Along with society

Japan: SDGs Education Initiatives

Furthering Studies at the Kawasaki Plant Social Studies Field Trip

Ajinomoto Co., Inc.’s Kawasaki Plant offers social studies field trips for fifth-grade students. The plant renewed the field trip program in September 2022 to further support SDGs education for children.

Ajinomoto Co., Inc.’s Kawasaki Plant is the oldest of three company plants in Japan. In September 2022, the plant resumed social studies field trips for the first time in three years in the wake of COVID-19. The plant also made major revisions to the course design in conjunction with the reopening. These revisions aim to support learning based on the latest fifth-grade curriculum guidelines.

The new purpose of the social studies field trip is to learn about the supply chain (the process behind a product, from the procurement of raw materials to its sale). On the field trip, children experience the dedication and effort that goes into making a product. Children also hear the thoughts of the company and workers firsthand while observing the process of how products are made and delivered to consumers. These experiences throughout the course offer opportunities to learn about environmental initiatives surrounding Goal 12 of the SDGs, Responsible Consumption and Production.

The concept of this social studies field trip is This just in! The Future of Food as Seen from Ajinomoto Co., Inc.’s Kawasaki Plant. Children follow direction from the staff as they focus on “reporting” any information and insights they gain in each section. This reporting style helps the children familiarize themselves with information learned. Ajinomoto Co., Inc. also distributes original interview worksheets to help solidify their learnings. The children fill in these worksheets on the spot with any information learned and discovered. These worksheets are prepared with easy-to-understand hints aimed to emphasize important points of the tour. This design helps children learn by themselves, not only by being taught.

The main goal of the field trip is to learn about the supply chain. On the tour, Ajinomoto Co., Inc. gives a brief introductory lecture on the supply chain for children to take learning to a new level by listening and observing in person.

Ajinomoto Co., Inc. launched a website for children called the Ajinomoto Group Sustainability Web for KIDS, aiming for better learning experiences on the social studies field trip. This website details company initiatives in an easy-to-understand manner for children. Not only does the website serve as prepare the children for and review the social studies field trips, but it also serves as a tool for SGDs education at home.

The renewed social studies field trips received high evaluations from teachers at participating schools, scoring 9.6 out of 10 in satisfaction levels, and 9.5 out of 10 for likelihood of recommending the program to others. A total of 97% of teachers also indicated their desire to continue participation. Comments and questions from the children during the post-tour summary also showed their deep levels of curiosity. These results indicated that the field trips support children in their studies.

Ajinomoto Co., Inc. strives to provide children with learning opportunities, leading to a healthy future for people, society, and the earth.