What is the mimamo Mentor Training? A form of online dialogue that even busy adults can participate in.

It has been almost two years since I started mimamo.
In my time working with children, what I have felt more strongly than anything else is that there are still too few places where they can talk with peace of mind.

A "second home" that is neither school nor family.
What is needed there is not "advice" or "evaluation," but the presence of a "person" who will simply listen to them.

At mimamo, we provide children with a time where they can talk with peace of mind, called "Your Time" (Kimi no Jikan),
delivered online.
Supporting that dialogue are the "mimamo mentors."

I want to increase the number of adults who can listen.

This activity started with just me.
But as I listened to the children's voices, I began to want to expand this space even further.

If only this child, and this child too, had someone they could talk to.
The moment I thought that, I realized: I alone am simply not enough.

That is why I started themimamo Mentor Training.
I created an online system to train adults who can engage in dialogue with children, allowing them to participate from anywhere in the country.

A form that even working professionals and those with families can participate in.

When I first started working, even though I thought,I want to do something for children,I felt that the hurdle to going out into the field was high.

Time constraints, physical distance...
All of these become "reasons why I cannot take action."

But with the mimamo system, because it is online,you can connect with a child even for just one hour at night.
I wanted to create a space where adults who "want to get involved but have no opportunity" can participate with peace of mind.

Overview of the training

The mimamo Mentor Training consists of3 months and approximately 30 hours.
Everything is conducted online and is accessible from anywhere in the country.
We place more importance on "experiencing" than on "knowing."

STEP 1 | Learn the "foundation of dialogue" through lectures

In the first step, you will learn the basic concepts of mimamo dialogue through lectures.
Rather than just receiving knowledge one-sidedly, you will put your own feelings and values into words through questions.

STEP 2 | Experience "listening" through role-playing

We spend more time on role-playing (simulated dialogue) than on lectures.

In groups of three, participants rotate roles as <speaker/listener/observer>,
and conduct surveys and feedback after each session.
The observer evaluates on a 5-point scale whether the listener was "matching the other person's pace" or "listening without interrupting."

By reviewing the recordings,
many people realize things like,
"I didn't realize I was looking at the other person with that expression,"or "I ended up asking questions too quickly."

Also, in pair role-playing, participants practice 30 minutes of speaking and 30 minutes of listening alternately.
While building actual "listening stamina," you will experientially learn how to create a sense of security.

STEP 3 | Time for Review and Reflection

After the role-play, you must fill out a questionnaire.
"What did you value?"
"When was it difficult?"
"What did you feel from the other person's expressions?"

Also, in the mentor-only group, you will post "your thoughts on today's role-play".
As the training progresses, this "sharing of insights" becomes a warm space for mutual learning.

STEP 4 | Mentor Certification

After completing the 3-month training, we will conduct
mentor certification.

The management team will be present and will make a comprehensive judgment based on the questionnaire content, attendance rate, and attitude to date.
We will certify you as a mimamo certified mentor from the perspective of "whether you can interact with children in a way that makes them feel safe."

After passing, it is finally time for practice.
For the first 2-3 sessions, management staff will be present to accompany you while confirming how to proceed with the dialogue.

Annual Recruitment and Expansion of Participants

The mimamo mentor training is scheduled to be recruited 3 to 4 times a year (every 3 to 4 months).
Recruitment for the first batch of mentors began in June, and training started in August as the first batch of mentors.
"I was looking for a place like this" is what many people say, and I feel the necessity of this activity once again.

Participants come from various backgrounds.
Systems engineers, company employees, designers, counselors, farmers, homemakers, etc.
Or there are working adults who have wanted to "do something for children" but have not been able to take action until now.

However, there is only one thing they have in common.

What is a good mentor?

I do not think a "good mentor" is someone with special skills.
Someone who respects and trusts the other person, and "someone they feel safe talking to."

Someone who does not push their own values and can listen at the other person's pace.
That attitude is what gives children a sense of security.

Future Prospects

From now on, I would like to create a system where mentors who have learned at mimamo can naturally play an active role in schools, local communities, and homes.

And we also aim to clarify the "preventive effect" of how online dialogue creates changes in a child's heart as data and share it with society."preventive effect"

Increasing the number of "adults who can listen."
I believe that is spreading a "culture of safety" throughout society.

Conclusion

The mimamo mentor training is an initiative to increase the number of "adults with whom children can talk with peace of mind."
Even if they do not have big worries, having time to talk about daily anxieties and vague feelings.
We believe that is an important "prevention" that protects a child's heart.

It is not just people with special skills who support children.
The presence of 'ordinary adults' who listen to and try to accept what the child in front of them is saying becomes their greatest strength.

As a 'third place' that is neither home nor school, mimamo values building safe relationships while mentors and the management team learn together.

We will continue to work carefully on each step so that children can cultivate the 'power to live in their own words'.

Contact information for mimamo

Inquiries are accepted via our official LINE account.

If you are considering using mimamo, please feel free to add us as a friend.
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