The Leaders in Training Program, a year-long program for high school students was launched in 2017. As of March 2022, 13 program members have graduated from high school and started their independent lives.

In July, we arranged some check ins with college students who were seeking ways to spend their summer vacation, as well as with graduates who were about to change jobs.

Voices of Graduates 

“My schedule is full of reports, assignments, internships, etc. I have asked many people for advice on how to prioritize and what to focus on when applying for an internship, but it is difficult to make a decision. I want to work on one thing at a time so that I don’t regret it later.”

In August, we had our annual rafting program in Mitake, followed by lunch with camp staff and volunteers. One of the graduates returned home from Yamaguchi for the event, and some graduates enjoyed the river play for the first time in a long time.

During lunch and mingling time, some enjoyed meeting staff members they had not seen for a long time, while others asked new camp staff members for advice on job hunting, in a relaxed Mirai no Mori atmosphere.

Voices of Graduates 

“One of the camp staff, who had spent a long time together at summer camps when I was in high school, kindly pointed out my strengths, and this gave me new insights. It was also very helpful to have a staff member who I had never met before look over my resume and point out areas for improvement.”

“I felt that time has flown by so quickly, that it has already been six years since I first met Mirai no Mori. I’m still not very good at communicating, but I can talk to new people at Mirai no Mori without being shy, and I feel that I’m gaining the ability to stay connected with others.”

Voices of Camp Volunteers 

“When I met the graduates, the first thing I felt was how quickly the time had passed. I still remember talking about getting into a university like yesterday, but we were already talking about their job hunting experiences. Also, during rafting, the teamwork they had and having no hesitation to jump off from the very high rocks reminded me that they have been surely growing in the past few years.”