"It's been a long time since I've seen my child look so happy." On Monday, October 19, we held the first session of Digital Kodomo BASE Furatto Lab, and a parent who joined shared those words with us.
Digital Kodomo BASE Furatto Lab is a digital space for elementary and junior high school students who find school hard, and for their parents. The first session ran for two hours, from 1 to 3 p.m.
Each child doing what they chose
Children from elementary school through junior high school came. We began with a short talk to the children about things like why building skills matters. After that, each had their own computer and spent the time on something they chose. Some played Roblox or Minecraft, and others worked on programming with AI. For some, it was their first time playing Roblox. With children curious about computers themselves, we went upstairs together to look at the computer parts we keep on the second floor.
What to do is up to each child. Playing and making are equally valued ways to spend time at Digital Kodomo BASE Furatto Lab.
Many parents came, too
Many parents joined us on the day. Several school social workers also came by, and three staff members ran the session.
Throughout the day, we saw the children break into big smiles again and again. Watching them, we felt from the heart that we want to keep this place going. The words a parent shared with us, "It's been a long time since I've seen my child look so happy," are a great encouragement to us as well.
The second session is on Monday, November 16
The second session will be held on Monday, November 16, from 1 to 3 p.m. For how to apply, please see the Digital Kodomo BASE Furatto Lab page.
Help us keep a place where children who find school hard can meet computers and people.
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