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
- Supporting the use of ICT in extra-curricular activities
- Supporting childcare and parenting with the power of ICT
- Continuous support for children throughout Japan lacking families to depend on
- Expanding opportunities for activities of those facing challenges in daily life
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.
Kandu Robot LAB to experience being a robot engineer
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
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.
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.
Digital childcare notebook “Tekuteku”
to promote DX of childcare support
The Tekuteku digital childcare notebook is a web service* that SoftBank Corp.
provides to municipalities to support parents during pregnancy, after childbirth and with childcare.
Through Tekuteku, users can access helpful childcare information and utilize maternal and child health handbook functions, as well as a development assessment function that helps identify developmental issues early. Tekuteku also encourages users who are concerned about their child reaching developmental milestones later than expected to seek consultation at their municipality's designated contact point. By providing a mechanism that aids in the early detection of developmental issues and early intervention by relevant agencies, Tekuteku supports the creation of community environments in which parents can raise their children with peace of mind.
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- *
Provided by SoftBank Corp. subsidiary Healthcare Technologies Corp.
- *
Continuous support for 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.
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.