Providing support for project-based learning to all public elementary and junior high schools in Shibuya City in FY2024

Tokyo, Japan, May 29, 2024 — Kids VALLEY is a joint effort of MIXI, Inc., Tokyu Corporation, CyberAgent, Inc., DeNA Co., Ltd., GMO Internet Group, Inc., and the Shibuya City Board of Education. The Kids VALLEY Future Learning Project advances programming education with the goal of giving students in Shibuya the outlook and skills they need to lead the next generation of tech professionals. In FY2024, marking the fifth year since support began, we will continue to provide classroom support to all public elementary and junior high schools in Shibuya, such as by dispatching instructors and providing sample lesson plans.

In fiscal 2023, we provided support for programming education classes at all public elementary and junior high schools in Shibuya City. At some elementary and junior high schools, we also supported project-based learning (PBL) classes, in which students identified their own challenges and used programming as a tool for problem-solving and expression. We also dispatched instructors and support staff by leveraging the resources of each participating company. A survey of all students who took part in the classes found that 96% of elementary school students and 78% of junior high school students said the instructor’s explanations or the class content were easy to understand, indicating that the classes were very well-received.

In fiscal 2024, along with the launch of the Shibuya Future Study initiative at all public elementary and junior high schools in Shibuya City, we will expand our support for PBL classes to all public elementary and junior high schools in the city. We aim to build on traditional skills-focused classes by giving students opportunities to use programming as a tool for problem-solving, helping them develop the ability to identify and solve their own questions in today’s rapidly changing and unpredictable world.
The six organizations involved in this project will continue their efforts this fiscal year. Through public-private collaboration, we aim to establish and develop a next-generation education model which includes programming education and originates in Shibuya.

For more details regarding Kids VALLEY’s activities for last fiscal year and support details for the current fiscal year, see here. (Japanese only)