Jun. 22, 2015
Engineers Bring Creativity and Enthusiasm to Science Workshops for Kids
"All kids should know the joy of making something with their own hands. It's practical, a lot of fun, and can even help motivate you for the challenges you face later on."
―Toyota President Akio Toyoda
Toyota City, Japan, June 22, 2015―From next month through March 2016, Toyota will hold a series of free-of-charge science workshops in Japan, with the aim of encouraging children to take an interest in science and technology through fun, hands-on demonstrations.
As part of an annual program that began in 1996, the workshops are held both in public venues (such as science museums) and facilities owned by Toyota and its affiliates. To date, a total of 29,200 elementary school children have taken part in 389 workshops. This year, in collaboration with local museums, a total of 18 workshops are scheduled to be held around Japan. In addition, a larger summer lecture will be held for the first time at the Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology in Nagoya.
Instructors are volunteer members of the Toyota Engineering Society1, and use their specialized knowledge to teach children about a wide variety of scientific and technological topics, such as vehicle aerodynamics, vehicle collision safety, hovercraft and more. In all, seven teams will teach a total of nine programs in their respective fields of expertise.
As part of Toyota's ongoing efforts to support recovery efforts in the Tohoku region, the teams will also visit children's homes in disaster areas and present lectures in Iwate and Fukushima Prefectures.
President Akio Toyoda commented: "Since our earliest days, we have emphasized that manufacturing is about developing people. Since it is people that make things, I believe that it is extremely important to develop individuals' creative and reasoning faculties. All kids should know the joy of making something with their own hands. It's practical, a lot of fun, and can even help motivate you for the challenges you face later on. Nothing would make me happier than to contribute to that."
Organizers in each region will handle applications, while Toyota will provide event information (in Japanese) at www.toyota.co.jp/nazenani/.
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- 2014 Workshops
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- Collision safety demonstration
| Sponsors | Toyota Motor Corporation, hosting facilities, others |
|---|---|
| Assistance | Toyota Engineering Society |
| Participants | 4th, 5th and 6th grade elementary school students |
| Instructors | Toyota Engineering Society members |
| Programs | Vehicle aerodynamics, collision safety, hovercraft, electricity-regenerating vehicles, seven-color microcomputer fireflies, two-legged robots, model aircraft, automated toy cars, robot fish |
1An organization of Toyota employees created to enhance the technical skills and talents of its members. The society also aims to contribute to the development of technological fields in various areas of business as well as to local communities. It has approximately 30,000 members.
| Year | Date | Facility | Location | Program | Host2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Jul. 5 | Tomakomai Nishioka Elementary School | Hokkaido | Automated toy cars | Toyota Motor Hokkaido, Inc. |
| Jul. 19 | Mega Web | Tokyo | Hovercraft | Amlux Toyota Co., Ltd. Mega Web | |
| Jul. 19 | TEPIA Advanced Technology Exhibition Hall | Tokyo | Vehicle aerodynamics | Association for Technological Excellence Promoting Innovative Advances | |
| Jul. 25 | Taiyo School, Ofunato City | Iwate | Automated toy cars | NPO Aichi Net | |
| Aug. 2 | Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology | Aichi | Vehicle aerodynamics, collision safety, hovercraft, electricity-regenerating vehicles, two-legged robots, model aircraft, robot fish |
Toyota in collaboration with Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology | |
| Oct. 4 | Shibetsu City "Tsukumo Seishonen no Ie" | Hokkaido | Robot fish | Toyota (Shibetsu Proving Ground) |
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| Oct. 18 | Akita Skydome | Akita | Collision safety | Department of Industry and Labor, Akita Prefecture | |
| Oct. 18 | Toyota Automobile Museum | Aichi | Two-legged robots, hovercraft | Toyota (Toyota Automobile Museum) |
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| Nov. 1 | Sumita Town Industry Festival | Iwate | Automated toy cars | NPO Aichi Net | |
| Nov. 7 | Comcom-kan | Fukushima | Vehicle aerodynamics | Fukushima-shi Kodomo no Yume wo Hagukumu Shisetsu Comcom | |
| Nov. 15 | Misawa Aviation & Science Museum, Aomori | Aomori | Electricity-regenerating vehicles | Misawa Aviation & Science Museum, Aomori | |
| Dec. 13 | Fukushima Mori no Kagaku Taiken Center | Fukushima | Hovercraft | Fukushima Kagaku Shinko Kyokai | |
| Dec. 13 | National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo | Tokyo | Seven-color microcomputer fireflies | National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo | |
| 2016 | Jan. 17 | Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology | Aichi | Automated toy cars | Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology |
| Jan. 31 | Gamagori Network Research Center Natural History Museum | Aichi | Seven-color microcomputer fireflies | Gamagori Network Research Center Natural History Museum | |
| Feb. 6 | AZABU Kids-to-Teens Hall | Tokyo | Model aircraft | Jido Ikusei Kyokai | |
| Feb. 14 | Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology | Aichi | Collision safety | Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology | |
| Mar. 6 | Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology | Aichi | Electricity-regenerating vehicles | Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology | |
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1Workshop dates, locations, etc. are current as of June 2015 and are subject to change; 2Co-host Toyota |
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