Empowering Youth to Create Lasting Impact

Shigeki—known as Beat to his friends—was a middle school student when the Great East Japan Earthquake struck his hometown of Ishinomaki in 2011. Having experienced the devastating aftermath of a major earthquake firsthand, Beat did not hesitate to volunteer to help with recovery efforts when the natural disaster hit Kumamoto in 2016.

However, Beat soon realized that without the right skills and abilities, he could not create impactful, sustainable change. To overcome this, Beat signed up for the TOMODACHI-Microsoft iLEAP Social Innovation and Leadership program.

The program, which includes a five-week experiential training camp held in Seattle, aims to nurture a new generation of Japanese youth social entrepreneurs and community leaders through workshops and classes, company visits, and mentorships.

Watch the video below to see how the program helped Beat develop his communication and leadership skills, creativity, and confidence, to create lasting improvements for disaster recovery efforts in Japan.

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Find out more about the TOMODACHI-Microsoft iLEAP Social Innovation and Leadership program here .