Three Hiroshima University Freshmen Launch Student Startup: Opening 'Kodai-ken Middle' Cram School for Turnaround Success — A New Challenge for Education in Hiroshima

The cram school brand 'Hiroshima University Entrance Exam Prep School: Kodai-ken' has announced the simultaneous opening of three branches of 'Kodai-ken Middle,' a high school entrance exam prep school for junior high students, founded by three Hiroshima University freshmen.

This initiative is more than just a new opening; it is an educational project aimed at the philosophy that 'the challenges taken on by Hiroshima University students will inspire the next generation to take on their own challenges.'

'Kodai-ken Middle' aims to convey the value of taking on challenges to local middle and high school students by showcasing Hiroshima University students who are not only studying and overcoming their own exams but also taking on the challenge of entrepreneurship and school management. We will provide new value to education in Hiroshima as a cram school that creates opportunities for students to move forward positively in their academic paths and lives.

1. Kodai-ken began with the founder's 'student entrepreneurship.' The origins of Kodai-ken lie in the founder's own challenge to enter the education business while still a student 17 years ago. Driven by the desire to 'increase the moments where lives are changed through exams' and 'prove that one can take on challenges even from a regional area,' the cram school business was launched with the Hiroshima University brand at its core. Through that experience, we realized that even students can create value in their community if they take on challenges seriously. Today, Kodai-ken aims to be more than just a school operator; we want to be the 'soil' where the next generation of Hiroshima University students can begin their own new challenges. 'Kodai-ken Middle' is one of the initiatives that gives shape to this philosophy.

2. 'We want to build a school too' — The challenge of three active Hiroshima University freshmen begins. The three individuals who launched 'Kodai-ken Middle' are all current first-year students at Hiroshima University. They chose to be involved in education not just as teachers, but as managers, driven by the desire to contribute to local junior high students by leveraging their own exam experiences. It is by no means easy for first-year students to balance their studies with the launch, management, and instruction of a cram school. Nevertheless, they reached this opening driven by the thought, 'We want to build the school we wish we had when we were taking exams.' Kodai-ken intends to foster this challenge not just as a business, but as a new role model for student entrepreneurship and community contribution.

3. A virtuous cycle where the challenges of Hiroshima University students inspire local students. Kodai-ken Middle aims for more than just academic guidance. By showing local students that Hiroshima University students are seriously taking on challenges beyond exams—such as entrepreneurship and management—we hope to create a 'chain of challenges' where students feel: 'I want to try harder too,' 'Maybe I can turn things around even from my current grades,' and 'I can take on big challenges even while living in a regional area.' Through daily instruction, we will deliver not only study methods and exam strategies that only recent university entrants can provide, but also the value of 'working hard' and 'taking on challenges' itself. Kodai-ken Middle aims to create a virtuous cycle from Hiroshima: 'Hiroshima University students take on challenges → Local students are inspired → Students take on the challenge of achieving a turnaround success.'

Overview of new branches and manager profiles: We are opening three new 'Kodai-ken Middle' branches in Hiroshima Prefecture. Each branch will be managed and operated by active Hiroshima University students, providing learning support tailored to local junior high students.