NIJIN Academy Launches "PJ Juku" Project-Based Learning Program Utilizing "Town as a Garden" as Curriculum for Children Seeking More Than School - Koshigaya Lake Town Edition

NIJIN Academy Koshigaya Campus has launched "PJ Juku" (NIJIN Academy Project Juku), a project-based learning program that transforms the town itself into a learning environment. The first phase will take place in Koshigaya Lake Town, Koshigaya City, Saitama Prefecture. PJ Juku is an inquiry-based project program for elementary and junior high school students who seek learning beyond traditional schooling. It is a renewal of the "NIJIN Academy After School" program. Students from full-time schools can also participate. The program collaborates with companies, local communities, and experts, offering practical projects not typically experienced in school. The program aims to foster the ability to ask questions, collaborate, and create value in a rapidly changing society, addressing the current lack of real-world connected project-based learning in schools. Previous projects include addressing overtourism in Okinawa. Koshigaya Lake Town was chosen as a teaching material due to its characteristics as one of Japan's largest shopping malls and a town developed around a flood control reservoir, condensing elements of modern society. The program (approx. 2 hours) includes introduction, mission-based town exploration (e.g., finding commonalities in popular places, identifying characteristics of successful stores), experience (store observation, simple interviews, video production), and presentation ("Conveying the charm of Lake Town in 30 seconds"). It emphasizes proactive learning through missions, fieldwork connected to real society, and output-oriented design like video production. The target audience is elementary and junior high school students who feel that "school learning is not enough" or "want to experience learning closer to real society," not limited to truants. Future expansion is planned for other regions such as Asakusa, Kasukabe, Soka, and Kawaguchi, utilizing the unique characteristics of each town. The program dates are May 7th (pre-learning) and May 10th (fieldwork), with a participation fee of 3,000 yen for two days and a capacity of 4 students.