Type of Activity
Field of activity Single/Project/Continuous
Here, we will explain how the activities introduced in V-station are classified.
See also What's V-station? in relation to this.
table of contents
Field of Activity
Volunteer activities are classified to "Welfare","Disaster","International","Environment","Town Planning","Education/Culture", in addition "NEW", which means to create new activities.
Welfare
Welfare means that everyone can live comfortably and comfortably.
Welfare volunteers work while facing people who have "some kind of trouble" in their daily lives.
Among them, it is mainly to interact with people who have different social positions, values, life experiences, customs, ideas, etc.
Therefore, there are many things that make you notice new things and think again through activities.
Recommended for those who like to interact with "people".
Example
Free learning support and creating a place for high school students from needy families. Once a week, we use the Nakamozu Campus as a venue for our activities.
with Intellectual Disabilities
This project creates a place for people with disabilities to learn, and through monthly lectures and field trips, we help them enjoy university life while leading to personal growth.
continuous style
In Kamagasaki, where many day laborers live in a state of homelessness, we will conduct fieldwork, experience staying at a simple lodging house (Doya), and cooking meals.
Disaster
There are so many disasters throughout the year that Japan is called a "disaster-prone country". Earthquakes, tsunamis, fires, torrential rains, typhoons, landslides, volcanic eruptions, extreme heat, cold weather damage, etc.
In order to deal with them, it is important to help each other in an emergency.
There are things that participants themselves should learn, such as how natural disasters work, stories from people who have experienced disasters, and the importance of disaster prevention.
It is a field that you don't only engage to the heavy lifting that is often featured in the media, but also give shape to ideas about how to cherish "connections with people" and overcome disasters.
Recommended for those interested in disaster recovery.
Example
We visited Mabi-cho, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture, which was severely damaged by the heavy rains in western Japan, and cleaned up the damaged photos filled with memories.
In order to prevent the Great East Japan Earthquake from being forgotten in Sakai, Osaka, this is a memorial project to create a place where people with thoughts can gather and appeal to the citizens of Sakai.
This is a disaster prevention experience program for children that combines "disaster prevention drills" and "Kaekko Bazaar (shopping games)" to learn disaster prevention knowledge and skills in a fun way.
single style
International
International volunteers work while having contact with other countries and foreigners.
Getting to know other countries is a good opportunity to reconsider Japan and the region where you live.
Sometimes they actually go abroad and work on social issues, and sometimes they donate the profits obtained through our activities in Japan to support other countries.
They also interact with foreigners living in Japan.
Recommended for those who are interested in foreign countries.
Example
Cooperating with the activities of an NGO that supports orphans in the Philippines. We provide local visits and donate old clothes to local children's facilities.
As an opportunity to turn one's attention to international issues in Japan and abroad, we watch movies with themes such as refugees and food problems. In addition, there are study sessions on the theme of SDGs.
in Tokushima
While engaging in international exchanges with foreign volunteers visiting Japan, we provide guidance and other services at the sightseeing boat dock in Tokushima, which is flooded with tourists during the Awa Odori season.
Environment
For many people, the most familiar activity as an environmental volunteer is picking up trash.
In addition, there are many activities to get close to nature, such as greening, satoyama(woodland close to the living area) conservation, and field activities.
In addition, it is related to a wide range of concepts such as biodiversity, ethical consumption, 3Rs, renewable energy and plastic issues.
It is also a field that has the potential to start new initiatives.
Recommended for those who want to create a rich environment.
Example
Illumination
We invite local elementary schools to collect PET bottles, create art works, and decorate the rotary in front of the station with illumination.
The government, academia, and citizens are cooperating to create opportunities for interaction among prefectural residents by carrying out restoration and conservation activities for the land for dam projects whose construction has been canceled and forests in the river basin.
continuous style
Terrace Conservation Activities
At the terraced rice field in the only village in Osaka Prefecture, we help with rice harvesting as an exchange project between local farmers and young people living in the city.
Town Planning
At first glance, the word “Town Planning” may give the impression of being difficult, but it is a concept that is very closely related to many people.
If people gather, there will be liveliness and the city will be lively.
It can be said that the real thrill of this field is to come up with a mechanism for that and turn ideas into reality.
There are activities such as participating in events in the town, planning, and sometimes going out to regional revitalization.
Recommended for those who like to think about the city, such as creating a place that transcends generations and positions.
Example
We prepare play plans for children to enjoy, and hold events to interact with children with the cooperation of local residents.
From children to the elderly, we are creating a place in the community where everyone can eat, talk and play together, just like at home.
continuous style
Under the slogan "Turn the town of shirasagi into an art museum!", this is an art project for the town where we cooperate with the people of the shops, such as exhibiting teru teru bozu and creating works with local residents.
Education/Culture
The terms “education” and “culture” have a wide range of meanings.
They include activities such as teaching others, creating opportunities for experience, delivering opportunities to learn, protecting culture, and demonstrating special skills.
The important point is to acquire something by yourself and spread it, that is, to learn.
Recommended for those who are interested in "telling" to someone.
Example
This is a charity event in which cancer patients, their families, and supporters take turns walking throughout the day, connecting the sashes of life, and sharing courage and hope.
Art Festival
We offer free performances held as an opportunity for people who have never been exposed to theater to appreciate art so that they experience the excitement and power of a play unfolding in front of them.
We are working to hold a music festival in Sakai where people with and without disabilities can enjoy playing together and promote "barrier-free minds."
NEW
The six areas I've listed so far are the ones that are generally widely known today.
On the other hand, "NEW" refers to creating a new field that has never existed before, or a field that integrates multiple fields.
This is explained in more detail in How to make an activity.
single/project/continuous
Apart from the categories of activities we have seen above, there are also categories based on the length of time the volunteers participated. They are "single style", "project style", and "continuous style".
single style
This refers to participating in an activity that occurs only once. In particular, there are many activities that take place only for one day, and among them, the activities that occur on weekends are the main ones.
project style
This is an activity that sets a period for planning, meetings, and preparations for a certain event. If necessary, the volunteers may hold meetings with external parties. Of course, they also enjoy the day of the event as a volunteer participant.
continuous style
This refers to long-term engagement activities. Volunteer circles are created to focus on activities in a certain genre, and the members who belong to them carry out activities with their respective roles.
In any activity, the great appeal is that "each" student can work at "each" pace. For example, when there is an event in the season, you can participate only once, set up a project during summer vacation or winter vacation and do short-term intensive activities, or repeat activities every week on a fixed day. There are a wide range of ways to participate. Therefore, even students who are busy with lectures, research, part-time jobs, and club activities can find activities that suit them according to their schedules.
How to make an activity
As you deepen your understanding of society through volunteer activities, you may discover issues that your current activities cannot cover, or new things you would like to try to improve society. In V-station, you can start new activities to realize such "things you want to do".
- Needs hearing
Tell the student staff and the volunteer coordinator what you want to do, your awareness of the issues, etc., and make a concrete image and work out a plan to realize it. - Recruitment of collaborators
After matching with students and local organizations who have the same interest, we will launch a project team to advance the project. - Meeting/preparation
Prior to implementation, we will hold meetings and receive advice to refine the activities to make them even better. - Activity implementation
In activities, you can receive support such as people and things. - Reflection
We will look back on the new issues and good points that came to light through the activities, and connect them to future activities.
Example
Tsukurabo
Tsukurabo is a new project that focuses on the "creativity" of volunteers. The contents of the project are discussed from scratch based on the interests of the participants.
Once the purpose of the activity, rough activity format, and activity frequency are decided, it will be launched as an original project.
As of August 2022, we have planned the “Tsukurabo” up to the second term, and both are realized as projects that actually carry out activities.
The first term "Tsukurabo" began in March 2021, with five students participating. After several months of weekly meetings, they agreed that we would like to address the issue of food loss. As a result, a project called "Manpuku Project" was launched, and activities such as conducting food drives to deal with food loss and poverty issues, and carrying out food loss awareness activities with the aim of reducing food loss. In November 2021, the first food drive was held at V-station Nakamozu, and food and daily necessities were distributed to 46 applicants.
The second term “Tsukurabo” started in September 2021, with 5 students participating. Focusing on the "environment" here, they are conducting an environmental enlightenment project in collaboration with the government based in Naka Ward, Sakai City. Specifically, they are investigating restaurants and retail stores that are making eco-friendly efforts in Naka Ward and encouraging them to register as eco-shops in Sakai City. Sakai City has an "Eco Shop Registration System," under which companies that engage in environmentally friendly corporate activities can be certified as "Eco Shops" and advertised through stickers, websites, etc. By the summer of 2022, two stores have applied for eco-shop registration.