Educational Support Activities

Personal Grooming Classes at Special Needs Schools* and Facilities

Since FY2004, Mandom has been holding classes in personal grooming for individuals with intellectual disabilities who are soon to join the workforce, in order to support their self-reliance.

Our approach to these students is to treat them as first-time users of cosmetics. We cover all aspects, starting with how to handle, use, and care for cosmetic items. We also communicate the clear distinctions between clean and tidy appearances expected within various social contexts and "stylish" appearances. "Cleanliness" is a key concept in the classes. Participants are given the hands-on chance to try various cosmetics for washing the face, skin care, fixing bed hair, and body care. The classes also help them realize the fun and pleasure that can be found in using cosmetics.

Employees instructing classes on grooming

Washing the face / Skin care practice in class

At first participants are usually apprehensive, but after some time actually trying various cosmetics while listening to the instructor, their faces lighten up and turn into smiles.
We plan to continue offering such classes in personal grooming to support individuals with intellectual disabilities as they prepare to join the workforce, giving them the chance to experience the joy of changing their appearance using cosmetics and the resulting self-confidence this can offer.

Result held in 2023-2024​

Other Educational Support Activities

Supporting a hands-on chemistry class for elementary school pupils held at Hiroshima University

We support a hands-on chemistry class for elementary school pupils that has been held at Hiroshima University every year since 2022. This class introduces third graders, who are just beginning to learn about science, and fourth graders to the world of chemistry by enabling them to participate in hands-on science activities—Flame Test, Glass Art Making and Red Cabbage Experiment.

Mandom and Professor Ishihara of the Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, who hosts the program, have shared a common understanding that children may now have less opportunities to participate in hands-on chemistry activities and cherish an interest in chemistry due to increasing safety concerns over experiments and the COVID-19 pandemic. We have, therefore, supported this class in the hope that the class can help stimulate children's interest in chemistry, even if only a little.

Activity Descriptions

In the Flame Test, children make candles that produce “magic flames.” By mixing powders of various materials such as metals with candle wax, the color of the candle changes after it is lit. Participating children cheered with excitement as they watched colorful flames.

In the Glass Art Making, children make glass muddlers. They fill a thin glass tube with colorful beads and melt the mouth of the tube with a blowtorch to seal it. To make this activity memorable, participating children were allowed to take their unique muddlers home as souvenirs.

In the Red Cabbage Experiment, children add household liquids (e.g., lemon juice, other fruit juices) to the juice containing pigments squeezed from red cabbage boiled in hot water and observe color changes. The interest and inquisitive mind of participating children were stimulated when they learned about chemical changes from the experiment, using household liquids that they had brought with them.