What kind of image comes to mind when you hear about club activities?
You might imagine students engaged in sports or painting.
However, club activities are not limited to just that.
Okayama Prefectural Kurashiki Washu Senior High School has a Business Research Club.
As a club activity, they are working on projects that can convey the charm of Kojima to many people, in collaboration with businesses in Kojima and people connected through projects.
I asked the members of the Business Research Club about what kind of club activities they have, what they do, and what thoughts they hold.
About the Business Research Club at Okayama Prefectural Kurashiki Washu Senior High School
As of February 2022, the Business Research Club at Okayama Prefectural Kurashiki Washu Senior High School has 42 members: 7 first-year students, 25 second-year students, and 10 third-year students.
Many of the members are students from the Business Course, and in a certain class of second-year students, half of the students are members of the Business Research Club.
The club engages in activities such as the following:
- The "Kojimatching" project
- Studying together to pass certification exams taken at school
- Participating in national contests
In the Fukuchiyama Public University 2021 Regional Revitalization Strategy Contest "Inaka Power Koshien," they received the Excellence Award, and in the Ehime University Faculty of Social Collaboration's "Social Collaboration Contest 2021," they received the Creator Award, achieving good results in various contests organized by different organizations.
The Business Research Club is a well-rounded club activity that excels in both the high school curriculum certification exams and club contests.
The activities in the club can also be utilized in future career choices such as university advancement and employment, making it an activity that is likely to lead to the future.
Interview with Business Research Club Members
In the interview, I spoke with a member in charge of contests and a member in charge of developing new gelato products for the "Kojimatching" project.
Member in charge of contests
As of February 2022, the second-year students have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic since their first year.
There have been periods when they could not engage in activities satisfactorily, and there are many things they wanted to do but could not.
However, the words from the member in charge of contests were not "because of COVID," but "because of the pandemic."
What kind of activities are you doing?
Contest member A
We have passed the first screening of a contest called "Japan Challenge Gate 2022" organized by the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency, and we are strategizing for the Q&A session of the second screening.
Japan Challenge Gate 2022: A business plan contest for high school students organized by the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency
What have you thought about during your activities?
Contest member A
Since we are in the middle of matching between companies, it is difficult to communicate, and it was challenging because we had never done it before.
However, it is fun to discover the unknown charms of Kojima.
I feel that I have learned a lot through these activities.
Contest member B
I was not aware of regional revitalization examples until I joined the Business Research Club, but through our activities, I learned about the activities of other high schools and ways to solve local issues, which has been beneficial.
When local people thank us or say, "It was delicious," I feel the significance of what we have been doing.
Contest member C
When we do a lot of matching, there are always new people we meet.
There are people we communicate with for the first time.
When we matched with Takahashi Jonan High School, it was very interesting to meet and talk with people who are doing similar activities.
Contest member D
Participating in contests and speaking in front of people is something that is hard to come by.
It is a blessing to be able to enjoy various experiences while still in high school.
What about the impact of COVID-19?
Contest member A
Because of the pandemic, I was able to reconsider my hometown, Kojima.
Contest member B
With the increase in online interactions like Zoom meetings, I think it has become easier to discuss matching even with distant high schools.
Contest member C
When the city was quiet during the pandemic, I realized that it was the local people who always energized the town.
It was nice to feel that we could become someone's enjoyment and purpose because there were people who were happy with our new gelato products.
Are there any activities you would like to try in the future?
Contest member A
Currently, the matching is only within Okayama Prefecture, but I would like to expand beyond Okayama Prefecture eventually.
I want to do matching using materials from different prefectures.
Contest member B
I would like to look for matching opportunities not only within Okayama Prefecture but also in places far from Okayama and on remote islands.
Member in charge of gelato
In fact, the member in charge of gelato also mentioned during the interview that they want to "expand the field of activities outside the prefecture."
Although they had not discussed specific ideas among themselves, the members of the Business Research Club have naturally come to share the same goal, even though they do not articulate their thoughts to each other.
What kind of activities are you doing?
Gelato member A
We are discussing the production of gelato in collaboration with "Seaside Farm Namba Ranch Ice Cream Shop."
- Pure Kojima Fig Gelato
- Fake? Strawberry Daifuku Gelato
- Brazilian Gelato
- Blueberry Gelato
Gelato member B
The conversation expanded, and we decided to collaborate with Kaji Fruit Workshop, which was introduced by Chugoku Bank.
Kaji Fruit Workshop handles peach puree and chocolate, and our goal is to develop products using these ingredients and sell them at Okayama Toyota Motor Corporation, Higashi Okayama Store on February 11, 2022.
This collaboration also involves the "Heart for Art" project of Kaji Fruit Workshop and the A-type employment continuation support office, Arigato Farm.
They will draw the labels used for the products, and a portion of the sales will be returned to the project.
What have you thought about during your activities?
Gelato member A
The two of us just joined, so this is our first time being involved in a major project.
It’s interesting that two newcomers who joined by chance have become core members of a big project.
In fact, we originally did not belong to any club activities.
When we became second-year students and started thinking about our future paths, we thought it would be better to have "some activity we worked hard on" besides the certification exams we take in the Business Course, so we joined the Business Research Club.
That said, part of the reason we decided to join was due to the enthusiastic offer from our advisor, Mr. Oike (laughs).
Are there any activities you would like to try in the future?
Gelato member B
I don't know if it will actually happen, but it doesn't cost anything to say it.
I want to expand the scale of our activities beyond what we are doing now. I want to cross prefectural borders.
Conclusion
The author entered university at the same time as the club members (in 2020) and was strongly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition to the changes in the environment of advancing to university, many things were restricted, and during the two years when I could not live a student life like before the pandemic, I sometimes focused on what I could not do.
The same goes for high school students, and some students mentioned, "I felt like I was 'behind' because school was closed just a month after I enrolled."
However, the members of the Business Research Club are not pessimistic; rather, they clearly understand the positive impacts that the pandemic has brought to them.
For the members, the pandemic was not just a negative experience that increased the things they could not do or prevented them from living the student life they wanted, but it became an opportunity to expand the scope of their activities.
I am very excited to see what activities the Business Research Club at Okayama Prefectural Kurashiki Washu Senior High School will engage in while enjoying their one-time high school life and collaborating with the community.
