The Mitsui & Co. Environment Fund
Introduction to Grant Projects
Learning and Ecological Activities Foundation for Children
Empirical development of sustainable social sytstems through environmental learning
Activity grant
- Project Description
Since 1998 this group has worked with Nishinomiya City to implement annual Ecocard activities for all elementary school children in the city. By activating networked environmental learning involving local shops, schools and environmental groups these activities have been highly appreciated. Specific environmental community activities are to encourage the creation of ecocommunity meetings based on the unit of middle school catchment areas and to date eleven of these have been etsablished. This initiative seeks to encourage independent development of ecocommunities through support programs based on five aspects: people, funding, information, management and exchange. Five support programs have been developed targeting Nishinomiya citizens, businesses, local government employees and teachers as follows: 'Fostering community ecolearning support staff', 'Developing citizens eco activities purchasing system', 'Developing community learning information systems', 'Fostering organization management strengths', and 'Promoting eco community information sharing meetings'.
- Grant year
- FY2009 Activity Grants
- Grant term
- 3 years
October 2009 - September 2012
- Grant amount
- 9,784,000 yen
- Activity region
- Nishinomiya City, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan

Overview of the Organization

- Representative
- Kimiko Ozawa, Representative Director
- Establishment
- 1998
- Establishment purpose
- Started as a partnership between citizens, businesses and municipal government with the objective of supporting voluntary environmental activities by children. The group aims to encourage a wide range of people, in particular children, to live and act as global citizens with shared goals as global citizens to create a sustainable society and participate in activities including experiencing, learning and teaching about the natural environment.
- Main areas of activity
- The entire of Japan, based in Keihanshin, and the world
- Staff
- 10 full-time staff members, 16 part-time staff members, 226 full members
- Annual operating budget
- 90.64 million yen in 2006, 93.26 million yen in 2007, 95.27 million yen in 2008
- WEB site
- http://leaf.or.jp
- Recent activities
-
- (1) Establishment of an environmental education system deeply rooted in the community
· Activities system for citizens of every generation using an eco or eco action card - (2) Development of business which links business and environmental activities
· Environmental learning support projects by companies, schools and NPOs
· Agricultural land conservation utilization project in cooperation with companies CSR projects - (3) Promotion of nature experience activities
· Designated tasks for the Kabutoyama Nature Environment Center City of Nishinomiya
· Forest conservation activities (volunteer training courses, etc) - (4) A project for an environmental activities network for the worlds children
· JICA Hyogo provide various training (Chile, Oceaia)
· US-Japan-China ESD Project
· Operation of the Earth Kids Network (HP)
· Recruitment of works for environmental panel exhibition
- (1) Establishment of an environmental education system deeply rooted in the community