CREATIVE KIDS TOP Blab B Lab Newsletter, Vol. 21

Blab

2024.03.18
B Lab Newsletter, Vol. 21

EMAIL NEWSLETTER Vol. 21 (March Issue)

◆ Featured Project: 

Launching the “B Lab Online Salon” Midday Online Symposium!
On Tuesday, April 9, we’ll welcome Mr. Joichi Ito (Co-founder and Director of Digital Garage, Inc.; President of Chiba Institute of Technology) to speak broadly about society in the age of generative AI. This is a free event, so please join us! Click here for details. Click here to register!

Neurodiversity Training Sessions! The first session is on Wednesday, April 24!
For the first session, we’re pleased to welcome Dr. Shie Nagai (Specially Appointed Professor at the International Research Institute for Neurointelligence, The University of Tokyo). Using the “ASD Perceptual Experience Simulator”—which replicates symptoms known as visual hypersensitivity and visual hyposensitivity—participants will experience how people with ASD perceive the world in environments with varying levels of brightness and sound intensity.We hope you’ll join us!

Signing of a Regional Revitalization Agreement with Kaiyo Town, Tokushima Prefecture!
B Lab will strengthen its partnership with Kaiyo Town and contribute to regional revitalization and human resource development through technology-driven collaboration across a wide range of fields, including education, culture, industry, health, and welfare. In particular, we will focus on areas such as esports and combine our respective strengths to revitalize the region.
◆ Announcement
from the B Lab Secretariat

We Held the B Lab Marche!
On Wednesday, March 13, we held our annual B Lab Marche (networking event)! This year’s event was a huge success, with over 250 registrations, 84 presentations, and 27 project exhibits. Thank you very much to everyone who participated!
◆ What’s New! for Each Project

On Sunday, March 17, we held the awards ceremonies for the STREAM Challenge 2024—which supports the use of robots and ChatGPT to tackle social issues and recognizes children’s efforts—and the ChatGPT x Robot Idea Contest! You can watch the archived videos at this URL.

On Thursday, February 22, at the Sumida Ward Office, iU students presented a report to Ward Mayor Toru Yamamoto and President Ichiya Nakamura on the five projects carried out in collaboration with Sumida Ward during the 2023 academic year. Afterward, the mayor and president shared their thoughts, and the event concluded with the presentation of certificates!

On Friday, March 5, we held a workshop titled “Organizational HR Pitfalls and Mindset During the IPO Phase.”As startups grow and aim for an IPO, certain organizational issues tend to arise. This workshop was designed to help participants experience these challenges firsthand and guide them toward discovering fundamental solutions. It proved to be a very productive session, generating new insights on “entrepreneurship and growth,” “IPOs,” and “work.”

On Sunday, March 10, we held the “Sumida: A City with a University—Spring Campus Common” event at Campus Common and the iU Athletic Field! iU students worked closely with Sumida Ward’s administrative management team to prepare for the event, designing and presenting four different activities! There was also a mini steam train and drone soccer, making for a very lively day.
◆ B Lab Chapter News: B Lab chapters are spreading across the globe, both virtually and in person. This month, we’re bringing you updates from three chapters: B Lab Ghana, Hong Kong, and Okinawa♪
◎ B Lab Ghana
: B Lab Ghana has launched its Chocolate Project! In collaboration with the art (IP) of Mr. Shingo Nagasaka, an advisor to B Lab Ghana, they’ve developed a highly SDG-focused Ghanaian chocolate. Through this initiative, they aim to build a community of supporters, monetize the project, and contribute to the eradication of slums in Ghana. They’re also looking for people to join the effort!

B Lab Hong Kong, which champions the fusion of music and technology, is building a space where participants can not only play instruments but also create their own original instruments and share them in the metaverse! We’ve created a video about the “Maker Ukulele Set,” which lets you build your own ukulele—be sure to check it out!

B Lab Okinawa has begun inquiry-based activities focused on regional revitalization in collaboration with students from the University of the Ryukyus. As an initial step, we are currently creating educational worksheets, conducting simulations, and mapping out the overall process.We will begin our first inquiry-based learning session in April–May. Our goal is to use this as a starting point to conduct regional revitalization and inquiry-based projects in various cities across Japan.

◆ Announcements
from Participating Organizations and Researchers
● Featured in the magazine “Study Abroad Journal” (May 2024 issue)!
(Shouichi Okawa, Ryugaku Sommelier Co., Ltd.)
The May 2024 issue of “Study Abroad Journal” (on sale March 16, 2024) features a two-page article explaining TAFE (Technical and Further Education), a state-run educational institution in Australia that provides practical vocational education.

● We’ve launched a finance-focused VTuber channel for beginners!
(Steins Co., Ltd. – Taisho Saito)
We’ve launched a finance-focused VTuber channel that explains investing and the economy in a way that’s easy for beginners to understand!
⇒ For details, click here

● Launching
a Long-Term Internship Matching Service (Masami Hamazaki, Media Incubate Co., Ltd.)
At the company I joined following an acquisition, we’ve launched a support service for long-term internships. We’d love to collaborate with all of you.
⇒ Click here

for details ● “Calling All Kingdom Fans!” We’re hosting a meetup!
(Kohei Matsumoto)
As the title suggests, we’re hosting a meetup for fans of the anime “Kingdom”!During the event, we’ll have quiz questions and more—in true “Kingdom” style, we’ll form teams of five for a team competition (teams will be formed on the spot!). The venue is set for Omotesando, but the date and time are still to be determined, so if you’re interested, please contact me on X.
⇒ Click here for details

● Publication
of the Great East Japan Earthquake Memoirs by Mayors of Affected Areas (X Life Co., Ltd., Life DX Association)
“Memoir Heritage” is one of the “Everyone Is a Page of History” xLife services. As we mark the 13th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake, we’ve published candid memoirs from mayors and town leaders at the time, sharing the circumstances of that period—stories they can only tell now.We will continue to expand this collection to help inform future disaster preparedness efforts and pass this legacy on to future generations.
⇒ Click here for details

● CEO Kids Academy to be broadcast on March 18 (Mon) on “World Business Satellite” (TV Tokyo)!
(CEO Kids Academy)
As the government promotes startup development, the number of young people starting their own businesses is gradually increasing. Teenagers—who will lead Japan’s future—are taking proactive steps on their own, without waiting for government support. The CEO Kids Academy was selected for a feature as an educational program that fosters an entrepreneurial mindset and as a project covering the front lines of this movement.Please tune in to the special feature on TV Tokyo’s “World Business Satellite” on Monday, March 18.
⇒ For details, click here

● Online Symposium to Be Held
(Learning of Tomorrow)
We will hold an online symposium during lunch hour (12:00 PM – 12:55 PM). We look forward to your participation.
・March 29 (Fri) “ The Potential of Generative AI in Schools—Ideas for Effective Use in Classrooms and School Administration” by Hisataka
Nanbu, High School Teacher, Shiga Prefectural High School
・April 10 (Wed): “ Adobe’s Vision for Next-Generation Education and the Potential Applications of AI” Ms. Haruko
Koike, Executive Officer and General Manager, Education Business Division, Adobe Japan K.K.
◆ Handling of Personal Information
We will handle the personal information we collect from you (such as your name and contact information) appropriately in accordance with our Privacy Policy. This information will be used to deliver this Newsletter and to communicate with you. We appreciate your understanding regarding our handling of personal information.

◆If you wish to unsubscribe from this Newsletter, please click here. Alternatively, please contact us at admin@blaboratory.org with “Unsubscribe” clearly stated in the subject line of your email.

March 2024, Vol. 21
Publisher: Nanako Ishido
Editor: Chika Masuda
Address: 1-18-13 Bunka, Sumida-ku, Tokyo
         info@blaboratory.org

　

Profile


  • Digital Picture Book Author

    Professor, Keio University; Ph.D. (Policy and Media)
    Director, B Lab
    Chairperson, Learning of Tomorrow (General Incorporated Association)
    Chairperson, CANVAS

    After graduating from the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Tokyo, he served as a visiting researcher at the MIT Media Lab before founding the NPO CANVAS and the Learning of Tomorrow Association, a General Incorporated Association, and assuming the role of representative. He serves as an outside director for Matsuya Co., Ltd., Fuji Media Holdings, Inc., and Digital Garage, Inc.
    He has served on various government committees, including the Information and Communications Council of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, as well as the NHK Central Broadcasting Program Council. He also serves as a director of the Digital Signage Consortium, among other roles. He holds a Ph.D. in Policy and Media.
    His publications include *Turning On Children’s Creativity!*, *What Are Smart Kids Doing on Their Smartphones?*, *The Forefront of Online Education in Japan: Considering Learning in the Post-COVID Era*,“What Is Programming Education? 45 Questions Parents Want to Know,” and “Declaration on Digital Education.” He has also provided supervision for numerous works, including “Ah, I See! Programming Education for Parents and Children Through Manga.”