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 to
foster the next generation
Conducting AI Challenge to help foster talent able to use AI
Japan is facing a shortage of people with skills in AI, and developing young human resources to fill the shortfall is an urgent task facing the country. In light of this, in April 2022, SoftBank Corp. launched AI Challenge, an educational program in which junior high and high school students learn the basics and mechanisms of AI through practical study. Through this initiative, we aim to promote the development of talent that can effectively use AI.
After first learning and understanding the basics of AI, the students think up ways of using AI to solve problems. SoftBank Corp. group employees involved in AI work then provide feedback and advice regarding their ideas from the unique perspective provided by their real-world experience.
Educational support using
the humanoid robot Pepper
Utilizing the humanoid robot “Pepper” not only for programming learning, but also considering the relationship between humans and robots, and experiencing the process of solving real-world problems with programming using “Pepper,” fosters logical thinking, problem-solving skills, imagination, and promotes exploratory learning. Additionally, Pepper serves as an assistant instructor, providing content for classes such as “disaster preparedness education,” “information ethics,” and “sportsmanship,” which are utilized in children's learning environments.
The lunar base development project “NEO TEC LAB”
We have opened the lunar base development project “NEO TEC LAB” at the job experience theme park “Kandu” located in AEON Mall Makuhari New City. As a future career experience for children, we offer an activity where they can remotely operate heavy machinery and cranes on the lunar surface from a cockpit control seat on Earth, experiencing safe and efficient construction work.
The aim is to teach through this experience the difficulties and joy of solving problems directly in front of them.
Supporting physical education classes
and extracurricular activities through ICT
The Company provides support through the AI Smart Coach app for teachers in school physical education classes and extracurricular activities who have limited competitive experience and face challenges in providing effective instruction.
By using smartphones and tablets to compare their movements with model videos and conduct AI-based skeletal analysis, teachers and students can identify their own challenges and work toward improvement based on objective data. This also promotes self-directed and collaborative learning, encouraging students to think independently and learn with one another.
This initiative has been introduced by local governments, schools, and university classes, and helps reduce the burden on instructors while improving students' skills through the power of ICT, thereby contributing to the development of future sports education environments.
Supporting childcare and parenting with the power of ICT
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.
Expanding opportunities for activities of
those facing challenges in daily life
Assist Guide is an app that allows users to make a visualized list of things to do and how to do them for use in daily life. With smartphones, users can photograph each step of a task, add explanations and arrange them in order to make it easier to understand the activity as a whole. Assist Guide can help children, seniors and those with other difficulties in daily life (including those with intellectual or developmental disabilities) broaden the scope of their activities in daily life.
In November 2021 and July 2022, Kagawa University and the city of Takamatsu, Kagawa, carried out demonstration tests applying the app to using trains and buses. Participants used Assist Guide, in which the steps to get from point A to point B were laid out in photos.
With the app, participants who previously had difficulty using trains and buses, including individuals with intellectual and developmental disorders, were able to travel on their own. We will continue to help remove barriers in society using Assist Guide to create environments that allow users to exercise their full abilities.
Supporting sponsorship for activities
that support children's dreams
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.