In 1988, the Social Welfare Course was created as an advanced extension to the ordinary high school curriculum. The Social Welfare Course is designed to help students to become community volunteers capable of creating a better community and to train themselves to become caring professionals called "certified care workers". The curriculum includes comprehensive studies of topics that concern the public, including the environment, day-to-day living and culture, and challenges facing human beings, in addition to theoretical studies on welfare. Furthermore, students gain an understanding of the significance of welfare through field education that includes hands-on experience and training as volunteers and social welfare specialists. We have a total enrollment of 4,000 students at present, while the graduates of the program, of which there are currently more than 27,000, are actively engaged in social welfare projects across the nation.

1. Preparation for the State Examination for Certified Care Worker
The completion of the prescribed courses during the two-year study will qualify students for the national exam to become certified care workers.

2. Community School Network
This is a network initiated and run by the graduates, and deals with welfare activities in a number of communities.

This program was established in 2001 upon authorization by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.
The curriculum to train social workers satisfies eligibility requirements for taking the State Examination for Certified Social Worker. It is designed to train professionals who are able to build and drive social welfare programs in the local communities, identify problems faced by community members, and form organic networks with volunteers and service providers.
Two hundred applicants are accepted for this program every year.