Empowering Youth Through Hands-On Learning in Onagawa: AI Can't Replace Human Skills

In an innovative approach to high school education, ID Academy, a correspondence institution under Ikubunkan Dream Academy, is launching a program aimed at enhancing community engagement through immersive learning experiences. From July 1 to July 10, 2026, students will stay in Onagawa, Miyagi Prefecture, for ten days, participating in the "Let's Increase the Activity Population in Onagawa Project."

This initiative forms a crucial part of the school's dream education curriculum, known as Dream Active Problem-Based Learning (PBL). Throughout their stay, students will engage with local businesses, organizations, and the government to tackle issues that contribute to sustainable regional development, all rooted in their personal aspirations, strengths, and interests. This hands-on experience is designed to instill human-centered skills that AI cannot replicate, such as the ability to identify core problems, generating hypotheses, logical thinking, creativity, and proactive behavior—essential skills for thriving in an AI-driven world.

Fostering Questioning Skills in Onagawa

Emphasizing Inquiry Over Answers

In a time when information is easily accessible due to advancements in AI, ID Academy prioritizes teaching students how to formulate their own questions rather than simply searching for the right answers. Through fieldwork in Onagawa and discussions with local residents, students will observe community conditions, recognize challenges, brainstorm solutions, and implement their ideas. Some of the inquiries they will explore include:

- Why does a labor shortage persist despite significant improvements in infrastructure post-reconstruction?
- What type of support is genuinely needed by the community?
- What perspectives are needed when outsiders engage with the local population?

By grappling with such questions, students will enhance their ability to draft hypotheses and perceive the essence of issues. Additionally, they will gain insights from multiple perspectives—governmental, private sector, and local—further developing their critical thinking skills. By interacting with Onagawa's unique examples of