{"product_id":"コミュニティ作りは-聞く-ことからはじまる-nicで学ぶ若者たちがいま思うこと","title":"\"Community Building Starts with Listening\" | What Young People Learning at NIC Are Thinking Now.","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn the summer of 2024, Creative Studio koko worked with the students of NIC International College, an educational institution dedicated to preparing students for entry into overseas universities, to create a set of creative guidelines for the production of their content.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNIC International College offers a special one-year educational program that helps students graduate from top-tier universities around the world, supporting them in their pursuit of an international education. Since its founding in 1988 as the Nevada State University Japan Campus, it has acted not merely as an agency for study abroad, but as an international college that prioritizes the \"individual.\" Through intensive, small-group classes characterized by a \"dialogue-based and participatory\" approach, it promotes the acquisition of Western-style critical thinking and expressive skills.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe college provides an environment that connects individuals through shared values, serving as a gathering place for everyone from recent middle school graduates to working professionals who have the drive to \"truly learn,\" \"change their environment,\" or \"make their dreams come true,\" as well as a place to learn English that will be useful in their future university life abroad.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe project began when NIC instructors approached us, sharing that they felt a need to reach out to people who are considering studying abroad or who are struggling because their current environment doesn't feel right, by using various media. However, they were unsure about the best approach for designing their content and establishing a policy for communication.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0978\/3469\/7067\/files\/241206_nic_guideline_01.jpg?v=1775528926\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0978\/3469\/7067\/files\/241206_nic_guideline_02.jpg?v=1775528926\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0978\/3469\/7067\/files\/241206_nic_guideline_03.jpg?v=1775528927\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0978\/3469\/7067\/files\/241206_nic_guideline_04-768x468.jpg?v=1775528926\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSupport provided by the koko team\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003eDesigning three workshops to form a project team consisting of students and instructors.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003eDiscussing the \"NIC of the past\" and the \"NIC we want to be\" to share an understanding of the images and words that define \"what makes NIC unique.\"\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003eDefining the purpose, categories, and strategy for content production.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003eCreating creative guidelines to clarify the brand identity and future direction.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInspired by NIC’s educational philosophy and the passion of the students who were already independently running an Instagram account, koko proposed a collaborative process. Rather than simply offering a one-way proposal, we worked as one with the students and instructors. Through dialogue-based workshops, we defined the value of the NIC brand, established content production policies, and created creative guidelines. We also worked together to plan the operation and dissemination of content, keeping feasibility in mind.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0978\/3469\/7067\/files\/241206_kokonome_nic_1_01-768x512.jpg?v=1775529384\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the first workshop, we began the first step of guideline creation by working on their Instagram profile. We conducted sessions that included an explanation of the basics of branding strategy and exercises to identify the appeal of NIC.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDuring the brainstorming session, we used sticky notes to gather ideas in response to questions like: Why do you think NIC is a necessary place for Japanese students? What kind of people gather here? How do you learn at NIC? And what is the atmosphere like?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe discovered the various appeals of NIC—finding dreams, friends, and skills—with phrases like \"being your true self,\" \"emotional support,\" \"getting serious,\" and \"gaining life skills.\" Taking cues from these keywords, we ultimately derived the key phrase, \"Being 'different' becomes the power of your dreams.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0978\/3469\/7067\/files\/241206_kokonome_nic_1_04-768x512.jpg?v=1775529385\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0978\/3469\/7067\/files\/241206_kokonome_nic_1_03-768x512-1.jpg?v=1775529433\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDuring our discussions to create the guidelines, we were constantly struck by how the NIC students respected each other while speaking their minds freely, and how they utilized their unique perspectives to verbalize their organization's strengths. We often found ourselves asking: \"How are you able to share a vision so smoothly?\" The discussion was so interesting to the koko members, and we felt that there were many perspectives relevant to organizational development, so we decided to interview them in the final workshop.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn this first part, we share the authentic voices of NIC students regarding what it means to have an environment where you can be your true self, and how they found their own sense of self-identity in the first place.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0978\/3469\/7067\/files\/241206_kokonome_nic_1_05-768x512.jpg?v=1775529384\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e“Everyone moves according to their own axis. That is comfortable.”\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOtani\u003c\/strong\u003e: Throughout our three workshops, I really felt the students' ability to express themselves, their power to verbalize the significance of NIC's existence, and the sense of security within the community. During the discussions, we reached a definition of NIC as a \"place where you can do your best as yourself.\" How do you all think about expressing your \"true self\"? Isn't it difficult to be who you want to be and embody that directly?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"I was a kid who always did what I wanted, kind of like Gian (from Doraemon). But because I was good at school, as I moved through elementary and middle school, people started viewing me as the 'honor student' character. Before I knew it, the gap between how people saw me and my natural, mischievous self became extremely painful, and eventually, I became someone who wouldn't speak up at all.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eBut when I came to NIC, there were only 'weird' people. Everyone has their own individuality, and for the first time in that environment, I felt relieved that I didn't have to worry about how others judged me, realizing, 'I can just be myself.' Now, I’m fully myself from the start! I talk to people I’ve never met, asking, 'Nice to meet you, what’s your name?'\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eI was able to recall that innocence inside me that I had almost forgotten. It feels like I can just do it naturally now that I’m at NIC.\"\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0978\/3469\/7067\/files\/241206_kokonome_nic_1_02-768x512.jpg?v=1775529384\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOtani\u003c\/strong\u003e: Did you feel anxious about having your true self denied or the pressure to meet expectations before coming to NIC?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"There were very high expectations from those around me, like 'That’s just who you are.' So I always felt I had to live up to those expectations no matter what.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eBut at NIC, everyone is their own axis. Because everyone is their own axis, maybe they don’t expect that much from others, for better or worse. Everyone around me is also moving according to their own axis, and I find that very comfortable.\"\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0978\/3469\/7067\/files\/241206_kokonome_nic_1_06-768x512.jpg?v=1775529384\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"Maybe you need breathing room to be yourself. Honestly, I think everyone has their own axis in their own way. It’s not that NIC students are special.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eIt’s just that in regular school life, there’s really no breathing room. NIC students don't have much room when it comes to studying either, but we have more free time than you'd expect, with classes in either the morning or afternoon.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eBack in middle school, I’d wake up, rush to school, go to morning club practice, attend classes all day, and go to club practice again. There were so many other things I had to do, like assignments, and I really had no emotional capacity. I think I was so caught up in getting good grades that I stopped seeing what was around me.\"\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"At NIC, everyone values the individual, which is exactly why we don't hold expectations for each other. Since we have a mission to study abroad in one year, everyone can study how they want, and we keep a good balance with one another. Since everyone has their own way of doing things, maybe that’s why there’s no one here to deny you.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0978\/3469\/7067\/files\/241206_kokonome_NIC_1_07-768x512.jpg?v=1775529384\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e“Building a community begins with 'listening'”\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"At NIC, I can stimulate those around me, and I can be stimulated by them. The high school I was at before took it for granted that everyone would go to university, and there were no other options.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eSince not many people had the goal of finding their own path, I felt a bit uncomfortable with the gap. At NIC, while we all share the desire to work hard, everyone has different things they want to do and goals they are aiming for, so we can grow together. That’s why I was able to realize what being myself really means.\"\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOtani\u003c\/strong\u003e: It’s not just about being stimulated; it’s about feeling like you are contributing to others as well. That is such an important thing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChii\u003c\/strong\u003e: Perhaps it’s important not just to have a place to speak, but an environment where others listen to you. It makes you feel like you are contributing, and maybe that leads to confidence. Through talking, you can verbalize what might be your individuality or what your strengths are. That kind of relationship is also really important in our professional lives, isn't it?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"After I speak, there’s always a response. Someone tells me what they think. Because I'm never ignored, I feel that people are truly listening to me and trying to understand me.\"\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0978\/3469\/7067\/files\/241206_kokonome_nic_1_08-768x512.jpg?v=1775529384\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"Of course, it’s important to speak. But first, you have to be the one listening. Instead of saying, 'Isn't it like this?', you empathize and accept what they have to say first. If you can communicate to people that there is someone who will accept them, they will open up and talk.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eAnd if you listen to others, they will start to listen to you. Actually, I’m going to a university in the UK soon, and I sometimes worried about what I would do when I left NIC. But recently, I’ve been calling my classmates when I feel anxious, and I’ve come to feel that building a community like this is something you can start on your own and continue even when you leave NIC.\"\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOtani\u003c\/strong\u003e: That’s amazing. It’s very natural to think that if your environment changes, you won’t be able to do what you used to do. But realizing that you can create that environment yourself becomes a huge source of self-confidence and creates an unshakable axis. I feel like it’s not that easy to gain that kind of confidence, but hearing you speak, I feel that the sense of repeatedly internalizing this through communication with others in your current environment is what has created this reality for you—this realization that you 'can do it.'\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0978\/3469\/7067\/files\/241206_kokonome_nic_1_09-768x512.jpg?v=1775529384\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"koko-no-me","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53069850870123,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"JPY","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0978\/3469\/7067\/files\/241206_kokonome_nic_1_05-768x512.jpg?v=1775529384","url":"https:\/\/kokonome.com\/en\/products\/%e3%82%b3%e3%83%9f%e3%83%a5%e3%83%8b%e3%83%86%e3%82%a3%e4%bd%9c%e3%82%8a%e3%81%af-%e8%81%9e%e3%81%8f-%e3%81%93%e3%81%a8%e3%81%8b%e3%82%89%e3%81%af%e3%81%98%e3%81%be%e3%82%8b-nic%e3%81%a7%e5%ad%a6%e3%81%b6%e8%8b%a5%e8%80%85%e3%81%9f%e3%81%a1%e3%81%8c%e3%81%84%e3%81%be%e6%80%9d%e3%81%86%e3%81%93%e3%81%a8","provider":"koko-no-me","version":"1.0","type":"link"}