Q & A
Q1. Are there age restrictions for participating in the Pangaea program?
Q2. How much does it cost to participate in Pangaea activities?
Q3. Where and when do Pangaea activities take place?
Q4. What should we do in order to participate in Pangaea activities?
Q5. What kinds of things are necessary for participating in Pangaea activities?
Q6. How do you manage the risks when children access the Internet?
Q7. Are Pangaea activities safe?
Q8. What are the staff members like?
Q9. Are sit-in visits allowed for Pangaea activities?
Q10. Can disabled and handicapped children also participate?
Q1. Are there age restrictions for participating in the Pangaea program?
A. Activities, which make up much the majority of the Pangaea program, are for children from 9 to 15 years old. Those of high school age and older may participate in Pangaea activities as volunteer staff members.
Q2. How much does it cost to participate in Activities?
A. No fees are required to participate in Pangaea activities. Simply fill out the necessary registration forms, and you may participate in the Pangaea program absolutely free of charge.
There is also a program available for those wishing to support Pangaea (NPO) and its purposes. For information regarding membership, please click here.
Q3. Where and when do Pangaea activities take place?
A. In Japan, activities occur on weekends at two locations in Kyoto (the Pangaea Research Center and Kyoto University) as well as elementary schools in Tokyo and Mie Prefecture. Pangaea also runs activities overseas in Seoul, South Korea; Wien, Australia; and Nairobi, Kenya.
Q4. What should we do in order to participate in Pangaea activities?
A. You will need to register at Pangaea's activity centers. Each location offers a drop-in registration desk. For more information, please click here.
Q5. What kinds of things are necessary for participating in Activities?
A. Usually, nothing is necessary for participation in Pangaea activities. Depending on the activity, however, some items may be required (for example, bringing in a treasured object from home). In these cases, we will contact you beforehand so you know what to expect.
Q6. How do you manage the risks when children access the Internet?
A. The level of risk associated with the Internet depends on the way it is used; a typical high-risk example would be the case where children engage in the anonymous chatting with unknown counterparts.
Our activities put focus on building human relationships among children in a real, face-to-face environment. This is why Pangaea holds its activities regularly at such places as schools and community centers, where children participate in group, to talk to each other and to make friends in the process. We never let unattended children access the Internet by themselves in our activities. Pangaea uses the Internet for communication among children around the world, but the security of PangaeaNet, the network used for Pangaea activities, is protected from the general Internet. Participating children cannot post their comments anonymously on PangaeaNet, as the rule is to disclose facial portraits, nicknames and personal profiles there. Participating children can always see the faces and feel the real existence of their counterparts in their activities, to enable the international exchanges that connect the children around the world through the Internet.
Q7. Are Pangaea activities safe?
A. Pangaea activities are run under the regulation of the Pangaea Safety Management Committee, which is qualified to handle a variety of safety issues. In case of emergency, all necessary measures will be taken to ensure the safety of the Pangaea activities participants.
Q8. What are the staff members like?
A. Pangaea's staff is mostly made up of University students and other volunteers called facilitators. Facilitators are separated into two main groups: those who work with the children on activities and those who help manage the technological aspects of activities. Both groups of facilitators will have passed careful screening and detailed instruction before working as volunteers.
Q9. Are sit-in visits allowed for Pangaea activities?
A. After making arrangements beforehand, you may sit in on a Pangaea activity to observe. Please follow the guidelines for observers during your visit. You may also sit in on Pangaea activities at locations you are considering applying to. Please notify the location you would like to visit before coming in.
Q10. Can disabled and handicapped children also participate?
A. Pangaea receives many different kinds of requests, and we gladly accept requests for participation from disabled and handicapped children. We have run many activities in the past such as the Japan Post "Postcard Charity Distribution Project" for creating pictogram cards and the UBS/SIJ "Kids in Art" program, which took place inside a hospital ward, for the participation of handicapped and disabled children.
It is our hope to encourage cooperation and teamwork in children of all different backgrounds. We encourage all participants to work together to transcend barriers in communication and interaction.
If you have any specific questions or concerns regarding our services, please feel free to contact us.