The Kyoto City Youth Service Foundation

Kyoto City Youth Service Foundation has long been supporting local youth, and has seven bases for its activities in Kyoto. Their aim is to provide opportunities for young people to broaden their outlooks and interests, and to get advice, information and access to a diverse selection of human/material resources through participation in family, school, local community, workplace and voluntary activities. Participants can gain real satisfaction through the activities they join, and by challenging themselves to develop both mentally and physically. The foundation’s various means of support allows children to grow up to be responsible adults.

Kyoto City Youth Service Foundation was established in 1988 with the goal of encouraging voluntary activities among young people. In order to develop future generations to lead the world, the foundation has been working with organizations, youth groups, people related to youth training and, of course, young people themselves based on four key principles:

The organization’s base of operations is in the Keihoku area, located in the north-western part of Kyoto City, a verdant, green environment with 93% of the land covered by forest. The area has long been famous as a producer of high-quality wood products, and has been supplying timber locally and further afield for around 1,300 years. In addition to this, the forestry industry here was once so active in the town that it used to pay tribute to the Gosho (Imperial Palace), a place where the Japanese emperor and his relatives lived. In recent years, however, imports of cheap foreign timber have reduced the demand for domestic timber, and the forestry industry in Japan as a whole, including Keihoku, has been in steady decline. In addition, Japan has a declining birthrate and an aging population, which naturally affects the forestry industry. The aging of the forestry workforce and the shortage of new workers entering the industry are serious problems, and the forests of Keihoku, most of which are privately owned, have become depopulated and poorly cared for because money cannot now be eaned so easily from forestry work.

To assist the young in improving their potential and abilities naturally, without spoiling them, by, for example;
- helping them realise that the various kinds of information they receive can have different effects on them personally and on their thoughts and behaviour.
- encouraging them to become kind and thoughtful people by providing space and time for them to think about themselves and others.
- providing them with opportunities to discover and build on their individual interests and abilities.
To give support to the young so that they can overcome/solve their difficulties when they face challenges and feel anxiety by, for example;
- encouraging them to support each other so that they can improve their abilities in mutual learning and thereby lessen their personal concerns.
- teaching them the various skills necessary for utilizing social resources and information
- supporting those who might require special help to get the care they need.
To provide opportunities for the young to participate in, and take on, roles in society by, for example;
- offering ways for them to learn and think about what their interests might be and how to pursue them.
- creating opportunities for participating in activities that allow them to work together and improve their community engagement and communication skills through interaction with people of all generations.
- allowing disabled young people to engage in activities in the same ways and environment as their peers and other non-disabled citizens.
To expand on recognition of the foundation’s activities to the greater society by, for example;
- promoting how Kyoto City Youth Service Foundation has been engaging in a range of activities such as volunteering, internships, publishing, student support and so on.

Volunteering

So far, between 800~900 young people have been actively working on volunteer activities created by the Kyoto City Youth Service Foundation, including clean-ups, projects to engender a more multicultural society, support for people with disabilities, and so on. The foundation believes volunteering can go a long way in supporting the personal development of local youth, and allow them to become vital partners in activities that will see them ultimately value their participation in society more. The foundation has been accepting a lot of volunteer workers, and through the active volunteerism they engage in, provides them with learning opportunities and new knowledge. It is also its belief that youth volunteer workers can often do something that perhaps adults can’t, for example, create a good atmosphere when working with small children and building good relationships with them. Volunteer workers are not considered to be an alternative to regular staff members, but essential personnel who can cooperate and work together with them.

Internships

The Kyoto City Youth Service Foundation provides both paid and unpaid internships to young people, and aims for them to develop a deeper understanding of the policy and goals of the foundation through these internships. Students on these internships are required to participate in the program with a clear purpose, and are expected to learn a lot from their activities. The foundation provides youths with time to talk to staff about their interests and what they want to do as a future career, so that they can finally decide whether this internship is really for them or not. Participants can get a clearer idea of their goals by talking with staff, and even if they decide not to do an internship at the foundation, they will still have gained some valuable information.

Publishing

he foundation publishes a magazine named “YOUTH SERVICE” to let the local youth and general population know what the Kyoto City Youth Service Foundation has been, and is, doing. Mainly high school students work on making the magazine, and they focus on various topics related to their own interests, current trends, etc. Any high school student who is interested in project planning, doing interviews and/or writing/photography can join.

Student Support

These days, there are many junior high school students who are struggling with their home studying environment. Volunteers support students’ homework, and preparation for exams and entrance exams. The volunteers and students gather once a week and make time for study. In these activities, members aim to create a good atmosphere for students to study in, and by building strong bonds between themselves and the students, let them know there are people who care about them. This activity attracts the greatest number of volunteer workers, and the effects on the high school students is very significant.

Interview

Interviewee:
Mr. Teruaki Takehisa – Operations Manager The Kyoto City Youth Service Foundation

Q: When and why was the Kyoto City Youth Service Foundation established?

Teruaki: The Foundation was established in 1988 based on the main principle of “Youth Service”, and with the aim of building and supporting opportunities for local young people. Its first activities were conducted with the Kyoto YMCA, the Kyoto Youth Hostel Association for the Welfare of Handicapped Children, and thereafter, the members gradually moved into positions with each organization as permanent staff.

Q: When did you personally join the Foundation, and why?

Teruaki: I started working at the foundation in 2002. The Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake happened when I was a high school student and I really wanted to do something to help but didn’t know how to go about it. This left me with the feeling of needing to deal with unfinished business, so I volunteered at the Kyoto Youth Hostel Association during my university life and did an internship at the Kyoto City Youth Service Foundation when I was in my 3rd year. Through this, I grew to understand the importance of having a place where people, including myself, could personally develop.

Q: What do you consider to be the main aims or goals of the Foundation?

Teruaki: There are four main aims or goals really. Assist in allowing young people to realize their full potential. Help the youth overcome various challenges with or without help from others. Ensure that the voices of the youth reach into society, and support their involvement in the community when they wish to do so. Finally, help young people navigate the various stages on the path to fulfilling their goals, but let them know it is important for them to make their own choices since, ultimately, it is they who must finally decide what it is they want to do.

Q: What do you consider to be some of the main achievements of the Foundation over the past few years?

Teruaki: The foundation carries out about 150~200 youth-led activities a year, which are fairly wide-ranging; from training local supporters to working on the publications. Some of the main ones have been:

Project to create a place to spend time

This is a project for all of the Kyoto City Youth Activity Center. The goal is to create places and opportunities where the youth can use centers freely, interact with people, and proactively try to figure out what they want to do.

Youth Symposium

This is an annually held symposium based on a theme connected to a current trend. Participants listen to guest speakers and then enter into discussions for a deeper understanding of the topic.

Activities for Children/Young Carers

These activities have been providing support for children and young people for the past five years, and involve meetings to think about how a caring family can affect their future plans. Furthermore, a group called “Iroha’s Friends” was created where youths can talk to someone about their thoughts and feelings, or simply spend some time and meet people in the same situation, even if they don’t feel the need to talk to each other.

Study Support

This activity draws the largest number of volunteers and provides study support once a week, mainly to junior high school students who have difficulty studying in their home environment. Volunteers and students are encouraged to build a relationship and spend time together, discuss their feelings, and basically have fun.

Night Youth Center Model Project

Based on the situations of people who didn’t have a place to hang out after 9 p.m, this project created a place where people could spend their evenings. A cafe space was rented to provide food and other services, and it became somewhere for both youths and adults to spend time. Eventually, there were more than 50 youths who just turned up simply to spend time with others.

Q: What are some of the difficulties the Foundation has faced since it was started?

Teruaki: Interaction can be a problem, as due to time constraints staff can’t spend the same amount of time with all the young people who attend. Moreover, each person has a different level of needs, so it is always difficult to know how best to deal with this. Another one of the main difficulties related to the projects is whether it is best to focus on youth-led activities or aim for the overall success of projects. Even if the focus is youth-led, this may not be possible due to deadlines and other factors. There’s also the question of whether or not the government and the community understand and accept the situation. The thing is that while it is easy to get money for targeted activities, it is difficult to see and understand what the result will be for universal experience activities.

Q: Who are the main supporters of the Foundation?

Teruaki: In terms of funding, facilities and projects which were requested by the “Youth Action Center” are commissioned by the government. The main operations are funded by subsidies from Kyoto City or schools where the foundation operates activities. Some will also fund operations using their own resources. The most important supporters, however, are the young people themselves, so the foundation and youth basically support each other.

Q: As an NPO, you must rely a lot on volunteers. In general, what age and background would you say the typical volunteer is?

Teruaki: Almost all the volunteers who engage in the activities are university students, accounting for 80 to 90% of the total. Other volunteers include high school students and adults. All of them started volunteering for different reasons, but the reason why they continue to volunteer is more important than the reason why they started./p>

Q: What kind of activities or events do you engage in with local people, and the local community?

Teruaki: In addition to volunteer activities, the foundation also organizes various events, such as live events, city tours to explore Kyoto, and so on. Also, the foundation helps with local festivals. The foundation involves all of the local people and the volunteers who engage in these activities.

Q: You offer a service to students who need support in their school lives and studies. What do you think are the most common problems or issues among the young people you help?

Teruaki: The difficulty is relationships. Before the foundation supports a young person, it is important to consider what kind of relationship exists between the youth and society, and where the root of a problem lies, rather than just trying to lay blame on the youth’s side for any discord. These days, many in our society regard today’s youth as lacking in the ability to think, but it may be that they simply have not been presented with the opportunity to experience such things.

Q: What kind of internships do you offer, and how do you help the youths who join these internships to grow both mentally and physically?

Teruaki: The foundation receives a number of requests from universities and other organizations for internship and practical training. These include assistance for those who are considering working in human services, or as social educators, social workers, licensed psychologists, etc. Also, the foundation conducts its own internship programs while consulting with young people. The foundation does not prescribe too much as to “what the foundation wants the youth to become”, but tries to come to some mutual agreement and set goals together. In addition, the foundation considers whether the foundation is intervening too much or depriving the youth concerned of opportunities.

Q: How do you usually publicize your activities to the general public, other than through your website?

Teruaki: Kyoto City Youth Service Foundation shares information with its supporters and stakeholders through fliers, its own PR magazine, and Facebook. For the young people, the foundation provides the information through Instagram, Twitter, or its official LINE account. In addition, the foundation utilizes a public portal site called “Activo” to spread information about volunteer activities.

Q: What kind of internships do you offer, and how do you help the youths who join these internships to grow both mentally and physically?

Q: How do you usually publicize your activities to the general public, other than through your website?

Reflections

The importance of participation by the youth in local communities has been increasing recently, since it is this generation, including us, who are going to be shaping the future. Through the interview, we were able to feel a strong connection between the organization and all of the people who engage in the activities. In addition, we realized that even though the main purpose is to support young people, the volunteers who participate in the activities, and staff from the organization itself, are also helping each other to grow. As students, we can be pretty flexible with our time and challenge ourselves with new things to do. We can find opportunities everywhere if we want to do something for our community, and visiting a place like the Kyoto City Youth Service Association and looking for activities that meet what you want to do can be a first step in achieving this. If you are interested in doing something for your community but you don’t know what you need to do first, we recommend you find associations or organizations like this to guide you. We would be very happy if our research can assist you, even in a small way, to find your role in your community.

References

The Kyoto City Youth Service Foundation website: http://ys-kyoto.org

Researchers

Hello everyone! My name is Ena Kambashi, a 3rd year student at Kyoto University of Foreign Studies. I major in International Issues and global/community engagement in the university, and I’m really interested in this. I’m from Hyogo, Japan, which is close to Kyoto, and there’s a lot of nature in my hometown. I really like communicating with people who have different backgrounds, so I’ve joined in some volunteering activities while at the university. I’ve been learning English since I was three years old, so it’s been an 18-year journey for me. I’m really fascinated with English, and I can’t imagine my life without it.

Hello, everyone!!! I’m Narumi Shimamoto, a 3rd year student at Kyoto University of Foreign Studies. I have lived in Kyoto city for the past three years, but before I came to Kyoto I lived in Fukui prefecture, which is located to the north of Kyoto. It is famous for seafood, dinosaur fossils, and the manufacturing of spectacle frames. I like to communicate with various people, so I often facilitate events or participate in local events as a volunteer. I’m also very interested in aspects of Korean culture, such as K-pop, fashion, cosmetics, food, and so on.

Researchers: Ena Kambashi & Narumi Shimamoto Kyoto University of Foreign Studies