September and October were months of connection and initiative for our Graduates at Mirai no Mori. They met new people, took on personal goals, and got involved in projects that matter both to themselves and to the wider Mirai no Mori community.

Since the beginning of September, three graduates have joined the Graduate Buddy Project, a collaboration between Mirai no Mori and CAM Japan, a coaching school accredited by the International Coaching Federation (ICF). Each graduate is paired with a CAM coach as a buddy, and the pair meet one-on-one online every two weeks to work toward a personal goal set by the graduate. Whether the goal relates to career or personal development, we are excited to see our graduates take the initiative, share their goals with others, and take ownership of their progress.

“I didn’t know much about coaching before, but I’m excited to join this Buddy Project, as I think it’ll be very helpful to my life.” Graduate

That month also brought a weekend packed with fun and learning, designed to connect graduates with more people from our community. It began on Friday afternoon at Cafe Monaca, where graduates helped prepare a delicious curry lunch for all participants of the following days’ programs. Over the meal, the café owners shared their stories of starting a business, their passion for food and the local environment, and their travels. 

“It was lovely to be able to work with Mirai no Mori’s youth for a day, I have learned a lot from them!” Program Partner

On Saturday, graduates learned alongside LITs at a Project Management workshop with Oracle, gaining practical tools to turn their future dreams into actionable plans. On Sunday, they joined a special rafting program for graduates, LITs, and third-year junior high school students. On the river, graduates showed courage and kindness toward the younger participants, and they later shared their own real experiences and practical tips during the LIT Program introduction for the third-graders, who are standing at an in-between stage, and wanted to know the program further.

Finally, in October, graduates visited the Mirai no Mori office building in preparation for an important upcoming project. They also reflected on their own journeys with Mirai no Mori through Annual Report interviews and began preparing speeches for the Winter Party. One graduate who had not been able to join recent programs shared about her happiness to be always able to come back.

“It was a refreshing change of pace to take part in a Mirai no Mori project for the first time in a while!” Graduate

Looking ahead to November and December, graduates will join us at the Charity Run and the Winter Party. We would love for you to come meet them, hear our exciting news, and listen to an inspiring speech by one of our graduates!