S-SAP Agreement Entered With Shibuya City
On July 14, 2023, MIXI, Inc. (hereinafter, “MIXI”) entered the S-SAP (Shibuya City Social Action Partner) Agreement with Shibuya City. The S-SAP Agreement is a public-private partnership agreement under which companies, universities, and other organizations based in Shibuya work together with the city to solve social issues in the area.
Since fiscal year 2019, MIXI has been promoting various social contribution activities mainly focused on the development of the next generation. This is being achieved through means such as programming and ICT (Information and Communication Technology) learning support at Shibuya City junior high schools and provision of original learning materials for club activities. We have entered the S-SAP Agreement in order to continue our efforts to solve local issues, including those in other areas, in the future.
Tokyo Football Club Co., Ltd. (a subsidiary of MIXI that operates F.C.Tokyo) has also been participating in social contribution activities in Shibuya City in disaster preparedness and environmental areas. This is being achieved through means such as running a booth at disaster drills, as well as producing educational videos on recycling, garbage separation, and graffiti prevention.
Areas of the Agreement
1. Support for development of the next generation
2. Support for sports promotion
3. Support for environmental conservation
4. Support for advancement of disaster preparedness and safety
5. Support for advancement of social diversity
6. Other support where mutual cooperation and collaboration are deemed necessary
More Information on the Agreement
https://www.city.shibuya.tokyo.jp/kusei/ssap/ssap-dantai/mixi_fc.html (Japanese)
Programming education support
With the recent trend toward digitalization in schools, including programming education, integrating tech into the classroom, and increased focus on the STEAM fields, MIXI is committed to supporting education and contributing to communities by drawing upon our expertise in the field. Since June 2019, we have been participating in the Kids VALLEY Future Learning Project, as well as providing support to extracurricular programs and public and private junior high schools in the area. Through our activities, we are working to produce the next generation of tech professionals right here in Shibuya.
What is Kids VALLEY?
Kids VALLEY is a joint effort of Tokyu Corporation, CyberAgent, Inc., DeNA Co., Ltd., GMO Internet Group, Inc., MIXI, 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.
Main initiatives
We are pursuing the following initiatives with a focus on content development and staffing to implement effective programming education.
Activities
We are committed to connecting with the community to implement educational support for different groups in the following ways.
We dispatch instructors to all public junior high schools in Shibuya.
We lend tablets to all elementary and junior high school students in Shibuya. In addition, the junior high school classes we support are taught with an original, more challenging curriculum that has students using the programming language Python (pictured right).
Project-based learning (PBL*) classroom support
*PBL can stand for either project-based learning or problem-based learning.
Project-based learning, in which students actively identify and solve problems on their own, rather than passively learning, has been the focus of much attention in recent years and is emphasized in the recently implemented reforms to curriculum guidelines.
MIXI teaches unique, explorative lessons in which students use the original city-building simulation software MIXI Block Island (pictured right) to set up a city they’d want to live in while considering environmental and social issues, and then presenting their findings in groups.
In addition, the explorative lessons about finding Python-based solutions to familiar problems foster problem-solving and communication skills by providing opportunities to use the programming skills acquired in the technical courses we also support.
Shibuya club activities
(Shibuya Club Activity Reform Project)
Together with several other companies, we have been offering support to students who wish to attend public junior high schools in Shibuya by providing instructors for the Digital Creative and eSports Club (formerly the Computer Club) since 2021. Starting in the 2023-24 school year, the club was renamed the Digital Creative Club and the entire course is run using only the curriculum provided by our company.
The Digital Creative Club offers a number of curricula in the three areas of programming, design, and technology. In addition to text programming, AI and machine learning, programming the conversational AI robot “Romi,” graphic design, and sound production, the club has been offering new curricula since 2024 that include video production and micro:bit programming.
Classroom support for private junior high schools in Shibuya
We provide support to private junior high schools in Shibuya by dispatching instructors and providing a curriculum.
The schools where we provide support have teachers who are passionate and knowledgeable about programming and excel at conducting programming classes using the original learning materials and insight we provide. Only the first day is taught by one of our employees. (pictured above)
We are also working on teaching high school information science in schools with integrated middle school and high school programs.
Activity example at Jissen Joshi Gakuen Junior & Senior High School (Japanese only)
https://mixi.co.jp/sustainability/report/2021/1201/2205/
Support for computer clubs at private junior high schools in Shibuya
In addition to dispatching instructors to computer clubs at a number of private junior high schools in Shibuya, we also provide a more specialized curriculum.
As game development and programming are popular ways to get kids motivated to learn and create via their afterschool club activities, students at the schools where we provide support are taught Python programming and web development in a workshop format, in addition to creating games with a game engine.
In schools with integrated middle school and high school programs, we provide instruction to club members from the first year of middle school through the second year of high school.
Activity example at Shibuya Junior & Senior High School (Japanese only)
https://mixi.co.jp/sustainability/report/2024/0325/29974/
