact the office listed above. https://forms.gle/opa3K2By3UhZYaS86