NEWS

[ICU Community Collaboration Event] Koganei City Higashi Elementary School Visits ICU

Update: October 23, 2023

On Saturday, September 30, we received 72 students (32 lower grades, 23 middle grades, and 17 upper grades) from Koganei City Higashi Elementary School for their university visit. This event was planned by the Higashi Elementary School PTA and ICU as a community collaboration event for the children, and was realized with the cooperation of student volunteers.

The event consisted of two parts. The first part was a campus tour guided by student volunteers. The second part of the event was student volunteers and children playing freely on the lawn in front of the main building.

The campus tour included both the ICU buildings and the rich natural environment. While visiting the University Chapel area, Taizanso, and the Troyer Memorial Arts and Sciences Hall, participants observed nature near the natural forests along the way. The children were absorbed in picking acorns and chasing grasshoppers, and the students gently watched and talked to them, creating a warm and friendly atmosphere.
In the latter part of the event, the students interacted with the children at their own pace, with groups playing tag and others sitting on the lawn to talk quietly, making it a very relaxed community exchange event.

 

Comments from students who participated as a volunteer

＜Graduate School Master's degree 1st year＞
At first I was more nervous than the children were because I had not talked and played with elementary school kids since I was in elementary school myself. However, the kids didn't mind and asked me, "What are you studying? Can you speak English? I do this at school," "Let's play tag! They talked to me a lot. I was also energized by the children's open interest in strangers like me and their willingness to talk to me. Seeing them enjoying the "here and now" to the fullest, tasting the acorns on the ground and the lush green grass of ICU, I felt my heart light up.
Not only that, but all the parents also actively talked to us. It is not often that we get a chance to talk to the mothers and fathers of elementary school students in this way. It was a pleasure to be able to chat with such senior life mentors.

＜First-year undergraduate student (ID27)＞
It was a very new experience for me to tour the campus with children. As an only child and the youngest of my relatives, I had very few opportunities to spend time with these elementary-school-aged children. However, through this experience, I had the opportunity to learn about today's children and to share the values that ICU holds dear and to support their dreams. Once again, I felt the importance of the human-to-human connection. I could not wait to meet them again if I had the chance.

 

We will continue to interact with the local community as requested by the campus neighborhood community.