various age groups in outdoor activity facilities and farm houses for an extended period of about two weeks.

## (d) Comprehensive programs to promote experiential activities that foster the sociality of youth – programs to promote experiential activities for troubled children

MEXT has been entrusting to local public organizations the implementation of programs that provide outdoor and nature experiences, daily-life and other experiential activities for troubled youth, especially children who refuse to go to school and lock themselves away indoors, and has been promoting experiential activities that foster the sociality of youth.

## (e) Support for common registration system for instructors of outdoor and nature experiences

Established in cooperation with youth organizations and other private groups, the Specified Non-Profit Organization Nature-based Experiential Activity Promotion Council has created a common curriculum and registration system for organizations offering training for instructors of outdoor and nature experiences to promote such training and ensure the public credibility of these instructors, and MEXT has given its support to advancing these efforts.

## (f) The Children’s Dream Fund

The Children’s Dream Fund established by the National Olympics Memorial Youth Center subsidizes experiential and reading activities carried out by private groups for the sound development of children, and hosts forums to promote children’s reading activities to inform and educate the public. Programs being subsidized include the following:

## (i) Activities to promote children’s experiential activities

With a particular focus on activities that broaden the scope of approaches to promote children’s experiential activities as well as unique new activities, the Fund subsidizes outdoor and nature experiences, social volunteer, science, exchange, and other experiential activities for children and forums to discuss research in this area.

## (ii) Activities to promote children’s reading activities

With a particular focus on activities that broaden the scope of approaches to promote children’s reading activities as well as unique new activities, the Fund subsidizes regular book club activities for children and information exchanges/joint workshops conducted by networking resident groups.

(iii) Activities to develop and popularize educational materials for children available on the Internet

The Fund subsidizes activities to develop and popularize digital educational materials available to children via the Internet that support and supplement children’s experiential and reading activities.

## 2 ) Promoting the activities of youth organizations

Youth organizations conduct a variety of learning, volunteer and sports/cultural activities, and these activities, in particular outdoor and nature experiences and international exchange activities, have in recent years seen considerable expansion.

To encourage the activities of youth organizations, MEXT provides training sessions for group instructors in the National Olympics Memorial Youth Center and subsidizes research discussion meetings, social volunteer activities, international exchanges and other programs carried out by youth organizations nationwide that are acknowledged to contribute significantly to the sound development of youth.

MEXT is also implementing its “Children’s ‘Emotional Education’ National Action Plan” that entrusts to youth organizations nationwide, in accordance with their respective characters, publicity and educational activities across the country aimed at establishing a social environment to help youth grow up strong and spiritually rich.

## 3 ) Promoting activities utilizing youth education facilities

Set up principally to foster the sound development of youth, youth education facilities offer youth experiential activities and other educational programs voluntary activities by youth, and provides youth with opportunities to participate in various experiential activities.

The National Olympics Memorial Youth Center, as a core facility (national center) for youth education in