May hits different.
The new school year energy is real in April. New uniforms, new goals, fresh starts. Then May arrives and that momentum quietly slips away. Gogatsubyo, the May Blues, is something a lot of students know but rarely talk about.
For the kids we support, that slump can feel heavier without a steady person in their corner.
That's what our volunteers are. Not just tutors. The person who shows up every week, same time, same care, no matter what.
If you have a few hours this May, come be that anchor. Sign up for a session and let's get through this month together.
Link in bio to join us.
#YouMeWeNPO #YouthEmpowerment #DigitalInclusion #SocialImpact #fortheyouth
We’re excited to host a Cultural Day with Matsubaen and our CSR partner Societe Generale in Tokyo on Saturday, May 23, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM.
Together with the children, we’ll learn about France and make crepes, sharing culture through food, conversation, and hands-on experience.
Thank you to Matsubaen and Societe Generale for making this day possible.
#YouMeWeNPO #CulturalDay #SocieteGenerale #Tokyo #YouthEmpowerment
Quiz night is almost here! YouMeWe and KIWL are hosting a charity pub quiz at Hobgoblin Pub on Wednesday, May 13 at 7:30 PM.
Join us for trivia, prizes, raffle, and good vibes, all while supporting the children we work with every day. We are also accepting donations to use as prizes for the quiz.
クイズナイトがもうすぐ開催されます！ YouMeWeとKIWLが、5月13日（水）、19:30からホブゴブリンパブでチャリティ・パブクイズを開催します。クイズや景品、抽選を楽しみながら、施設に住む子供たちを支援することができます。また、クイズの景品の寄付を募集しております。
For prize donations, please contact us at / 景品の寄付については、[email protected] までご連絡ください。
Bring your team and sign up through the link below!
ぜひチームでご参加ください。お申し込みはこちらから！https://docs.google.com/.../1ueKCuQkkj7d2Oa0MKigs.../edit...
First time volunteering with youth in care? It can feel like a lot. Here are 3 things that actually help from day one.
1. Let them lead the topic
Don't come in with an agenda. Ask what they want to talk about or work on. When they choose, they're already practicing agency.
2. Sit side-by-side, not across
A desk between you sends a signal. Sitting next to them says you're on the same team.
3. Praise the effort, not just the answer
"You kept trying even when it got hard" lands differently than "correct." It's the kind of feedback that sticks.
You don't need to have all the answers. You just need to show up.
We have sessions coming up and we'd love to have you. Click the link in our bio to sign up or send us a DM.
#YouMeWeNPO #YouthEmpowerment #VolunteerTips #AlternativeCare #SocialImpact
St Francis April 27th
This week at St. Francis, the children explored the topic of Breaking News and learned about the risk associated with believing information prematurely. They also practiced using a critical eye to analyze news by asking questions like: Is this real or fake? Who is sharing it? What evidence supports it?
After the lesson, the students created their own Kahoot quizzes! They chose their own themes, including sports, history, and other topics they were interested in. Then, they came up with questions and searched for answers, becoming critical thinkers and creators themselves. 💙
A big thank you to all of our volunteers who helped support the students during the activity. If you are interested in volunteering with us, please contact us at [email protected].
Even More on the Duke of Edinburgh
The Duke of Edinburgh Award is an international program for people ages 14-24 that aims to develop important life skills based on the individual interests of each participant. The core purpose is to build confidence and independence for young people while they pursue their personal goals. There are 3 levels that participants may complete: Bronze, Silver and Gold.
All participants must be committed to do volunteering in some capacity that is relevant to their personal interests and goals. This can be tutoring, joining community service, or other types of activities that improve your local community. This is an essential cornerstone of the program and participants must volunteer on a regular basis over a certain period of time in order to move on with the next level. We believe this is an important part for YouMeWe’s participants as it will help them develop consistency, resilience and active learning through practical tasks.
Listen to the testimonies of participants here:
More on the Duke of Edinburgh
2026 has been a year of new opportunities for YouMeWe! We are happy to announce that in accordance with our mission of supporting children and teenagers in becoming successful and independent adults, we have been selected for the Duke of Edinburgh Award.
This is an important milestone in YouMeWe’s journey as an NPO, as we are now working in collaboration with an organization that shares our mission and values. Under the mentorship program that the Duke of Edinburgh Award offers, YouMeWe has a unique opportunity to encourage Japanese youth to have a better future for themselves.
Learn more about the award in the video below:
https://youtu.be/ctfn4BeI38c
Introducing the Duke of Edinburgh Award
YouMeWe has been welcomed as a partner for The Duke of Edinburgh Award.
The Duke of Edinburgh Award is an education and learning framework that encourages personal growth through activities in volunteering, physical recreation, and adventure.
We are honored for this opportunity.
It's National Volunteer Week (April 19-25) and we are so grateful.
A huge thank you to our 10 incredible interns - Xing, Sandra, Max, Pinky, Ximena, Lia, Koko, Kyla, Pablo, and Emily. From different corners of the world, they show up week after week for young people in institutional care, opening doors to new perspectives and possibilities these kids might never have imagined.
それが本当の「村」の力です。
(That is the real power of a village.)
Want to be part of it? We would love to have you. Sign up for our next volunteer orientation via the Peatix link in our bio.
#YouMeWeNPO #NationalVolunteerWeek #GlobalVolunteerMonth #SocialImpact #YouthEmpowerment
National Volunteer Week is April 19-25, but honestly? Our volunteers don't wait for a designated week.
They show up every week - online, in person, across time zones - for the kids who need them most.
To every single person who has given their time to teach, tutor, and encourage the children we support - thank you. You are the village.
If you've been thinking about joining us, now is a great time to take that step. We'd love to have you in an upcoming session.
Sign up or reach out at youmewenpo.org or DM us to get started.
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ボランティア週間は4月19日〜25日ですが、私たちのボランティアは一年中、毎週子どもたちのために集まってくれています。本当にありがとうございます。
一緒に活動しませんか？詳しくはプロフィールのリンクから。
#YouMeWeNPO #YouthEmpowerment #DigitalInclusion #SocialImpact #fortheyouth
“Children are like kites. You spend years helping them rise, and one day they fly on their own.”
At YouMeWe, our job does not end there.
Through the Mark Bell Scholarship, we help young people from institutional homes take the next step with scholarship support, laptops for tertiary education, mentoring, coaching, and even help furnishing their first apartments.
Independence should not mean doing it alone. If you’d like to support a young person’s next step, send us a message.
#YouMeWeNPO #MarkBellScholarship #YouthEmpowerment #EducationSupport #ForTheYouth
Yesterday we had a call with the cofounder of L.E.A.D. and I'm still thinking about it.
We talked about the 'app quest' happening right now in Shibuya and the questions people are asking are exactly the kind that remind me why this work matters. Real questions, real curiosity, real people trying to build something that helps youth move forward.
Link in bio to see the conversation: https://www.skool.com/.../questions-asked-about-lead...
It connects back to what our volunteers do every week, sitting with young people, helping them prep for exams, plan their futures, one session at a time. Digital tools, in-person support, it's all part of the same thing.
What stays with you when you see a community come together to build tech for good?
#YouMeWeNPO #YouthEmpowerment #DigitalInclusion #SocialImpact #fortheyouth
What if your weekend work session also helped a young person figure out their future?
We're inviting professionals to join our weekend volunteer sessions and treat them like a co-working space for good.
Bring your laptop. Bring your skills. Sit alongside our youth in a casual, no-pressure environment and share a bit of what you know - whether that's career advice, digital skills, English practice, or just what your workday actually looks like.
For 17 years we've been showing up for children in institutional homes to help them prepare for life after age 18. That work happens one conversation, one session, one volunteer at a time.
You don't need to be a teacher. You just need to show up.
Sign up for an upcoming session here: https://peatix.com/event/4575117
Questions? DM us or reach out at [email protected] - we're happy to chat.
Spot the emoji face? That's intentional.
Protecting the digital footprint, dignity, and privacy of every child in our care is something we take seriously at YouMeWe. Before any volunteer steps into a classroom or logs on for an online session, they go through training on our child safeguarding guidelines - including how we handle photos, data, and online interactions.
It's a small detail that means a lot.
Want to be part of a community that shows up with both heart and responsibility? Our next volunteer orientation is open - link in bio to sign up via Skool. We'll walk you through everything, including these important safeguarding practices.
#YouMeWeNPO #YouthEmpowerment #DigitalInclusion #SocialImpact #fortheyouth
90% of youth aging out of care drop out of higher education in their first year.
Only 2% ever finish their degree.
The reason is not ability. It is the absence of one adult who shows up, stays in their corner, and helps them navigate what comes next.
We are training people to be that adult.
Our mentor training courses through the Skool Empower Village are designed to close that gap - one young person at a time.
How would you like to help change those numbers?
Link in bio to join the training.
#YouMeWeNPO #YouthEmpowerment #DigitalInclusion #SocialImpact #fortheyouth
There's something that happens when a volunteer pulls up a chair right next to a student instead of standing at the front of the room.
It stops being a lesson and starts being two people working through something together.
That's what I saw today - our volunteers shoulder-to-shoulder with the kids, pointing at the same page, thinking out loud, figuring it out side by side. That's the kind of support that actually sticks.
If you've been looking for a way to show up for young people who need it, we'd love to have you with us. Join us at our next volunteer event - link in bio
#YouMeWeNPO #YouthEmpowerment #DigitalInclusion #SocialImpact #fortheyouth
