Participants Wanted for "Learning Supporter Startup Training (Online)" for Organizations and Individuals Wishing to Start Free Learning Support in FY2026

Certified NPO Kids' Door (Location: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; Chairperson: Yumiko Watanabe; hereinafter "Kids' Door") announces that the "Learning Supporter Startup Training," which has been conducted since 2024 with the support of Mitsubishi Corporation, will be relaunched from FY2026 as a new training program specifically focused on establishing learning support activities. We are also widely recruiting organizations to participate in this training. Due to prolonged price increases, more and more parenting households are facing financial difficulties and cannot afford to send their children to cram schools. While there are over 12,000 children's cafeterias nationwide in Japan, free learning support is still scarce, and Kids' Door receives many inquiries asking, "Is there any learning support available locally?" A Cabinet Office survey also shows that over 40% of junior high school students from low-income families would "like to use a place where they can receive free study assistance." Created by Kids' Door based on the "Analysis Report of Children's Living Conditions Survey, Reiwa 3 (2021)" (Cabinet Office) https://warp.ndl.go.jp/web/20230403094438/www8.cao.go.jp/kodomonohinkon/chousa/r03/pdf-index.html This training program condenses the realities of child poverty, Kids' Door's 16 years of accumulated learning support know-how, and seven steps to start learning support into a three-hour session. Since it is held online, participants can join from all over the country. Anyone is welcome, including those who already operate children's cafeterias or community spaces and feel the need for learning support, those who haven't started anything yet but want to help children in their community, those who have already started free study groups but are struggling with their operation, students, working adults, homemakers, and seniors. While it is often thought that "free study groups seem difficult," even holding them once or twice a month, or just as an event during summer or long holidays, can be a valuable place for children to receive learning support. We encourage you to take this training and expand the circle of free learning support throughout Japan. In FY2026, sessions will be held once a month from June 19th until November. The training participation fee is free. Please note that this fiscal year is expected to be the last for free participation in the Learning Supporter Startup Training. Please take advantage of this opportunity. "Learning Supporter Startup Training" Overview June 19 (Fri) 10:00-13:00 July 4 (Sat) 18:00-21:00 August 7 (Fri) 18:00-21:00 September 5 (Sat) 10:00-13:00 October 2 (Fri) 10:00-13:00 November 7 (Sat) 18:00-21:00 Online (Zoom) Free *You can participate for free thanks to the support of Mitsubishi Corporation. Please apply using the application form below. https://forms.office.com/r/JjhR5XQc0y *Deadline: One week before each session date ■ About Certified NPO Kids' Door https://kidsdoor.net/ Since its establishment in 2009, Kids' Door has been working to solve child poverty issues in Japan. They provide free study groups and community-based learning centers that also offer living support such as meals, targeting elementary to high school students and young people who have dropped out of high school from disadvantaged families, in Tokyo and its suburbs, Miyagi, and Kobe. Since 2020, when the number of parenting households facing hardship rapidly increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they have created a "Family Support" system, providing information support, food and stationery assistance, and employment support for parents to registered disadvantaged parenting households nationwide. Chairperson Yumiko Watanabe also serves as a government committee member, including a temporary member of the Children's Poverty Countermeasures and Single-Parent Family Support Subcommittee of the Children and Families Agency's Council for Children and Families, and a member of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's Social Security Council, Self-Reliance Support for Impoverished Individuals and Public Assistance Subcommittee.