This camping is for increasing self knowledge and self confidence for teenagers from different backgrounds and cultures.
ABOUT
The it’s me Camp is a multicultural experience for teenagers, from 13 to 18 years old, from different countries and cultures. There will be a variety of languages such as Japanese, Portuguese and English, and that is what makes our camping so unique and fun. We hope that in this diversity, teenagers are able to increase their self-knowledge.
STORY
Since 2015, we have been working to connect foreigners and Japanese through information. However, we ran into an impasse: we didn't know how to approach young foreigners. This is because they are more diverse, fewer in number, shy and not very assertive.
So we thought of starting a fun camp that young people would want to go to! We would listen to the thoughts of the young people who gathered there, understand their situation, and provide them with any information they needed. We targeted teenagers, the age group least supported in terms of Japanese language education, and first approached Brazilian schools, which have the largest number of teenagers.
For those reasons we started the It’s me Camp, and it has grown every year into a place where teenagers from different countries and cultures can meet each other.
Feedback
“A sense of security that no matter what I do I won't be criticized”
T.Y, 16, Brazil x Japan.
It's ME Camp was more interesting than I expected. In particular, I was able to see things from another perspective when talking to people from other countries and sharing my thoughts.
When I was little, I was bullied at school in Japan, and I became withdrawn. But at the camp I felt like I could truly be myself.
“I was able to overcome the barriers I had inside myself”
M.C, 16, Brazil X Japan
The biggest thing was that people from various countries were together and respected each other. Everyone here communicated in their own way, and the fun spread to everyone.
I think a lot has changed within me by participating in this camp. In particular, my prejudices against other countries have changed a lot for I had never interacted with Filipinos or Nepalese before.
I was bullied at school in Japan when I was 10-11 years old. So I always thought that “Japanese people hate Brazilians”. So I built a barrier for myself, but this camp changed it. I believe I gained confidence in myself.
"There is a meaning to life"
B.A, 16, Philippines x Japan
I didn't know who I was. But I learned that there is a meaning to life after coming here.
Through the workshop on the first day, I was able to find answers to the questions I had and express myself.
I learned a lot from this camp. At first, I thought it would be boring, but after doing various activities and meeting various people, I realized I was wrong. Now, I feel that I can talk to other people even if I'm not fluent in Japanese. I really gained confidence.
