Partner Instances

V-station has so far collaborated with many local governments, educational institutions, NPO corporations, etc. Throughout the year, we coordinate activities with more than 50 organizations. On this page, we will introduce some of the activities that V-station has collaborated with so far, by field.

Welfare

W・I・N・G-Michi wo Hakobu

Welfare organization engaged in support activities for people with severe physical and mental disabilities.

Since 2015, V-station has been holding a networking event every year at the "Furatto Cafe in Tamariba" in response to a request to create a place where people with disabilities and able-bodied people can get to know each other and interact. We will create a place for people with disabilities, caregivers, students, and working people to meet and interact.
Basically, it is held face-to-face, but in 2020, due to the influence of the new coronavirus, it was an online exchange meeting.

Momonoki

Momonoki (momonoki-sakai.org), a specified non-profit organization, is an NPO corporation that conducts activities such as developing children's cafeterias in order to create a town that is easy to raise children.

"In opening a café targeting parents and children in Shirasagi, I would like to make it a place for everyone in the area to belong, but for those who are in the middle of raising children, time is limited. If we can share the space and have the students take the initiative in their activities, we can create 'a place for the community to belong'." With such thoughts of Momonoki, we gathered students who agreed with the purpose, discussed what we wanted to do, and made preparations to realize "creating a place for the community through food." As a result, in December 2018, "Shirasagi Ouchi Gohan" opened.
For more information, please see the Shirasagi Ouchi Gohan page.

Kamagasaki area, Osaka City

"Kamagasaki" is located in Nishinari Ward, Osaka City, and is still functioning as a "yoseba" for gathering day laborers. Every day, many day laborers live in a state of homelessness.

At V-station, you can actually visit Kamagasaki under the title of "Kamagasaki Study Tour". There, you will learn about the history and current situation of Kamagasaki through the "Kamagasaki FW (fieldwork) training". In addition, we prepare and serve meals for workers. In some cases, you may also experience staying at a simple lodging house (Doya).

We also toured in August 2022. We made curry rice using the donated ingredients and served it at "Kamagasaki Summer Festival".

Disaster

Shirasagi 310 Merchant Association, Takawashi Chuo Shopping Association

As support for the areas affected by the heavy rain disaster in July 2020, we conducted a fundraising activity for donations. In this activity, donation boxes were set up at 19 stores in the Shirasagi area and 19 stores in the Takawashi area as a countermeasure against COVID-19, instead of having students face-to-face.

In addition, in response to the fact that people in local shopping districts are suffering from the corona wreck, we conducted PR activities using SNS to revitalize the local shopping districts and supported them to improve sales of the shopping districts.

Gokasho Higashi Elementary School

At Gokasho Higashi Elementary School in Kita Ward, Sakai City, as part of the "Sakai version" community school initiative, the local coordinator (local residents), Ecolosuke from the Environment Department, and V-station jointly conduct a disaster prevention course for all 6th grade classes. We plan and implement the event in cooperation with the Gokasho Higashi Precinct Community Development Council.

National Disaster Reconstruction Activity Support Organization

NPO corporation National Disaster Reconstruction Activity Support Organization is holding a "Photo Exhibition of Disaster Reconstruction Support Activities" throughout Japan with the aim of raising disaster prevention awareness and connecting the network to the next generation.

In 2020, at the "Disaster Reconstruction Support Activity Photo Exhibition" held in Osaka, the event was held with the involvement of government, academia and citizens: public institutions such as the Self-Defense Forces, Kinki Regional Development Bureau, Osaka Prefectural Police Headquarters, and private sector such as Osaka City Council of Social Welfare, Al inco Co., Ltd., etc. and school organizations such as Osaka Prefectural Tennoji High School and Osaka City University. V-station exhibited activity photos and gave an activity report to announce what kind of activities we had been doing as university students.

International

Mindanao Children's Library Foundation, Inc.

"Mindanao Children's Library"(MCL) is a local NGO in the Philippines that provides various support centered on children, which visits villages in the Philippines to provide support for children such as in childcare facilities.

At the "Introductory Seminar on International Cooperation," we invited a member of the Mindanao Children's Library as a guest to the Volunteer Center to hear about the problems on living and working conditions of the people of Mindanao, and their background.

Tokushima International Work Camp

Tokushima International Work Camp is a program planned by NPO corporation NICE, which mediates and plans international work camps in Japan and overseas, and assists in the operation of a pleasure boat operated on the Shinmachi River that flows through Tokushima City. Volunteers are recruited not only from Japan but also from abroad.
In addition to NICE, several organizations are involved in the operation of this program. One of them, NPO corporation Bizan University, is an organization that is involved in urban development in Tokushima based on the concept of "learning in the city, playing in the city." Bizan University is responsible for accepting volunteers for work camps at the field.

In August 2019, we went to Tokushima City to coincide with the peak tourist season. In order to work with foreign volunteers, it was an event that involved many foreigners as well as Japanese people.

V-station has been participating in this activity for several years. A person from Bizan University said, "The participation of volunteers from Japan and abroad has increased the number of activities, which has led to further revitalization of Tokushima."

International Exchange Nagashi Somen Festival

This Nagashi Somen event aims to deepen ties with foreigners across nationalities and ages.

When it was held in August 2019, foreigners living in Sakai City and international students such as HAGOROMO University of International Studies participated. V-station members played a central role in the event such as setting up the venue, managing the nagashi somen table, and managing the nagashi somen. Many people in the area commented that it was delicious.

Environment

Association of Shimoakasaka Terraced Rice Fields

The terraced rice fields of Shimo-Akasaka are located in Chihaya-Akasaka Village, Osaka Prefecture, and were selected as "Tanada Hyaku-sen" (link) in 1999.
In 2012, we received a request from the Osaka Prefecture Prefectural University Volunteer Center (at that time) to carry out conservation activities for terraced rice fields. Since then, students have been involved in terraced rice field conservation activities, building relationships with local farmers.
Every year, we have been conducting activities about once a month, but in 2020 we were forced to significantly reduce the scale of activities in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 infections.
However, even with a small number of people, we continue to work steadily and maintain good relationships with local farmers.

Shodo Forest Creation

Shodo Forest Creation is a "forest creation" activity that is being carried out in Makio Forest, which is full of greenery, in Izumi City, located in the southern part of Osaka Prefecture.
This forest is land that includes the site for the dam project whose construction has been canceled and its basin. Since around 2012, with the cooperation of the government, academia, and citizens, we have been working on activities such as regenerating, preserving, and utilizing the forest about once a month. As of 2022, many students from local residents, Osaka Metropolitan University,  Osaka Metropolitan University College of Technology, and St. Andrew's University are participating.
Under the concept of "creating forests," "using forests," and "reviewing forests," we are working to improve the forest environment through tree planting and thinning to create healthy forests.

Sumiyoshi Ward Community Development Center

Sumiyoshi Ward Community Development Center is working on an event to light the Kumano Kodo with bamboo lanterns made of rapeseed oil as part of the regional revitalization of Oriono, the birthplace of rapeseed oil. Therefore, student volunteers at V-station help with the work in each process of making bamboo lanterns so that we can help elderly volunteers.

Town Planning

World Seed

An NPO that works to solve social issues related to community development.

Every December, V-station collaborates with the Yukousai Festival Executive Committee to hold an event called "Nakayoshi Christmas Party" in which children are invited to the university to play. However, in December 2020, due to the influence of the COVID-19, it was suggested that the usual gathering-type project should be postponed. Therefore, by receiving know-how about the event content from World Seed, and planning a project in which university students go to deliver gifts to children, it is possible to realize an event that avoids close contact while maintaining the form of face-to-face activities.

Urban Renaissance Agency, Nankai Electric Railway

In March 2021, in order to contribute to the health and happiness of the residents of Sumiyoshi Ward and to strengthen industry-academia collaboration, Urban Renaissance Agency and Nankai Electric Railway jointly held the "Health Festa ~Health for People and Towns~" was implemented. At this event, a total of 17 organizations, including universities and companies, set up booths and stages. V-station members were assigned to several booths and helped with the operation.

Chatan Town Valley, Katsuyama City, Fukui Prefecture

Chatan Town Valley is a valley village in Katsuyama City, Fukui Prefecture, where V-station students regularly visit.

In February 2020, students from Osaka Prefecture University (at that time) who volunteered for the "Mask Festival Snow Sculpture Project" and members of Association for Lovers of Mountains in Valley held a workshop. A booklet was issued that summarizes what they tried to write in words.

Official website: Fukui Prefectural Satoyama-Satoumi Research Institute (fukui.lg.jp)

Education/Culture

Relay for Life Executive Committee

Relay for Life is an event held to support cancer patients, their families, and healthcare professionals. V-station has partnered with the event executive committee and has been participating every time at Osaka Asahi since 2013, when it was first held.

Osaka Intractable Disease Federation

Every year since 2014, we have been holding a study meeting at the request of the "Osaka Intractable Disease Federation", a group of patients with intractable diseases, to share with other students what they have learned through their volunteer activities.
In recent years, the relationship has developed, such as the organization holding a planned exhibition at the Yukousai Festival to raise awareness of intractable diseases.

Kyokuyo Junior High School

In February 2020, at the request of the Osaka Volunteer Association, which received a request from a junior high school, we held a visiting class "V-Kamen's Volunteer Teacher" in which university students were in charge of one session of the "welfare class". We took measures against infection and implemented it in a face-to-face format.

Osaka Prefectural Police Headquarters Cybercrime Countermeasures Division

In 2020, V-station cooperated with the "Cybercrime Prevention Class" conducted by the Osaka Prefectural Police.

At the online workshop held on February 16, 2020, we had discussions and exchanged opinions.

On February 22 of the same year, a face-to-face visiting class was held at Sakai Municipal Higashi Mozu Elementary School. Together with people from the Cybercrime Countermeasures Division of the Osaka Prefectural Police, we conducted a class based on a script using educational materials consisting of slides and videos for elementary school children.

Furthermore, on March 1st of the same year, an online visiting class was held for Osaka Municipal Elementary School. As a V-station, it was the first time to conduct a cybercrime prevention class online.

Others

LINKtopos

LINKtopos is called "National Public University Student Convention" and is a competition for students where public university students from all over the country gather together. It's hosted by the Public University Student Network. The aim is to study together through workshops, etc., and to devise what students of public universities can do, mainly with a focus on disaster prevention.
Basically, it is held face-to-face, but in 2020, as a measure against the spread of COVID-19, it was held online, connecting the venue in Okayama Prefectural University, and the participating universities.

Volunteer Center EXPO

This event is a networking event for students which is sponsored by the Kansai Student Volunteer Coordinator Network, commonly known as KAGAVOCO. Volunteer centers belonging to universities in the Kansai region, including our university, report on their own initiatives and their usual volunteer activities in separate booths and exchange opinions.

Volunteer Center EXPO 2019 was held in 2019, with a total of 9 university volunteer centers participating.