SMBC Group and After-School NPO Collaborate | Call for 2026 Implementing Organizations for 'Yume no Planning LABO,' a Hands-on Financial Education Project for Elementary Students

With the mission of 'Making after-school time across Japan a golden time,' the specified non-profit organization After-School NPO (Representative Director: Kuniyasu Hiraiwa, hereinafter 'After-School NPO') is collaborating with Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc. (President and Group CEO: Toru Nakashima, hereinafter 'SMBC Group') to hold the 'Yume no Planning LABO.' This hands-on financial and economic education project, where children think about the future through 'money,' will be held at after-school programs for children nationwide, such as after-school childcare clubs and after-school children's classes.

For the 2026 fiscal year, we are conducting a public call for applications to deliver this program, which allows children to have fun while thinking about money and their future, free of charge nationwide.

■ Background and Purpose of 'Yume no Planning LABO'
In recent years in Japan, the 'experience gap'—differences in the learning and experiential opportunities children can access outside of school depending on their family environment or area of residence—has been pointed out as a social issue. There is a need for society as a whole to support diverse experiential opportunities for children.

Based on this background, After-School NPO, which provides various experiential programs to after-school places for elementary school students nationwide, aims to contribute to creating experiential opportunities for more children. This will be achieved through collaboration with the SMBC Group, which positions the creation of social value as one of its management pillars and works to eliminate the education and experience gap among children who will lead the next generation.

Furthermore, in recent years, the importance of financial and economic education has been increasing against the backdrop of the shift to cashless transactions and the spread of investing. By providing this program as experiential content such as board games and puzzle-solving, we will create an opportunity for children to enjoy understanding the mechanisms of money and the economy, and to face money for the dreams they want to fulfill in the future and for a rich life.

■ Program Overview | Two Selectable Online Programs
At 'Yume no Planning LABO,' we value learning and thinking about the role of money and banks, and how to use money, while having fun. In fact, a questionnaire given to children who participated in this program showed high satisfaction, with 90% answering that it was 'very fun' or 'somewhat fun.'

For the 2026 fiscal year, we will provide the following two online programs free of charge.

■ Application Guidelines
- Target Applicants: Organizations conducting after-school activities for elementary school students, such as after-school childcare clubs and after-school children's classes.
- Number of Implementing Organizations: 10 locations
- Target Grades: 1st to 6th grade elementary school students
- Capacity: Approximately 30 students (maximum) per session
- Implementation Time: Online type, 60 minutes (Includes online connection support, complete set of equipment available for free rental)
- Cost: Free
- Application Deadline: Sunday, May 24, 2026
- How to Apply: Please apply via the application form on the web page below.
https://npoafterschool.org/yumelabo/

■ About the Specified Non-Profit Organization After-School NPO
Operating under the mission of 'Making after-school time across Japan a golden time.' Incorporated in 2009. To realize safe and enriching after-school experiences across Japan, we operate 'After-School,' a place for children to stay after school utilizing school facilities. We focus on creating an environment where children can spend their time proactively. In addition, in cooperation with companies and local governments, we support the improvement of environments and human resource development in after-school places nationwide, and work to create opportunities for experiences. Together with the many people who support our activities, we are accelerating activities to protect and nurture children as a whole society, continuing our challenge to realize richer after-school time for children. (https://npoafterschool.org/)