Since these photos were taken during my visit in 2008, the image quality is a bit rough, but I’ll post them anyway since I have them. I also have some notes from a conversation I had back in 2008, so I’ll share those as well.

　CANVAS’s goal is to provide creative learning opportunities to children all over Japan. That’s why we’ve focused on outreach and awareness, and as part of that effort, we’ve developed workshop kits.
“Packaging” refers to creating workshop kits—boxes filled with necessary materials and facilitator manuals—so that anyone can conduct them anywhere. By packaging these workshops, the costs of hosting them are reduced, making them accessible for use in schools, community education centers, museums, various cultural facilities, and even universities and companies on weekends.
　However, at that time, many people told me that packaging these workshops would be difficult because they are not one-way instruction from teacher to student, but rather two-way, interactive programs—meaning they depend heavily on the facilitator’s skills.When I researched children’s facilities in Europe and the U.S. from 2002 to 2003, I found many facilities actively working to package and catalog workshops, develop systems for facilitator training, and promote these programs. That was also one of the reasons I later began touring children’s museums (*^^*)
That’s when I launched the “CANVAS Caravan”—a project aimed at packaging programs, training facilitators, and providing these programs to schools, preschools, after-school programs, cultural institutions, and commercial facilities!

Now, here are some notes from 2008 regarding the Museum Kits offered by the Boston Children’s Museum.
・The museum kits have been in use since 1909, making them 100 years old—older than the museum itself.
・There are 50 different program kits, with 1 to 12 copies made per program.
・These are open-ended programs that emphasize the process, and each program is designed to be implemented over 2 to 3 weeks.
• Use is split roughly 50-50 between classroom and after-school settings. While the ratio used to be 6:4, after-school use is increasing because it offers more flexibility. Loans are free for elementary schools in Massachusetts and Cambridge; elsewhere, a fee applies.
・The production period for a single program kit ranges from 6 months to 2 years, and each kit is developed by a team consisting of a program manager, three teachers, and two experts in the field.
・The total annual cost for kit production is $100,000, which is covered by corporate donations. In some cases, donations are solicited specifically for individual kits.Production costs vary widely, ranging from $12,000 to $60,000 per package. (The “Animal Defenses” kit pictured is the least expensive program.) The less expensive kits include a teacher’s guide of about 20 pages, while the more expensive ones contain around 200 pages and come with additional materials such as overhead transparencies.
・The rental fee for three weeks is approximately $100, and a total of 900 kits are in use annually. During the summer, they are used at summer camps, the YMCA, Boys & Girls Clubs, Girl Scouts, churches, and other organizations.
・81% of kit usage is in Boston, 10% in other parts of Massachusetts, and 9% from 27 other states.

The educational kits come in boxes like this.
　

The contents include related materials, craft supplies, and a guidebook, as shown here

Here’s what a box focused on biology looks like.
　　

There was also a kit for learning about Japanese culture.
　　　

Another place I love at the Boston Children’s Museum is the Recycling Center. It’s filled with a wide variety of materials and has an art studio attached. The Recycling Center is a staple not only in Boston but at Children’s Museums everywhere.
　The art studio hosts workshops every month. The rest of the time, visitors are free to create whatever they like using the materials. Since it’s an open-ended program, there are no set requirements. A gallery featuring works by artists who use recycled materials sparks the creativity of visitors.