"Only those who can put AI to work will still have a place in the job market" -- the children and parents in the room fell quiet at that line. On July 4, 2026 (Sat), we held the community event "Digital Junior Day 2026 Summer -- Meet the AI Frontier!" at Omori 3rd Junior High School. It was organized by the school's Community School Management Council, with support from the school PTA. About 30 people joined, from elementary and junior high students to parents and local residents, including the chair of the local neighborhood association. The talk was given by our own chairperson, Tomoyuki Urushidani, who also serves as the school PTA's vice president.
Four Skills to Beat the "AI Divide"
The keyword of the talk was the "AI divide." AI doesn't lift everyone's work equally. The gap between those who can use it well and those who can't keeps widening -- and as AI takes over more and more of the work itself, what remains in knowledge work is a thin "human slot," reserved for the people who can command AI. That was the hard truth shared with the room. At the same time, four abilities were named as essential for children to thrive alongside AI:
- The ability to put thoughts into words and writing
- Reading comprehension
- Logical thinking
- The ability to form a vision and ask good questions
"Look What AI Can Build" -- Our Own Website as Exhibit A
So what does "putting AI to work" actually look like? To show a concrete example, we pulled up Digital Kodomo BASE's own website on screen. The site already spans more than 4,500 indexed pages: 325 short columns for kids in "Kodomo Future Notebook," 200 IT explainers in "Kids' IT Lab," and 15 content tracks with over 750 topics in our skill-building "Skill-Up Dojo." Nearly all of it is produced with AI.
Our biggest single library, the junior-high study materials on "Kodomo Study Lab," covers 3 grade levels, 6 subjects, and 405 units -- roughly 2,300 pages and over 7,500 practice questions. We've also produced 100 four-panel comics and 100 short videos teaching kids how to use AI and digital tools safely. "All of this, built by a handful of people. That's what AI makes possible" -- the room reacted with visible surprise. We also previewed two projects in development: an AI tutor (working name) built to meet junior high students where they get stuck, and a certification test that measures how safely and skillfully kids can use AI.
Our Original AI Test -- Laughter Over the "Local" Questions
After the talk, everyone took on our original AI proficiency test. We prepared 10 questions each for elementary and junior high levels, and adult participants tackled the junior high version too. The set was made up of 6 standard questions, 2 harder "challenge" questions, and 2 "local" questions built around teachers and adults from the community. "Wait, I know this person!" -- laughter broke out across the room each time answers were checked. The test doubled as a trial version of our NPO certification, and from among those who took it on, we gave away 12 refurbished laptops. The kids who received one held onto it with the biggest smiles.
A Corporate Donation Made This Laptop Giveaway Possible
This laptop giveaway was made possible by a donation from Asia Sustainability Group (ASG). Those smiles exist because of the support of companies like theirs.
→ Read more about ASG's donation and comments
Digital Kodomo BASE continues to give away laptops, free of charge, to children who need them. To open up more learning opportunities for more children, we welcome donations from companies at any time. If your company is interested, please get in touch.
Visitors from the Board of Education and Other Schools
On the day, representatives from the Ota City Board of Education and other schools also came to observe. It was a reminder of how much interest there is in learning spaces built on parent and community involvement -- exactly what the Community School model is about.
After the event, one of our most senior attendees -- a neighbor with many more years of life experience than any of us -- came up to tell us "it was really wonderful." Elementary schoolers and elders, side by side in the same classroom, listening to a talk about AI: that one comment meant more to us than anything else that day.
Our heartfelt thanks go to the Omori 3rd Junior High School Community School Management Council and PTA for their support, and to everyone from the community who joined us. Digital Kodomo BASE will keep working with schools and the community to create fun opportunities for children to build the skills they'll need in the age of AI.
Digital Kodomo BASE's events will keep going.
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