Japan Minami Region Empowers Through Education Access
SI/Kitakyushu
For many high school girls, a college education can feel just out of reach. Expenses add up quickly, and for girls from financially disadvantaged families, that financial barrier is often enough to put a dream on hold.
Japan Minami Region saw this challenge play out again and again among local high school girls hoping to continue their education. In response, the region created “Take One Step” College Support Project, a Big Goal Accelerator Project designed to help girls take that first step toward higher education.
Removing Barriers, One Step at a Time
SI/Dazaifu
Established in 2021, Take One Step encourages clubs across the region to provide direct financial support to third-year female high school students from financially disadvantaged families, including girls raised by single mothers or in single-parent households. Many recipients face additional challenges as well, from illness and disability to homelessness, foster care and teen pregnancy.
Clubs have flexibility in how they put the program to work locally. Some award a single grant per term, while others offer longer-term scholarships to the same students over several years. Funding can cover specific costs, such as entrance exams and application fees, or come as broader scholarships and unrestricted grants.
Thanks to the work of clubs, in the 2025-2026 club year alone, 93 Take One Step projects were reported, providing $70,000 USD in funding assistance to 114 financially disadvantaged women and girls. Twenty-nine of these projects drew media attention, helping clubs attract 27 new members and form new community partnerships—all while logging 1,046 volunteer hours.
SI/Kumamoto-Wakaba
Since the project's launch in 2021, clubs have reported 359 total Take One Step projects, providing a combined $224,375 USD in education assistance to women and girls across the region.
Looking ahead, Japan Minami Region hopes to support 50 students per year—a total of 500 students over the 10 years of Soroptimist's Big Goal. With this kind of momentum, the region is already on pace to exceed that goal.
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