At last week’s Learning of Tomorrow Online Lunch Symposium, we spoke with Professor Kentaro Nakamura of the University of Tokyo, who is leading the “ROCKET Project: Discovering Exceptional Talents,” an initiative aimed at pioneering diversity in learning.

When people hear the term “discovering exceptional talent,” they often misunderstand it to mean “raising child prodigies,” but Professor Nakamura says, “We don’t know what constitutes exceptional talent. If unconventional children aren’t stifled, they’ll do interesting things. It might take 20 to 30 years for that exceptional talent to truly shine.” That’s why he says the selection criteria are “children who seem to be struggling, both at school and at home.”

Professor Nakamura goes on to say that if we want to raise innovative, creative, and globally-minded children, it is precisely those children who “don’t listen,” “don’t fit in with the group,” and “pursue what they love” who have that potential—yet today’s schools are often unwilling to accommodate them.
Why must it always be “everyone gets along and is full of energy”?Wouldn’t it be fine for them to “sit quietly by themselves”?

They say ROCKET was founded on the belief that the world won’t change unless we nurture children who are a little different.

However, taking a unique path that others aren’t interested in can be daunting. That’s exactly why it’s important to have a place where you can find like-minded people. And that place is ROCKET.

At ROCKET, we offer a wide variety of programs that take full advantage of the “privileges” of not attending school: no time limits, no textbooks, no set goals, and no cooperative learning. People who learn at different paces all go their own way, doing whatever they want. And that’s perfectly fine. It’s a learning environment without boundaries.

"They jump right in because it looks fun." That’s Professor Nakamura’s view—that these are the kinds of kids who go on to make their mark on the world.

To achieve this, “understanding diversity”—which goes beyond an understanding of race and disabilities to include an understanding of our neighbors’ cognitive, motor, and personality characteristics—is essential.

Mr. Nakamura suggests, “It would be a good idea to give children 10 ‘vacation vouchers’ per year.” By collaborating with local governments nationwide, children can use these vouchers to visit places across the country that interest them. This is the “School of Nippon” initiative.

By attending two schools, children realize that even if they don’t have friends at either school, they have friends all over the country.
They don’t have to limit their lives to a small school district—because the world is a big place!

The skills needed in the coming era are R2D2! I’d summarize them as Reality, Resilience, Development (in-depth exploration), and Diversity. And these are the very skills that have traditionally been nurtured in the home and community.

CANVAS has also always valued learning as a part of society as a whole.From the moment they wake up until they go to sleep—whether they’re playing, shopping, chatting with family or neighbors, playing video games, watching TV, visiting museums, singing, or playing sports—children are learning so many things. I felt a connection to the idea that it’s wrong to diminish “learning” as if only what happens in school counts as “learning.”

Every child is a prodigy!

I’m excited to see what new worlds the children will create as they pursue their passions at their own pace and in their own unique ways, and we must work to build a society with the depth of understanding to embrace such children.
Thank you very much, Professor Nakamura!