Free Textbook Distribution Volunteer "STARCLE"

Every year, large quantities of unused or barely-used textbooks were being discarded at school. At the same time, it was clear that some students genuinely couldn't afford learning materials.

To bridge this gap, we started STARCLE with two high school classmates — a name I coined from "STudy Aid ReCycLE."

How It Worked

We collected donated textbooks, stored them in an empty dormitory room, and shipped them nationwide. Initially, recipients paid only the shipping fee (via letter pack). Later, prize money from volunteer competitions allowed us to cover shipping costs as well, making the service entirely free end-to-end. We received orders from across Japan and distributed dozens to over 100 textbooks in total.

My Role

Within our three-person team, I handled all web-related work.

• Website & Order System Built the site from scratch in hand-written HTML/CSS — generative AI didn't exist yet. Used external tools for the order flow to handle personal information securely.
• Naming, SEO & Logo Design I coined the name "STARCLE" from "STudy Aid ReCycLE", choosing it for low Google search competition, available domains (starcle.jp / starcle.org), and memorable phonetics. I also designed the logo.
• Domain & Server Management Managed domain registration and rental server setup end-to-end. The site no longer exists due to expired domains, but archived versions remain available.
• Competition Video Production Produced video submissions for volunteer competition applications that led to our awards.

Inventory & Shipping

Awards

The project received the following group awards. Prize money was reinvested to fund free shipping for all future orders.

• Ministry of Education Award (Group)24th Prudential Spirit of Community Volunteer Spirit Award
• Sanko Inhotels Award (Group)VA Volunteer Activity Support Prize