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Educational Support / Childcare Support

Educational Support / Childcare Support Educational Support / Childcare Support

Using the latest technology, we provide equal opportunities to all children to have a variety of experiences, going beyond regional or time-related limitations to support the growth of leaders and talent to shape the societies of the future. Through the power of telecommunications technology we seek to prevent the isolation of parents and maintain connections in communities, aiming to encourage the participation of all of society in raising children.

Providing educational programs

Conducting AI Challenge to help foster talent able to use AI

Conducting AI Challenge to help foster talent able to use AI

With the rapid spread of AI (artificial intelligence) technology, we are promoting cutting-edge AI research and various business activities using AI. As part of this effort, we are offering a new educational program called “AI Challenge”*. The program is aimed mainly at high school students and provides them with opportunities to learn the basics of AI and how to use it by trying out AI constructs used in the real world, with the aim of developing human resources who can play an active role in society in the future by considering the future with the development of AI.

[Note]
  1. *
    The service is scheduled to start in April 2022.

Conducting IoT Challenge in support of programming education

Conducting IoT Challenge in support of programming education

In readiness for the addition of programming to the mandatory curriculum for elementary and junior high schools in Japan from 2020, SoftBank began to provide the new IoT Challenge educational program using Pepper and Micro:bit from FY2019. We have also opened programming experience schools using Pepper in various locations, supporting chances for children to think about their future.

Kandu Robot LAB to experience being a robot engineer

Kandu Robot LAB

We established our Robot LAB in Kandu, a theme park for children to experience jobs, in Aeon Mall Makuhari New City. Children can try programming Pepper as robot engineers to solve the problems in the town of Kandu.

The aim is to teach through this experience the difficulties and joy of solving problems directly in front of them.

Supporting the use of ICT in extra-curricular activities

Supporting the use of ICT in extra-curricular activities

SoftBank provides an ICT service for extra-curricular activities and physical education in schools to support teachers who are concerned about their leadership capabilities or experience in competitive sport.

Students and teachers can receive remote guidance from experienced coaches through online videos that can be viewed on a smartphone, tablet, or PC.

Through this service, we aim to create an environment in which children can improve and gain more pleasure from sports.

Support for young children and
their parents through the power of ICT

Short-Time Work allowing short-term employment

Short-Time Work allowing short-term employment

We are promoting Short-Time Work, an initiative employing ICT such as personal computers, smartphones, and tablets. Short-Time Work is an initiative to allow employment for a short period of time unrestricted by location or workplace, such as in cases where people are unable to commute or work long hours (e.g. due to parenting).

Use of ICT allows working styles unrestricted by distance or time, providing employment opportunities to those willing but unable to work because of physical or time restrictions.

Digital Childnote-Tekuteku capable of solving problems and providing support in child care

We provide a portal service “Digital Childnote-Tekuteku” for local governments to support early detection of issues related to child care. The service can be linked to the official LINE accounts of each municipality, and provides functions such as the maternal and child health handbook necessary for child care. Through this service, we aim to enhance child care support in local communities through the use of ICT.

Growth Log Service to record and monitor information
from a child's earliest years

Growth Log Service to record and monitor information from a child's earliest years

SoftBank offers a Growth Log Service, an online service aimed at local governments that enables the lifelong recording and management from infanthood of information regarding an individual and their family's health, growth, and development.
It includes a function that enables local governments to provide an individual with information that has been tailored to their age and gender, realizing closer communication with citizens.
For citizens, the recording of information allows them to gain a quicker grasp and understanding of the situation and characteristics of themselves and their families. Sharing this recorded information with the local government encourages more accurate understanding and enables the provision of appropriate support.

Supporting children throughout Japan
lacking families to depend on

Supporting children throughout Japan lacking families to depend on

Charity Smile was launched nationwide by SoftBank Corp. to support children without a stable family situation. Customers can donate 10 yen per month, which SoftBank Corp. matches, so that each month a total of 20 yen is donated.

The affordable 10 yen can be added when monthly mobile phone charges are paid, and this can continue on a monthly basis without any inconvenience to the customer. If a major disaster occurs, wherever the location, a portion of the funds are earmarked for donation to support the affected area.

Protection of children
and junior generations

In order to protect the human rights of developing users, such as children and junior generations, we develop and provide devices and services that are adapted to the protection required by each generation.

Devices for elementary school students
Kids Phone 2

For elementary school students, we offer the “Kids Phone 2,” which limits its functions to calling and e-mail. The Kids Phone 2 is equipped with a function that allows you to check the whereabouts of your child at any time, and when the security buzzer is activated, it notifies you of the location and sends you photos of the vicinity, in case of any trouble or crime.

Services for the junior generation
Junior Smartphone

For the junior generation, we offer the “Junior Smartphone,” which allows users to change their regular smartphones to junior specifications. The Junior Smartphone offers a single package of functions to restrict harmful applications, websites and billing, and is designed to protect users from human rights violations on the Internet while allowing them to fully utilize the smartphone functions that the junior generation needs, such as LINE.

Support for children
who have disabilities
in their daily lives

We provide Assist Guide, a smartphone app to assist children in need so that they can act independently and show their natural abilities.

AssistGuide

Supporting sponsorship for activities
that support children's dreams

SEND to 2050 PROJECT

SEND to 2050 PROJECT

We endorse and support the SEND to 2050 PROJECT activities. The SEND to 2050 PROJECT was started in 2009 to ensure better leaders and a better age in 2050. The Nationwide Student Council Summit gathers together student councils from junior high schools as the leaders of the various regions of Japan in 2050, to cooperate in creating the future of this country.