"I didn't realize so many people were involved" — 20 alumni, staff, and participants of the youth development program in Rikuzentakata re-evaluated the value of one week
NPO SET held "Change Makers' DAY" in Tokyo on April 12. 20 alumni and staff gathered to re-evaluate the value of the CMSP regional program and connect it to the future.
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- 📰 Published: April 23, 2026 at 19:00
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"I didn't realize this was a program involving so many people. But I thought this was precisely the great value." —— These words were born during a workshop where Post-it notes were spread across the desk and participants were exchanging voices. On Sunday, April 12, 2026, 20 people who had interacted with the program at different times as staff, participants, and alumni gathered together in Tokyo.
CMSP (Change Maker Study Program) is a program by the certified NPO SET where young people dive into local communities, fostering relationships with residents while facing their own questions and the local people. What kind of value has this place, which started in 2013 and has accumulated a track record of over 1,500 participants, brought to individuals, peers, and the region? — This time's Change Makers' DAY (hereafter CMD) was set up for everyone involved in CMSP to face that question in their own words.
■ What happened during the 2 hours on the day —— Record of workshops and panels
In the first half, group work was conducted under the theme of "What is the value that CMSP brings to myself, my peers, and the town?" As the perspectives of working alumni intersected with the experiences of active staff and participants, each participant thought about the meaning of the place called CMSP. CMD became a place where everyone shared the unspoken value.
In the second half, a panel discussion was held featuring two working adults who graduated from CMSP. The theme was "How does the CMSP experience affect the present?" Specific anecdotes were shared about how the realizations and human relationships formed during CMSP continue to influence their current actions and values even after entering society. "I felt the connection between CMSP and my life once again, and I want to make use of it" — these words from a participant quietly showed the determination not to let past experiences end as "things of the past."
■ Turning the voices saying "I want to stay involved" into the next action
CMD did not stop at being just a place for reflection. Voices expressing specific intent to take action, such as "I am interested in CMSP staff," "I want to be involved in SET's other projects," and "I want to try PR activities for CMSP," arose, and involvement in the program is trying to expand into new forms.
What SET has valued is not a one-off experience, but "continuous relationships." CMD is a place to pause, articulate those relationships, and connect them to the next step. We have held this regularly once every six months, and we look forward to seeing how the intentions born from this place will connect with the region and activities.
■ Please follow SET's SNS for the latest information.
SET updates its SNS at least once a week!
We introduce the real voices of participating students and local residents, as well as a wide variety of activities.
Please check out the latest information.
Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_nposet/?hl=ja
Official Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/nposet
■ About Certified NPO SET
With the mission of "Transforming everyone's 'I want to do it' into 'I did it,' and bringing a Good Change to Japan's future," SET has been creating mechanisms for youth and residents to learn together primarily in the Iwate Prefecture region since the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. Through school trip homestays, programs for university students and working adults, and local community building, youth get involved in the daily lives of the regions, fostering "continuous relationships" learning together with residents. In fiscal 2024, over 5,000 people participated annually. Currently, activities are expanding not only in Iwate Prefecture but across multiple regions. While simultaneously generating youth growth and regional vitality, we are working on sustainable regional development based on the relationship between people and the region itself. Received the Prime Minister's Award twice in the past, among many other awards.
[Organization Overview]
Certified Specified Nonprofit Corporation SET
Address: 52-6 Yamada, Hirota-cho, Rikuzentakata-shi, Iwate
President: Shunsuke Mitsui
Established: March 12, 2011 (Incorporated: June 18, 2013, Certification Acquired: October 16, 2025)
Official Website: https://www.nposet.org
Official Podcast Spotify: https://x.gd/wh4Lo Amazon Music: https://x.gd/TjRP0
[Inquiries Regarding Press Coverage]
PR Contact: set.forjapan@nposet.com
Phone: 0192-47-5747
CMSP (Change Maker Study Program) is a program by the certified NPO SET where young people dive into local communities, fostering relationships with residents while facing their own questions and the local people. What kind of value has this place, which started in 2013 and has accumulated a track record of over 1,500 participants, brought to individuals, peers, and the region? — This time's Change Makers' DAY (hereafter CMD) was set up for everyone involved in CMSP to face that question in their own words.
■ What happened during the 2 hours on the day —— Record of workshops and panels
In the first half, group work was conducted under the theme of "What is the value that CMSP brings to myself, my peers, and the town?" As the perspectives of working alumni intersected with the experiences of active staff and participants, each participant thought about the meaning of the place called CMSP. CMD became a place where everyone shared the unspoken value.
In the second half, a panel discussion was held featuring two working adults who graduated from CMSP. The theme was "How does the CMSP experience affect the present?" Specific anecdotes were shared about how the realizations and human relationships formed during CMSP continue to influence their current actions and values even after entering society. "I felt the connection between CMSP and my life once again, and I want to make use of it" — these words from a participant quietly showed the determination not to let past experiences end as "things of the past."
■ Turning the voices saying "I want to stay involved" into the next action
CMD did not stop at being just a place for reflection. Voices expressing specific intent to take action, such as "I am interested in CMSP staff," "I want to be involved in SET's other projects," and "I want to try PR activities for CMSP," arose, and involvement in the program is trying to expand into new forms.
What SET has valued is not a one-off experience, but "continuous relationships." CMD is a place to pause, articulate those relationships, and connect them to the next step. We have held this regularly once every six months, and we look forward to seeing how the intentions born from this place will connect with the region and activities.
■ Please follow SET's SNS for the latest information.
SET updates its SNS at least once a week!
We introduce the real voices of participating students and local residents, as well as a wide variety of activities.
Please check out the latest information.
Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_nposet/?hl=ja
Official Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/nposet
■ About Certified NPO SET
With the mission of "Transforming everyone's 'I want to do it' into 'I did it,' and bringing a Good Change to Japan's future," SET has been creating mechanisms for youth and residents to learn together primarily in the Iwate Prefecture region since the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. Through school trip homestays, programs for university students and working adults, and local community building, youth get involved in the daily lives of the regions, fostering "continuous relationships" learning together with residents. In fiscal 2024, over 5,000 people participated annually. Currently, activities are expanding not only in Iwate Prefecture but across multiple regions. While simultaneously generating youth growth and regional vitality, we are working on sustainable regional development based on the relationship between people and the region itself. Received the Prime Minister's Award twice in the past, among many other awards.
[Organization Overview]
Certified Specified Nonprofit Corporation SET
Address: 52-6 Yamada, Hirota-cho, Rikuzentakata-shi, Iwate
President: Shunsuke Mitsui
Established: March 12, 2011 (Incorporated: June 18, 2013, Certification Acquired: October 16, 2025)
Official Website: https://www.nposet.org
Official Podcast Spotify: https://x.gd/wh4Lo Amazon Music: https://x.gd/TjRP0
[Inquiries Regarding Press Coverage]
PR Contact: set.forjapan@nposet.com
Phone: 0192-47-5747