Harmonize Plus Supports Children's Town Event at Fukuoka University

Harmonize Plus Supports Children’s Town Event

In a vibrant and engaging collaboration, Harmonize Plus has sponsored the "Children’s Town in Fukuoka University"—an initiative hosted by KODOMO LABO, a student-run organization. This event, officially known as "Fukufuku Happy Island in Fukuoka University", empowers children to envision and discuss their ideal town through kid-led conferences. Participants engage in a variety of activities that allow them to experience societal roles, such as working, playing, paying taxes, and voting.

Enhancing Education Through Visualization

Harmonize Plus, leveraging its expertise in visualizing learning outcomes in academic environments, has closely collaborated with university students to craft a unique tool: the "Growth Certificate". Designed specifically for child staff members, ranging from elementary to middle school students, this certificate captures their growth throughout the preparation and execution phases of the event. The certificate features radar charts and personalized feedback comments from university student staff, all crafted with age-appropriate language. The process was overseen by Professor Shinjiro Takatsuma from Fukuoka University, ensuring the assessment methods and presentation were valid and suitable for children.

Students shared their excitement after receiving their Growth Certificates, expressing joy at recognizing their personal growth.

The Impact of the Growth Certificate

The Growth Certificate acts as a vital tool for empowerment, intuitively visualizing the roles and actions of children through radar charts and comments. This information is easily shared between the children, their parents, and the event organizers, fostering a deeper understanding of each child's development.

Moreover, university student staff provided gentle and tailored feedback, employing relatable language, icons, and metaphors to ensure clarity and engagement.

Positive Reception from Participants

Children eagerly examined their certificates, showing a keen interest in their growth points. Smiles were abundant as they explained their achievements to family and friends. Additionally, student facilitators noted a sense of fulfillment, as articulating positive behaviors seemed to motivate the children further.

Collaborative Learning Experience

The development of the certificate's content involved a creative partnership with university students, avoiding technical jargon and employing illustrations and metaphors for clarity. This effort, supported by collaborations among universities, local communities, and businesses, highlights a model for enhancing children's experiences and challenges within society.

Harmonize Plus has long been dedicated to illuminating learning and growth that traditional evaluations might overlook. The Growth Certificate represents a fresh challenge to accurately assess and document growth in non-standardized learning environments.

Future Prospects of the Initiative

Through this collaboration, Harmonize Plus reaffirmed the importance of social contribution through student partnerships. Moving forward, the company aims to continue applying its visualization techniques to meet the needs of educational environments. Special attention will be given to practical educational programs and experiential learning, helping to create a framework for appropriately evaluating and documenting experiences and outcomes.

Event Overview:

- Event Name: Children’s Town in Fukuoka University
- Venue: Fukuoka University 60th Anniversary Memorial Hall
- Dates: August 9-10, 2025 (Saturday-Sunday)
- Organized by: Student organization KODOMO LABO
- Target Audience: Students from 2nd grade of elementary to the 3rd year of middle school in Fukuoka City (approximately 200 children participated over two days)
- Schedule: Bi-weekly "Children's Conferences" from April, preparation on August 8, and the main event on August 9-10.

About KODOMO LABO

KODOMO LABO is a student organization composed mainly of students from the Faculty of Humanities at Fukuoka University, specializing in educational psychology. It is supported by the Fukuoka University Community Collaboration Center and promotes "Fukufuku Happy Island in Fukuoka University" as a selected initiative.

About Professor Shinjiro Takatsuma

Professor Takatsuma from Fukuoka University's Faculty of Humanities specializes in educational administration and management, focusing on education policy, school evaluation, and comparisons between the educational systems of Japan and the UK. He has numerous published works in this field.