Date: March 16-17 
Location: Tokyo　Workshop support: Oracle

　　　This month’s program was the LIT closing ceremony, the last program of this fiscal year. On Saturday, employees of Oracle, who have been supporting the LIT program and Mirai no Mori in various ways, hosted a speech workshop for LITs. We gathered at their office building, and after a quick introduction and ice break activities, they gave a lecture on what makes a speech great. Then, each LIT paired up with an employee and started to create the content of the speech. They reflected on this year’s program, wrote down their memorable events and what they learned on sticky notes, and placed them on a large piece of paper. Once the paper was filled, they started to create a story to turn it into a speech.

　　　They continued to work after lunch, practicing and getting feedback in pairs and in larger groups. In this workshop, LITs learned important and practical skills they will need in the coming stages of their lives and a rare opportunity to work one-on-one with adults with extensive life and work experiences. Thank you so much to everyone at Oracle who participated in this workshop for providing such valuable learning experiences.

　　　The closing ceremony was on Sunday afternoon, so LITs used the morning to practice their speech and prepare for a presentation on the LIT project, which they were also to give during the closing ceremony. A few program staff came early to help LITs, and they took advantage of the opportunity to practice with and get feedback from different staff.

　　　About 20 guests came to the closing ceremony. LITs seemed very nervous, but they were able to give a fun presentation of the project, and every member gave a great speech. The guests also had the chance to ask LITs questions at the end. After the ceremony, they received a photo album and a tote bag with a graphic designed by one of the LITs and enjoyed the conversations with the guests, who were all great supporters of the LITs. It was a fantastic finish to this year’s LIT program. This year went by very quickly, but we were able to provide unique learning opportunities to the LITs, and they grew individually and as a team.