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AlphaDrive and RePlayce Unveil New Educational Initiative for High School Students

In a groundbreaking partnership, AlphaDrive, based in Minato, Tokyo, has joined forces with RePlayce, a company specializing in career exploration for middle and high school students, to take on the production of teaching materials associated with the Japan Finance Corporation's (JFC) prestigious High School Business Plan Grand Prix. This initiative aims to enhance the entrepreneurial mindset of high school and technical high school students, paving the way for effective business plan development.

Background of the Initiative

Since its inception in fiscal year 2013, the High School Business Plan Grand Prix has evolved into a significant platform aimed at instilling an entrepreneurial spirit among students across Japan. In the fiscal year 2024, JFC plans to conduct outreach lessons in around 500 schools nationwide, signaling a growing commitment to entrepreneurship education. To ensure ongoing educational opportunities, there is a pressing need to innovate and improve existing content, moving beyond traditional outreach sessions.

AlphaDrive, collaborating with RePlayce, is dedicated to developing teaching videos and materials accessible to educators everywhere. Their mission is to create a more sustainable and impactful entrepreneurial education framework across Japan.

Overview of the Content Development

As part of this partnership, the duo will produce a total of 15 educational videos encompassing both basic and advanced levels. Specifically, eight introductory and intermediate videos, alongside seven advanced-level videos, will be crafted to cover critical topics such as the significance of business plan formulation, methods for generating business ideas, and strategies for effective marketing. This initiative will provide students with essential skills, increasing their learning opportunities and enhancing their practical knowledge base.

Engaging and Relatable Content

Drawing from over 1,000 workshops, the team will create a cohesive learning experience that encompasses video, text, and practical worksheets. The educational videos will feature sound effects and visual elements to capture student interest, while the texts will use familiar scenarios and examples that resonate with high school learners. This engaging format aims to deliver revelations and deeper understanding for students post-study, fostering a sustained motivation for learning.

Participant-Focused Instruction

The instructional design emphasizes active participation. Rather than merely transmitting knowledge, the program encourages students to think critically and express their own ideas. Throughout the videos, strategic questions will prompt students to engage in problem-solving through workshop-style activities. This approach helps students perceive everyday challenges as business opportunities, thus facilitating active learning participation rather than passive intake of information.

Support for Educators

To ease the integration of entrepreneurship education in schools, comprehensive guides and worksheets will be provided to support teachers who might lack experience in this area. RePlayce has harnessed insights from its experiences in over 38 schools to create practical instructional materials, ensuring that faculty do not need specialized knowledge to deliver this curriculum effectively. This program aims for high reproducibility to streamline the teaching process.

Execution of the Project

The details of the project include:

• - Video Production: 15 videos encompassing introductory, intermediate, and advanced content, with intermediate and advanced resources set for upload from September.
• - Material Development: Textbooks and worksheets tailored to accompany each lesson.
• - Instructor Support Tools: Comprehensive guides for teachers to aid lesson delivery.
• - Dedicated Teacher Resource Page: A platform where all materials and videos will be available for continuous access by educators.
• - Operational Support: Provision of online support sessions for teachers to discuss implementation strategies.

Through these efforts, the goal is to nurture an environment conducive to active learning and to equip students with analytical and expressive capabilities.

Future Prospects and Collaboration Strengths

This initiative embodies a union of AlphaDrive's expertise in new business development and RePlayce's specialty in educational content. This synergy is set to offer practical, sustainable educational solutions within the landscape of Japan’s entrepreneurship curriculum. RePlayce, which emerged as a spin-off from the NTT DoCoMo Group in April 2024, is on a mission to catalyze curiosity among youth by transforming current educational norms. AlphaDrive played a crucial role in this journey, supporting RePlayce from its inception.

The collaborative goal is to strengthen the framework and impact of entrepreneurship education across high schools and technical schools nationwide, providing students with the tools they need to succeed in their future endeavors.