On Wednesday, November 5th, Professor Ogata Izumi ofthe Faculty of Collaborative Regional Development Department of Regional Development Regional Co-creation, who teaches the course "Social Education Management," and 13 other students welcomed and interacted with 21 5-year-old children from the senior group at Kashii Shimobaru Nursery School as part of the "University Field Trip" community collaboration project.
This course is open to students from all faculties who are aiming to obtain qualifications for appointment as a social education director or a social education specialist, and through this initiative, students hone their planning skills, implementation and management abilities, crisis management skills, and teamwork.
Prior to the exchange, the students visited the nursery on Wednesday, October 29th, and interacted with the children. They also conducted preparatory learning by observing the children's behavior at the nursery and how the nursery teachers interact with the children.
The day began with a guided walk around Okusu Arena 2020, followed by lunch together. In the afternoon, the students organized a "mini sports day" within the arena, with children running around the large arena and competing enthusiastically in events such as ball toss and tug-of-war. The students and children cheered on their teams together, and the atmosphere was friendly throughout. By the time they left, they were calling each other by name. In front of the smiling children, the students seemed to have gained a great sense of accomplishment and valuable learning.
Oshiro Kuya (Shuri High School), a third-year student in the Department Faculty of Economics Department of Economics Economics, said, "In the preparation stage, I researched how to interact with children and made sure to talk to them at eye level and listen carefully to what they had to say. I planned the content of the sports day based on the children's favorite games and also listened to the opinions of the nursery teachers. It was difficult to run the event while paying attention to safety, but it was a valuable practical learning experience."
In the future, we are planning a local collaboration project with Tsuruta Mitoma Kindergarten in December. The students will deepen their learning through further practical experience.
[Department of Regional Development]
