School of Fun for Children in Fukushima

Please find a Japanese version of this report here.

From May 2 to 5, during Japan’s major holiday period known as Golden Week, we once again held a camp at Waseda University where children could play with AI. Reimagining “GW” as “Generative Week,” this four-day camp brought together 13 children (from 4th grade elementary school to 3rd year high school) from the Tohoku, Kanto, and Kansai regions. Together with AI, they explored questions that interested them, conducted research, wrote papers, and presented the papers as posters.

In two senses, they “front-loaded” their work. One sense was that they carried out “free research” — a typical Japanese schools' summer vacation assignment — already in May. The other sense was that they experienced, here and now, what will likely become commonplace in the future: humans and AI collaboratively engaging in intellectual production.

On day 1, the children were introduced to an AI tutor and a “research game.” Yes — the children played research as a game! Divided into six groups, they began by interacting with the AI tutor to formulate research questions.

On day 2, each group dispersed across different parts of Tokyo to collect primary data. Half of the groups even worked together with AI to create apps for data collection that ran on the distributed tablet devices, and then used those apps in the field.

On day 3, the children analyzed the collected data and drafted papers with the AI tutor. In this game-like framing of research, the victory condition was to receive at least a “weak accept” evaluation from all three anonymous NPC (non-player character) reviewers. The children refined their analyses and papers as they worked toward clearing the game.

On day 4, all camp participants convened as an editorial committee to review one another’s papers. Afterwards, they finalized their papers (and, of course, cleared the game), and presented their work in poster format.

As a result, six research papers were produced. Each tackled an intriguing question: “Can changes in human emotion be tracked using video recording and AI?” “How are Tokyo’s historical buildings being preserved?” “Why do people differ in their preference for packaged versus bulk candy?” “How is comfort in cities determined by the balance between nature and convenience?” “Do topographical conditions such as slopes affect the density of utility poles?” “Do larger pond snails move more actively?” — Considering the short duration of the investigation period, it can be said that the participants achieved meaningful results.

But perhaps even more important than the individual research results was what everyone gained collectively: the experience of enjoying research — a highly sophisticated form of intellectual production — as a game, long before going to university.

Several of the children seemed to become especially fond of the “game” of research, asking how they could continue doing it even after returning home. An entry point into an exploratory mindset — if AI tools and the camp environment helped provide that, it would be something we are truly happy about.

Links:

• Academy Camp Facebook page in English

Please find a Japanese version of this report here.

In recent years, high school sub-leaders have begun playing an important role in Academy Camp’s learning community. This past year, nine high school students joined the program as sub-leaders, including five from the Tohoku region. Many of them first participated in Academy Camp as children. Now, they are returning to the camp in a new role—learning alongside younger participants while also helping support the collaborative learning environment.

Traditionally, university students served as leaders who guided discussions and supported younger participants. Recently, we have experimented with a new approach: high school students experience parts of that role as part of the camp program itself. They join team activities on topics such as AI, robotics, and future communities, while also encouraging discussion, helping teams connect ideas, and supporting younger children when they need guidance.

For example, one high school girl who has been attending Academy Camp since elementary school often says that she will “never miss a camp.” At last month’s camp, she designed and led a sub-leader activity based on a creative variation of the game Fruit Basket, bringing everyone together in laughter while helping participants interact across teams.

Importantly, these students are not simply “leaders.” They are still participants themselves, exploring ideas, experimenting, and learning together with everyone else. The sub-leader experience allows them to gradually develop leadership through practice—by participating, supporting others, and reflecting on their role in the community.

This cycle—where former participants return and begin supporting the next generation—is one of the most meaningful aspects of Academy Camp. Through these experiences, young people build friendships, curiosity, and confidence in imagining the future together. Today’s participants grow into tomorrow’s mentors.

Donations help us continue creating opportunities where young participants can grow into the next generation of mentors and leaders, supporting children from Fukushima and across Japan as they explore technology, creativity, and the future together.

PLEASE SUPPORT US THROUGH LITTLE BY LITTLE

This year’s GlobalGiving Little by Little campaign begins at 10:00 a.m. EDT on March 17, 2026, and ends when the matching funds run out or at 10:00 p.m. EDT on March 20, 2026, whichever comes first. GlobalGiving has prepared $125,000 USD in matching funds for this campaign, and donations of up to $50 USD per donor to each organization will be matched at 50%. We would be deeply grateful for your support for Academy Camp for the children of Fukushima and for children across Japan during this opportunity.

Links:

• Academy Camp Facebook page in English