Kodomo no Ibasho

Equality in education is an important issue in Okinawa. Due to higher rates of poverty, greater high school dropout rates, and a larger number of single parent households, many Okinawan children don’t have the same opportunities as children in the rest of Japan. In response to these issues, the Kodomo no Ibasho program, which is part of the University Consortium Okinawa, provides places where children can gather with friends to learn, play, and receive meals.

Inspired by the goal of helping the local community, a group of OIST PhD students devised a project to provide science-related activities for Okinawan children at several Kodomo no Ibasho locations around the island. The aim of the project, which is part of OIST’s Professional and Career Development (PCD) program, is to reduce the high school dropout rate and increase children’s confidence in science subjects. The OIST students worked in different teams to plan and deliver a range of activities, such as games, science experiments and sports. At the end of their group projects, some of the students decided to continue visiting Kodomo no Ibasho locations as volunteers.