[Nagoya - Event Report] Elementary School Students Learn STEM Education in English ~Field Trip to Experience Sewerage Science Supporting Japan's Technology~ [Alive Academic Class]

Alive Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture; Representative Director: Hiromi Mitsui), which operates English kindergartens, children's English conversation schools, English STEM schools, and English after-school care, conducted a field trip on Saturday, March 7, 2026. As part of the Alive Academic Class (after-school program), students visited the Metawater Sewerage Science Museum Nagoya (Nagoya City) for their second-semester excursion.

Japan's Technological Prowess for the Future ~The Significance of Education in Learning Science in English~

Alive's Academic Class is a specialized program where students "learn, think, and discuss" science, social issues, SDGs, and international problems in English. Alive has a 25-year track record, employing foreign instructors with doctoral and master's degrees from graduate schools, as well as foreign instructors with expertise in specialized fields.

In fact, this class currently has a clear objective: "to nurture individuals who connect Japan's high technological capabilities to the world." A foreign instructor who was involved in the establishment of this class at its inception later worked as an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. When Principal Mitsui visited locally, he conveyed the following message: "Japan possesses incredibly high technological capabilities. However, when I was enrolled in a Japanese graduate school, there were not many opportunities to discuss this technology in English with my Japanese classmates. Japan's technological capabilities are truly wonderful. That is precisely why the ability to convey that technology to the world, and the power to learn from each other and develop technology across countries and positions, will become increasingly important. Alive embraces the weight of these words, and with the aspiration of 'not just learning technology, but fostering individuals who can develop technology in cooperation with the world,' it is advancing the development of its Academic Class and STEM Class. As a skill required in the AI era, this field trip is designed as 'learning to understand science in English and connecting it to society.'"

"Pre-learning" experiments to spark curiosity

Before the excursion, mini-experiments were conducted at the school building.

- Comparison of dissolution of toilet paper / tissue / kitchen paper
- Filtration experiment for oil-water separation

Students departed for the site with questions like "Why does it clog?" and "Why does water become clean?"

"On-site experience" Learning about Nagoya's social infrastructure and Japan's technological prowess

At the site, children understood the workings of life-sized sewage pipe models and bacteria that purify water, realizing how Japan's advanced infrastructure technology supports the city.

"Reflection" English discussion to turn "questions" into "understanding"

After the tour, an English discussion was held. Through the process of thinking, explaining, and conversing in English about questions like "Why does it clog?", "How can we prevent it?", and "What is its role in society?", their learning deepened.

Children's learning begins with a question of "Why?". Alive will continue to cultivate children's ability to understand the mechanisms of science and society, think for themselves, and express themselves, through English x STEM x inquiry-based learning. Furthermore, we aim to develop human resources who can communicate from Nagoya to the world, and we will continue to expand our English education.

About Alive Co., Ltd.

Company Overview

Headquarters: Izumi 21 Building 1F, 1-21-12 Izumi, Higashi-ku, Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture 461-0001

Established: January 18, 2001

Capital: 22 million yen

Representative Director: Hiromi Mitsui

▼Principal's Blog
Official Website

https://alive-co.com/

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Main Services

International schools (English kindergartens), English schools (English/English conversation schools), STEM schools, Dream schools (after-school programs), career education (in cooperation with NPOs in Nagoya City and Aichi Prefecture), dispatch of foreign instructors to kindergartens and nursery schools, contracting for after-school programs at elementary schools, provision of matching apps with foreign instructors, etc.

Alive is developing a wide range of programs centered on English education, including SDGs, STEM, leadership, and entrepreneurship training. Through collaboration with educators from Harvard University and Silicon Valley, they offer advanced educational programs such as leadership, SDGs, and entrepreneurship training. They view English as a "tool for thinking and connecting with the world," and emphasize the development of non-cognitive skills such as motivation, collaboration, and resilience, in addition to cognitive abilities. Furthermore, in January 2026, they entered into an advisory contract with Mr. Yoshikazu Nakayama, a leading expert in non-cognitive skills research, to improve educational quality and enhance curricula. They are implementing education that cultivates the "ability to live" and "ability to forge the future" required in the AI era.