STUDY FOR TWO, Ochanomizu University Chapter: Activity Report in Academic Year 2016

2017年3月16日更新

Selling textbooks (so many customers!)

STUDY FOR TWO (SFT) is a group that collects surplus used textbooks on campus and sells them, with the proceeds used to provide support for education in developing countries. A key feature of the SFT scheme is that it benefits not only children in the developing world but also Japanese university students. There are SFT chapters in around 50 Japanese universities. The Ochanomizu SFT chapter was launched in 2012, making this our fifth year.

Again this year, we organized a used textbook sale in spring and fall and collected surplus used textbooks in summer and winter as part of the activities of the “Tomo ni Ikiru” [Living Together in a Global Community] study group.

Our spring and fall textbook sales are held over approximately two weeks every year to coincide with course registration. To boost sales still further this year, we conducted an active social media campaign (particularly on Twitter), and also worked hard to reach out to the first-year students who are the biggest textbook users. As a result, we raised 155,860 yen in April and 136,452 yen in October, with the total of 292,312 yen representing our highest figure yet. Around 80 percent of our proceeds—230,000 yen—were donated to children in developing countries as educational support funds. This year, we also engaged actively in off-campus activities. SFT regularly holds study sessions where local universities get together, as well as national camps for chapter members from all over Japan. Members from Ochanomizu University also participated in these events, acquiring a huge amount of knowledge and know-how that will be valuable in growing our chapter.

Next year we look forward to getting even more students using the SFT scheme so that we can support even more children. Your help would be much appreciated.

Joint study session with the SFT chapter
from the Japan Women’s University
National summer camp

(Ai Takeda, representative of SFT Ochanomizu chapter and 2nd Year Student,
Faculty of Letters and Education)