Youth civic engagement workshops held in Kumamoto and Okinawa

Various youth-focused educational initiatives in Japan are promoting civic engagement and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through discussion and presentation workshops.

In Kumamoto, the second Group Presentation Tournament for elementary school students was held at Kumamoto Marist Gakuen Junior High School. Organized by NPO Loginication Japan and the Kyushu branch of the National Classroom Debate Federation, the event tasked 16 students from Kumamoto and Fukuoka with identifying urban issues and proposing solutions. Participants used presentation sheets and sticky notes to develop ideas, such as creating more accessible roads.

In Okinawa, the Peace Communication Foundation has announced the ‘World Children’s Future Conference in Support of the United Nations in Okinawa Tomigusuku’ for September 21. Aimed at 4th to 6th-grade students, the workshop focuses on discussing a sustainable future for Okinawa through the lens of SDGs. The event is supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and offers winners the opportunity to represent Okinawa at a national conference in Tokyo in 2027.