Summer Camp

The setting is the Stationery Olympics. Eraser and Correction Tape, defeated by the gold medalist of the Erasing Event, Correction Pen, vow to take their revenge in four years. “You can do it! You’ve got this!” Piling effort upon effort, they welcome the arrival of 2012. Eraser and Correction Tape finish in first and second place. “Both of them broke the world record!”
This is the work of children in the clay animation course at a summer camp held at the University of Tokyo. It was the hot summer of 2012, with excitement building each day at the London Olympics. The university campus, too, was once again ablaze with the cheers of children.

　Clay animation is created using stop-motion techniques with clay. The children come up with a story, draw the storyboard, mold the characters from clay, build the background sets, film one frame at a time, edit the footage on a computer, add narration or sound effects, and produce an animation about three minutes long. This year marks the tenth anniversary of the summer camp, held annually at the university. The first camp was held at the University of Tokyo’s Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology in the summer of 2003. Held on the university campus, this summer camp was likely the first initiative of its kind in Japan.
　When we were preparing to launch CANVAS, I was in the United States and visited a wide variety of summer camps. According to The Wall Street Journal, there are more than 10,000 summer camps in the U.S., and more than 10 million children participate each year.
　With a market value of 11 trillion U.S. dollars (about 870 billion yen), it comes as a surprise that this sector has established itself as a major industry. The term “summer camp” doesn’t just refer to the typical camp where you go to the mountains or the beach, but also to programs where you can have a variety of personal experiences with art, science, sports, and more.
　Harvard University, Stanford University, MIT, and other world-renowned universities have particularly left a deep impression on me with their commitment to opening their campuses to children during summer vacation. Couldn’t we develop something similar in Japan?
　An article in the July 2012 issue of The Wall Street Journal provided the following projections for the summer of 2012: 60 university locations, a total of 23,000 participating children and students, and $26 million in revenue—a 30% increase from the previous year.
　To explore the possibility of launching this program in Japan, we visited the company—located near Silicon Valley—to discuss potential collaboration. In a stylish, open-concept office furnished with upscale upholstery, we were met right from the start with the question: “There is interest in the Japanese market, but to what extent would it benefit our company as a business?” This perspective, too, is commendable.

　The program offered by CANVAS, called “Summer Camp Art and Tech,” strives to strike a balance between analog and digital, art and technology, and the virtual and real through clay animation, film, and programming, among other activities. Additionally, it embraces the concept of university students teaching children on campus.
　Four children from different backgrounds meet for the first time, form a group, and—working together—complete their project on their own over the course of three days. Starting from the shyness of their first meeting, they share their ideas, argue, and make up. “What should we do about the punchline?” They debate the issue over and over. “You draw the storyboard!” They discover each other’s strengths and weaknesses and naturally assign tasks. “Let’s get this much done today!” They demonstrate leadership. Small dramas unfold over the course of three days, and by the end, the children have all become close friends.
　These are children who eagerly arrive in the classroom an hour early. These are children who, so enthusiastic about their work, lament the time spent eating lunch. These are children who research the shape of a rocket on the internet. These are children who continue preparing for the next day even at home. You won’t hear a single “I was told to…” from them.
“Feel with the heart, think with the head, express with the hands.” By engaging the whole body, they establish a discipline that fosters creativity, expression, and communication. The final presentation is an absolute must. The children take their presentations seriously: they raise their hands one after another, shouting “Me, me!” and compete for the chance to present first. Under their parents’ watchful eyes, they explain their own creations like pros. Surrounded by enthusiastic applause, they beam with bright, proud smiles.
　Parents say in wonder, “I never even thought my own child could create something so impressive!” The excitement follows them home. Forgetting even to eat their meals, they tell their parents all about it and open their computers to show off their creations whenever friends come over. Some even create new projects at home and send them via email.
　Have you ever shown this kind of ability to concentrate? Have you ever had your eyes light up at the chance to learn? These children, learning on their own, acquire the resources of creativity and communication that computers can in no way replace.
　“The experience of putting together a production with friends gave my child confidence; the following semester, my son ran for class representative.”
“Thanks to her summer camp experience, my daughter now wakes herself up in the morning.”
Every year, we look forward to hearing how the children have grown since then.