Crane English School was established in 2020 with the desire to "contribute to world peace" through English education, and has always placed emphasis on experiences that directly connect students with the world. Then, in February 2022, Russia began its invasion of Ukraine. Learning that refugees had arrived in Nagoya, we immediately took action to see if there was anything we could do to help. Through the Nagoya Association for Supporting Foreigners, we became acquainted with Ms. Natalya Sakakibara of the Japan-Ukrainian Cultural Association, and were able to learn firsthand what kind of support was needed. Soon after, support poured in from Crane students and parents who said, "I wanted to do something, but I didn't know how."

We started supporting refugees on a trial and error basis, but were encouraged by the words of "thank you" from refugees who had been forced to leave their homelands and come to Japan without knowing the language or culture, and by the voices of support from our peers who said, "I want to do something too," so we decided to launch U-CRANE so that we could continue our support activities.

A diverse group of members gather here, from elementary school students, junior high school students, high school students, university students, parents, and school teachers, from children to adults. If many people take the simple action of "reaching out a hand without hesitation when you see someone in need," we can not only support the evacuees, but also make the people around us happy and create a warmer, more comfortable society.