Onna × OIST Children's School of Science

The Onna x OIST Children’s School of Science is a five-day science program that is held every year during the summer vacation for elementary and junior high school students in Onna Village. The program, which includes science demonstrations, field trips and activities, aims to give the next generation of researchers a taste of life as a scientist. It combines real science with a sense of fun to stimulate curious young minds and show the possibilities that studying science can hold.

At the 2018 Onna OIST Children’s School of Science, the children took part in a session called “Let’s Learn about Liquids and Touch, and Make Monster Toothpaste!”

As well as welcoming participants from Onna Village and OIST, the program also invites students from the prefecture to volunteer as staff, providing them with an opportunity to develop their leadership skills and interact with the Onna community.

Children visiting the Marine Science Station to learn about life below water. An OIST researcher demonstrates dangerous animals and marine safety.

The Children’s School of Science has been successfully run by OIST’s Community Relations Section in collaboration with Onna Village for more than ten years. The program encourages the children to take a fresh look at the world around them, to ask questions and to consider a career in science.