Empowering Thousands of Fukushima's Children

This autumn we continued our efforts to nurture the youth of Fukushima by creating opportunities for a variety of experiences for young people from elementary school to university age. Teams have now started planning the projects that arose from the “Asubito Fukushima Community,” an intergenerational entrepreneurs’ camp held during the summer. Things are now beginning to take shape.

(1) Workshops on theme of bioenergy

Our hands-on learning workshops were held twice for elementary and middle school kids on the theme of “Let’s create energy from the pumpkin field,” with collaboration from Associate Professor Chika Tada of the Faculty of Agriculture at Tohoku University. Participants are stimulated to think about the potential for creating renewable energy through the experience of creating biogas from field “waste,” including residue from squash crops harvested from the “solar sharing” field (farmland being used for both growing crops and photovoltaic power production). With support from local high school volunteers, the kids learn through the whole process of producing methane gas by the fermentation of organic waste, bringing water to a boil with energy from the gas, and confirming what they learned through countless questions, to the point where they can articulate their knowledge by reporting in an article for the local newspaper

(2) Promoting discovery-based learning

Many children are having the opportunity to experience renewable energy through discovery-based learning at the Minamisoma Solar Agripark, using the time allocated for integrated learning in the curriculum at primary and middle schools in Minamisoma City. Meanwhile, we received a steady stream of visits this autumn from primary schools in other cities in Fukushima Prefecture, including Soma and Date. We witness the kids’ cumulative development in little steps as they reflect upon their experiences and report about what they observed and thought, all on the theme of renewable energy.

(3) Progress with project planning from entrepreneurs’ camp

Three projects are starting to take shape since having been selected by the “Asubito Fukushima Community,” an intergenerational entrepreneurs’ camp in August that brought together participants ranging from high school to working age. One of them is called “Creating fun with manhole cover art depicting the dragon legend of Odaka Ward.” After two local tours since August, the team has settled on the goal of turning Fukushima Prefecture into the top destination for tourist satisfaction in Japan. They are now working with key advisors to consider the potential to do something with ideas like history of the dragon legend and farm experience. They hope to incorporate art to create new touristic resources that will be interesting to others, even though the subject may feel so familiar that local people tend to take it for granted. Trials are being conducted now with the aim of implementation in May 2018.

Links:

• Asubito Fukushima