RePlayce Inc. Commissioned by Aichi Prefecture to Plan and Operate 'AICHI STARTUP SCHOOL'

RePlayce Inc. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director & CEO: Masahiro Yamamoto), a provider of career exploration services for junior high and high school students, has been commissioned by Aichi Prefecture to plan and operate "AICHI STARTUP SCHOOL," an entrepreneurship development program for elementary, junior high, and high school students.

"AICHI STARTUP SCHOOL" is a hands-on educational program targeting all elementary, junior high, and high school students who will play an active role in the upcoming AI era.

RePlayce will plan and operate this program by leveraging its advanced educational assets and proprietary learning design expertise, which have been cultivated through the management of "TANQ BASE," a career exploration online school, and "HR High School," a support school for correspondence high school students. Consequently, recruitment for student participants has commenced.

Background of the Initiative

With rapid technological evolution and the rise of AI, modern society is entering an unpredictable transition period. For the youth to survive in this era, it is urgent to acquire "entrepreneurship" and "non-cognitive skills" to find local issues by themselves and create new value in collaboration with others, rather than just memorizing existing knowledge. Fostering entrepreneurship education for elementary, junior high, and high school students is also promoted in the government's "Five-Year Startup Development Plan."

Aichi Prefecture is also focusing on providing entrepreneurship education to the next generation based on its "Aichi-Startup Strategy," which promotes the creation of its unique startup ecosystem. However, a structural challenge remains: there is a lack of experience in dealing with real-world problems and practical technology implementation across society.

To address this, RePlayce will optimize and deploy its "active learning design expertise" developed through its own school operations for this local government program. The program is designed to guide students from their own interests and concerns, allowing them to collaborate with peers to turn ideas into reality. The goal is to cultivate ownership and the ability to make decisions and carry them through, even in situations with no clear answers.

Overview of the Initiative

The program consists of three levels tailored to the age and development stage of the students (Elementary/Junior High School Program, High School Basic Program, High School Advanced Program), seamlessly combined with events where students can directly interact with entrepreneurs.

[Elementary & Junior High School Program]

Dates:

Elementary School Students: July 21 (Tue), July 24 (Fri), September 19 (Sat), October 3 (Sat)

Junior High School Students: July 22 (Wed), July 23 (Thu), September 26 (Sat), October 11 (Sun), October 24 (Sat)

Target: Elementary school students (grades 4-6) and junior high school students (grades 1-3) residing or studying in Aichi Prefecture.

Main Content: Workshops where students identify problems from daily concerns and questions, develop solution ideas with peers, and experience presenting them.

[High School Program: Basic Course]

Dates: August 28 (Fri), August 29 (Sat), October 10 (Sat)

Target: High school students residing or studying in Aichi Prefecture.

Main Content: A two-day workshop to transform social issues into business ideas and present them in a pitch challenge.

[High School Program: Advanced Course]

Dates: Scheduled for Fall/Winter 2026

Target: High school students residing or studying in Aichi Prefecture.

Main Content: Logically refining business proposals by organizing customer problems and value propositions, followed by a final pitch to present ideas to the public.

Special Programs & Events

[Pre-event Online Seminar]

Dates: June 20 (Sat) 10:00–11:00

Target: Elementary school students (grades 4-6), junior high school students (grades 1-3) residing in Aichi Prefecture, and their parents.

Main Content: Explanation of the program for elementary and junior high school students, alongside presentations by actual entrepreneurs. An online event where parents and children can easily learn about entrepreneurship.

[Student Networking Event]

Dates: August 29 (Sat), October 10 (Sat)

Target: Participants of the elementary/junior high school program and their parents.

Main Content: Experiencing the excitement of bringing ideas to life through a tour of "STATION Ai," one of Japan's largest open innovation hubs, and joining mini-workshops to see real challenges of high school students.

* Participation is completely free (individual application is required for each program).

Please check the official website for the latest updates, detailed venue information, and application methods.

"AICHI STARTUP SCHOOL" Official Website: https://ass.pref.aichi.jp

Features of "AICHI STARTUP SCHOOL"

The most significant feature of this program is that RePlayce's schools, such as "TANQ BASE" and "HR High School"...