The Panasonic Education Foundation Holds Subsidies for Practical Research Presentation Ceremony
The Panasonic Education Foundation was founded as the Matsushita Audiovisual Education Research Foundation with support from what was then the Matsushita Electric Group in
1973.
In 2008 it was renamed the Panasonic Education Foundation, and in 2011 was certified as a public interest foundation. Since its foundation it has engaged in research and subsidy projects to promote information and audiovisual education in classrooms and contemporary-style education using information communications technology (ICT).
In addition, in 2005 it launched the General Forum to Nurture the Heart, focusing on recognizing achievements in local communities for Nurturing the Heart for Children.
Through these two activities the foundation seeks to nurture creative and well-rounded characters to bear the future among children who will lead future generations. In this month's issue we will introduce the Subsidies for Practical Research Presentation Ceremony and Startup Seminar held in May and June, and activities of the Council and board of directors.
◆Subsidies for Practical Research Presentation Ceremony and Startup Seminar
On May 26, the FY2023 (49th) Subsidies for Practical Research Presentation Ceremony and Startup Seminar was held at the Panasonic Center Tokyo.
It was held both in-person and online for the first time in four years. Around 140 people, including teachers from the recipient organizations and education technology researchers attended. The subsidy program started in 1974 with the intention of supporting classroom teachers working on practical research to improve education using ICT.
It has provided more than 3,400 subsidies so far.
The meeting's program served as a forum for the teachers from schools receiving subsidies this fiscal year to learn and gain insights to further enhance the significance of their practical research this year, and to also bring together like-minded schools and researchers. The group discussions in particular were highly active.
▶ Part 1: Main Program for the Presentation Ceremony
・ Conferral of certificates and messages of encouragement from guests
・ Speech by Hisayoshi Muto, Director of Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT): Why Engage in Educational Transformation? What is the GIGA School Concept?
・ Presentations on activities of three schools that received subsidies last fiscal year and were selected out for top awards for their research result reports
▶ Part 2: Main Content of the Startup Seminar
・ Guidance and advice through small group discussions for researchers and teachers of schools receiving subsidies
・ Networking for participants
Here we would like to share some of the comments from the post-event questionnaire. "I got some very good ideas to work on in my research"; "Gave me the chance to see the changes needed in education now"; "I think I'm going to work with teachers from the team I was in." The participants clearly learned a lot and gained new connections.
◆Council and Board Meeting
On June 19 the 13th Council was held in Tokyo, and following the resolutions made, the 53rd Board Meeting was then held. The Council approved the FY2022 program and financial report, and appointed council members, directors, and auditors whose terms of appointment had expired.
A board meeting of the appointed directors was then held to appoint representative directors (chief director and deputy chief director) and deal with other matters. Reappointed as the chief director and deputy chief director respectively were Motoyuki Ono (former Vice Minister of MEXT) and Executive Officer Shigeki Mishima in charge of Panasonic CSR and Corporate Citizenship Activities. As officers from Panasonic, Chairperson Kazuhiro Tsuga was appointed to be a council member, and Executive Vice President Hirokazu Umeda to be an auditor.
