Report of JAXA Space Education Center
On Its Activities in 2011–2012

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency

紙へリサイクル可Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency

Report of JAXA Space Education Center
On Its Activities in 2011–2012

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency

CONTENTSI.

INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................... 5

II.

BASIC FACTS ............................................................................................... 6
A. Establishment of the Center .................................................................... 6
B. Goals and principles ................................................................................ 6
C. Organizational structure and major activities ........................................... 9
D. Collaborations with other offices and departments within JAXA ........... 10

III. OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES OF CENTER ACTIVITIES .......................... 12
A. Support for Formal Education ............................................................... 12
B. Support for Informal Education ............................................................. 17
C. Support for Education at Home ............................................................ 18
D. International Activities .......................................................................... 18
E. Dissimination of Information and Publications ....................................... 19
IV. PROGRAMME STRUCTURE OF THE MAJOR ACTIVITIES ......................... 21
A. Support for Informal Education ............................................................. 21
B. International Activities .......................................................................... 25
V. RECENT ACHIEVEMENTS ......................................................................... 33
A. Support for Formal Education ............................................................... 33
B. Support for Informal Education ............................................................. 36
C. Support for Education at Home ............................................................ 37
D. International Activities .......................................................................... 38
E. Dissimination of Information and Publications ....................................... 39
VI. STRATEGIC ALLIANCES AND ESTABLISHMENT OF FOOTHOLDS ........... 41
VII. CONCLUDING REMARKS ......................................................................... 43

I. INTRODUCTION

As the Space Education Center of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency(JAXA) enters its seventh year of operation following its establishment in
May 2005, it continues to enhance its activities both in terms of quantityand quality to ignite children’s curiosity toward nature, life and the universe
and to inspire them to achieve higher goals. Recognizing “space” as theunique source of interest, imagination and inspiration, the Center has
continued to demonstrate the effective use of space subjects, materials andresources at schools in local communities and at home to stimulate
children’s interest in not only science and technology but also various
human conducts and their surrounding environment.
A growing number of individuals, groups and organizations within andoutside Japan are now sharing the Center’s goals and principles in carryingout space education activities, resulting in the increased partnerships andstrategic alliances with various entities to reach out to more young people.
The time between the year 2011 and the year 2012 could be marked as theperiod of strategic expansion of space education efforts based on thesystematic support provided by the Center to all stakeholders.
This report reflects the major developments in the activities of the Space
Education Center and its achievements in up to March 2012 and indicatesdirections to be pursued in the coming year.

Activities in 2011–20125II. BASIC FACTS

A. Establishment of the Center
The Space Education Center was established on 1 May 2005 by an executive
decision by the President of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency(JAXA). The Center formally opened on 19 May 2005 at JAXA Sagamihara
Campus.
JAXA, as well as its predecessors before its establishment in October 2003,1
had carried out educational activities as part of the public relations andoutreach activities. Those activities focused on increasing public awareness,

Opening of the Space Education
Center: Prof. Y. Matogawa, First
Director of the Center (left), and JAXA
President K. Tachikawa (right)

understanding the work of JAXA and highlighting societal benefits of space
activities, with the aim to gain public support for the activities of JAXA.
The recognition of the fundamental difference between public outreach andeducation resulted in the establishment of a separate group dedicated tospace education activities. Originally located within the Public Affairs
Department, the space education group carried out activities using attractive
space materials to stimulate young people’s interest in science and othersubjects relevant to their daily lives and ultimately to have positive impact on
their growing-up process. This group served as the predecessor to the Space
Education Center and, to some extent, laid the foundation for the work of
the Center.

B. Goals and principles
Space subjects, resources and materials inherently have a unique power toattract young people’s attention, to encourage them to take on challenges
and aim for higher goals. While the Space Education Center considers it
important to attract young people to pursue career options in space-relatedareas, so as to expand the pool of future space scientists and engineers, thekey mission of the Center is to effectively use space materials to have apositive impact on the minds of young people in their development process,helping them to expand their potential and to become socially responsible
individuals.

JAXA was established by merging the following three separate space-related entities: National
Space Development Agency (NASDA), Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) andNational Aeronautics Laboratory (NAL).

1

6

JAXA Space Education Center

JAXA Sagamihara campus

There are a few principles that the Space Education Center follows in its
activities.
The Center considers it important that the young people understand thethinking process behind what they acquire as knowledge. Taking advantageof their simple curiosity toward nature, life and environment that surrounds
them, the Center offers them with opportunities to experience the joy of
discovering something new and previously unknown to them and solving
mysteries by themselves. In this process, the Center also aims to increase
young people’s appreciation of science and technology and to enhance theircapacity for logical thinking.
“Preciousness of life” continues to be the most important message to beconveyed to young people through all activities of the Center.
The abundance of goods and services that meet various needs of people inJapan might indicate the richness of the society. However, that may notnecessarily be true if one pays close attention to the minds of people,
especially the young ones. An alarming number of young people in Japan
have been observed to have limited motivation to do anything, to be
pessimistic about their own future and even to treat people’s lives lightly,
including their own lives, which subsequently gets them involved in serious
crimes. The people involved in the establishment of the Space Education
Center had become deeply concerned about those young people andwanted to do something about it.
Space subjects and materials were found to offer an excellent tool to inspire
and motivate young people, to start gaining self-confidence and aiming forhigher goals in their lives. It was observed that after learning that there had
been a lengthy chain of relays of one life to another before a certain life wasborn and that the lives on the Earth today had come a long way from piecesof galaxies and starts, many of the young people started to think deeply
about the origin and evolution of lives and gained appreciation of theimportance of life.
The Center aims to increase their appreciation of all forms of lives on the
Earth by having young people learn about the origin and evolution of theuniverse and life and showing how long we have been searching for Earth-

Activities in 2011–20127

II. BASIC FACTS

like planets without success.
The spirit to “Never Give Up” is another important message always
emphasized in the activities of the Center, as this spirit is consideredessential for anybody who wants to achieve something significant in thischallenging world. The history of space exploration is full of examples thatshow how important this is.
Through its activities, the Center also guides young people to understandhow important and how rewarding it is to be part of the society to build abetter future together. No individual can carry out space activities bythemselves, but together, a large number of people with various
backgrounds can even build global systems that could benefit large
populations around the world. The Center aims to increase young people’s
appreciation of the power of collective efforts toward common goals.
With the above goals and principles, the Center carries out its activities tohelp young people become full of curiosity, adventurous spirit andcraftsmanship, always aiming for the best at whatever they do.

SPACE = Unique source of interest, imagination & inspiration.
Engineering skills needed
for space activities

Craftsmanship

Preciousnessof Life

SPACE

Space
Education

Curiosity

Adventure

Toward mysteriesof the universe

Exploring into
space

Stimulating children’s curiosity
toward the nature, universe and life

while stressing the preciousness of life

while stressing the
preciousness of life

8

Taking 13.7 billion
years, from pieces ofgalaxies and stars to
the formation of ourlives on the Earth

JAXA Space Education Center

Human
Developmentusing SpaceC. Organizational structure and major activities
The Space Education Center consists of the Space Education Office, which
serves as the implementing body of the Center, and a group of experts who
administratively belong to other offices and departments but have been
appointed as technical advisers to assist in the planning and execution of
the Center’s activities. As of February 2012, the Space Education Officeconsists of 18 staff members, including 8 regular staff and 10 invited or

Formal education support

contracted staff.
The Center carries out the following four major activities:
1)

formal education support, to assist teachers and schools in carryingout classroom activities using space materials;

2)

informal education support, to assist local communities inorganizing educational events for young people on non-school

Informal education support

days to learn about space-related subjects and to participate inhands-on activities;3)

home education support, to assist parents in enhancing
communication and interaction with their children at homethrough joint hands-on activities using space-related materials andHome education support

resources;
4)international activities, to promote and support space education
activities outside Japan through collaborations with other countries
and international organizations.

MAJOR ACTIVITIESSpace Education Office

Japan Aerospace Exploration
Agency (JAXA)

Dep’ts &Offices
Field
Centers

Space Education
Center
15 staff members
under the Director

Formal Education Support
Support to teachers/schools
in classroom teaching

Informal Education Support
Support to communities inorganizing events foryoung people

Home Education Support
Experts

Collaboration

Support to parents andorganize events forparticipation by parents andtheir children

InternationalActivities
Collaboration with entities
outside Japan

Other entities

International activities: Space Education
Seminar in Nepal

Assist in developing
teaching plans, teaching &learning materials, etc. inclassrooms

Develop unique programsfor various levels forprimary & secondary
school students

Develop educationmaterials for parents andchildren to conduct simple
experiments at home

Collaborations within theframeworks of ISEB andAPRSAF and with
UNESCO and other UN
entities, ISU, etc.

Space agencies and international organizations with space activi ties as well
as research institutes within and outside the country to ac quire knowledge
in various fields

Activities in 2011–20129II. BASIC FACTS

D. Collaborations with other offices anddepartments within JAXA
Other offices and departments of JAXA also carry out activities that haveeducational elements. The Space Education Center collaborates with those
offices and departments.
For example, the Center works in cooperation with the planning andoutreach group of the Public Affairs Department. This Department is
responsible for sending JAXA staff as lecturers to give talks on a range ofCall for opportunities to participate in
the “Seeds in Space” project

space-related topics on various occasions upon request.
The Space Education Center also works in cooperation with the Space
Environment Utilization Center, which carries out education-related activities
in association with Space Shuttle flights and the use of the International
Space Station (ISS). The Space Education Center has recently announced theopportunities for schools to participate in the “Seeds in Space” project. This
project allows the participating schools to compare the growing process of

Astronaut T. Doi and samples used foran educational experiment relating tospace and life

those seeds that have been flown on the International Space Station withnormal seeds on the Earth by using seeds of the flowering plant named“Miyakogusa”, or Japanese lotus corniculatus, and “Asagao”, or morning
glories.
Resulting from the collaborations with the Human Space Systems andUtilization Mission Directory of JAXA, the Space Education Center continues
to provide opportunities for teachers of kindergartens, primary and

SEEC session with teachingdemonstrations by Japanese teachers
supported by the Space Education
Centersecondary schools in Japan to participate in the annual Space Exploration
Educators Conference (SEEC), held at Space Center Houston, in Houston,
United States of America. The Conference offers opportunities for teachers
to learn about and exchange information and experiences on using spacematerials to teach across the curricula, not only for science, but also for
language, arts, mathematics, history and other subjects. As a new approach,
JAXA provided the Japanese teachers with the opportunity to perform alecture at a local school in Houston at SEEC2011.
The Satellite Applications and Promotion Center produces useful
information materials with images taken by JAXA-operated satellites for
distribution to the public. The Space Education Center works in

10

JAXA Space Education Center

Bamboo battery experimentdemonstrated by a Japanese teacher at
Seabrook Intermediate School on theoccasion of SEEC

collaboration with the Satellite Applications and Promotion Center to carryout educational activities that use images taken by JAXA satellites.
The Space Education Center seeks for collaborations with various entities
outside JAXA that are engaged in education. Close collaborations withteachers and schools are considered most essential. The Center has
continued to explore opportunities for collaborations with associations ofteachers, boards of education boards as well as publishers of textbooks andcompanies of educational materials, in its efforts to better integrate spacesubjects and materials into the existing curricula for formal education and to
produce education materials that better meet the needs of schools andSupporting senior high school class inlearning about the local environment incollaboration with Satellite Applications
and Promotion Centerteachers. Significant progress has been made in this area particularly in thepast year. Details of collaborations with those entities are provided in
Chapter VI of this report.
The Center takes a comprehensive approach in pursuing collaborations to
expand space education activities. The Center seeks for collaborations not
only with those entities that have direct links with space activities by being
involved in space science and technology, life science and Earth science, butalso with others that are engaged in studies on humanities, civilization, artsand philosophy.

Education support system
Classrooms of primary and secondary schools
Boards of
Education

Relevant
educational
entities• Science museums• Self-governing

bodiesDevelopment ofprogrammes

Provision of opportunities
for educational activities

Arts andphilosophies• Origin of the universe• Galaxy, solar system, stars

Knowledgesharing

Space
Education CenterSpace
development• Humanity and space• Launch vehicles, satellites,
astronauts• National Institute of Information
and Communications Technology• National Institute of Advanced
Industrial Science and Technology• Relevant commercial companies

System of collaboration
with research institutes

materials

Provision of opportunities
for educational activities

Space science• National Institutes of Natural
Sciences (incld observatories)• High Energy Accelerator
Research Organization• National Institute for Materials Science• Publishers of textbooks• Companies of educational• Arts and space• Thought and space

Knowledgesharing

Knowledgesharing

Life science

Earth andenvironment• Space and life
• Mysteries of life

• Earth environment and ecosystem• Life and images from satellites• JT Bio history Research Hall• RIKEN (Institute of Science andChemistry)• National Science Museum• National Institute for Environmental
Studies• Japan Agency for Marine-Earth
Science and Technology• New Energy and Industrial
Technology Development Organization• National Institute for the Humanities• National Institute for the Humanities• National Museum• National Research Institute for Cultural
Properties• National Museum of Art

Civilization
and races• Evolution of cosmology• Mythologies, constellations• National Institute for the Humanities• National Institute of Natural Sciences(incld. observatories)• National Science Museum• National Museum

Activities in 2011–201211III. OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES OF CENTER ACTIVITIESA. Support for Formal Education
Space activities encompass the accumulation of human knowledge andprovide a common thread that links many different aspects of humanactivities. Many materials that resulted from space activities catch theattention of young people and appeal to their curiosity. The challenge is tofind the best way to make those materials available under the mostconducive learning environment for young people.
Through its formal education support, the Space Education Center aims to
expand and enhance the use of attractive space materials by schools andteachers to assist the students in learning various subjects according to thecurriculum guidelines. The Center considers it essential to work closely withschool teachers as they are in a better position to understand young
people’s needs and feelings through their daily interactions.
There are a several strategies pursued by the Center to achieve that goal.
One is to provide customized support to the teachers who have contacted
the Center with a request for support. After the initial contact, the Center’s
staff hold numerous consultations with those teachers to articulate theirneeds and interests, identify goals and develop plans for activities for theirclasses. Once the plan has been developed with the teacher, the Center
identifies appropriate experts of JAXA from a range of space science andtechnology fields as well as experienced educators and pedagogy experts
and calls upon them to provide knowledge and expertise to develop
teaching and learning materials. When the teacher carries out classroom
activities according to the plan, the Center sends its staff and appropriate
experts to provide on-site support to the teacher. Upon request by theteacher, the Center assists the teacher in evaluating the results of theactivities. Depending on the interest and request by the teacher or theschool, the Center also assists in establishing partnerships with other schoolsor promoting collaborations with relevant entities in the local community.
Through this entire process of support (see the chart for “School Support:
Process” below), the Center ensures that initiatives come from the teacher,and not the Center.

12

JAXA Space Education Center

SCHOOL SUPPORT: PROCESS

School <Primary and Secondary Schools>

TEACHERS IN THE DRIVING SEAT. JAXA to assist the teachers< Planning >• Subjects• Time allocation• Extracurricular activities●Inquiry/Request for support★Help develop class plan
●Request for upport for

JAXA
Space
Collaborating
Education
Research
Entities
Centerexecution of class plan

❶ Help teachers develop plans< Implementation >Class: 1st Half

★Provide experts and education

Mid-term report★Provide support in evaluationmaterials; help develop plans

Class: 2nd Half

❷ Experienced former teachers or
scientists and enginees provide
advice on the plans andimplementation❸ Provide appropriate support, e.g.
sending experts, providing educationmaterials and arranging for JAXA
facility visits, according to requests.

●★Joint evaluation of the

program content< Presentation >< Final products >●★Provide support in program

development and evaluationaccording to the request

The Center’s support is not limited to science classes. It covers a wide rangeof disciplinary fields taught at school, including social science, Japanese
language and the arts. The Center’s support covers various types ofclassroom activities depending on the needs of and objectives pursued by
the teachers. Such activities cover normal classes according to the curricula
guidelines, integrated learning classes as well as extracurricular activities.
Since the expansion of its support to include kindergartens from 2007, theSupporting the class for environmental
education, Kudan Junior High School,
Chiyoda, Tokyo

Center has been supporting an increasing number of kindergartens,
elementary schools, junior high and senior high schools, as well as faculties
of education of universities.
The Center has strengthened its efforts to establish collaborations withboards of education in the local communities to jointly provide training
opportunities for teachers to learn about space education and to acquire
skills to bring space into classrooms. This has been done in order to ensure

Supporting the Japanese language class
Junior High School attached toNagasaki Universitythat the efforts made by those teachers and schools that have received
support from the Center to expand space education activities would not be
isolated and that their efforts would be supported by the supervisory bodies
overseeing the school management and activities.
Such training opportunities are also provided to potential candidates forteachers who are studying in the faculties of education at universities. The

Activities in 2011–201213III. OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES OF CENTER ACTIVITIESCenter pursues collaborations with faculties of education as it is consideredmore desirable that the school teachers already know about the benefits ofspace education and have basic skills to conduct classroom activities using
space materials before they become too busy to meet regular teachingrequirements and to deal with administrative work required at their schools.
In light of the recently revised curriculum guidelines issued by the Ministry of
Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) in March 2008

Space food produced by students of
Obama Fisheris High School, Obama,
Fukui

for all levels from kindergarten to senior high school, the Center has beenstrengthening its efforts to help teachers to adjust the teaching contents
and focus as well as methods to follow the revised guidelines by using
relevant space materials.
With the idea to foster “the strength to live”, the revised guidelines aim to

Teachers training course

help the students develop independent minds to identify issues, analyze,
think, judge and take appropriate actions while caring about andcollaborating with others. In terms of substantive content, the revised
guidelines have expanded the subjects relating to science and mathematics.
It presents an excellent opportunity to introduce its space educationmaterials for a wider use by school teachers for the Center.
The revised guidelines were instituted to coincide with the principles of theCenter, which has developed a number of teaching materials, methods andprogrammes through its support to teachers and schools in the past years
particularly for science classes.
While some parts relating to mathematics and science have already been
implemented at schools from April 2009, the revised curriculum guidelines
are planned to be implemented in entirety for the elementary schools from2011 and for the junior high schools in 2012. Textbook companies havebegun to produce new textbooks and their supplementary learningmaterials that follow the revised guidelines. This presents a good
opportunity for the Center to introduce space subjects and materials intoclassroom teaching in a systematic manner. The Center has been actively
offering its support to textbook companies and those companies producing
supplementary learning materials to use, for example, images taken by
JAXA satellites and spacecraft or photographs of space activities of JAXA.

14

JAXA Space Education Center

Collaborating with the Faculty of
Education, Nagasaki University to train
future teachers

1. Establishing Strategic Footholds
As part of the executive directions set by the management of JAXA, theSpace Education Center has been tasked since the fiscal year 2008 to
establish strategic footholds in all nine regional blocs of Japan, i.e.
Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kanto, Hokuriku and Shinetsu, Tokai, Kinki, Chugoku,
Shikoku, Kyushu and Okinawa, by March 2012. This is to ensure that thekind of classroom support provided by the Center continues to be expanded
and further enhanced in an effective manner to benefit each of the primaryand secondary schools without requiring direct and intense support by theCenter itself. While it does not need to be a school, and it could well be ascience museum or a board of education in the local community, a strategic
foothold should endorse the goals and principles of the Center and should
actively pursue the development of space education materials and teaching
methods to be introduced to schools within the block under its
responsibility. The Center was also tasked to ensure the steady increase in
the number of schools that newly introduce aerospace subjects into theirclassroom teaching by using the materials or teaching methods developedby the strategic foothold in their bloc.
As of March 2012, the Center has concluded agreements with twenty
entities to serve as its strategic footholds in Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kanto,
Hokuriku and Shinetsu, Tokai, Kinki, Chugoku, Kyushu and Okinawa blocs.

Activities in 2011–201215

III. OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES OF CENTER ACTIVITIES

List of strategic footholds (as of March 2012)

1

Bloc

Area

EntityDate of Signature

TohokuTohokuChugoku
Hokkaido
Hokuriku/Shinetsu
Kanto

Akita
Miyagi
ShimaneKushiroShimosuwa
Tokyo

21-Mar-08
19-Sep-08
27-Oct-08
2-Dec-08
2-Dec-08
29-May-09

TohokuAomori

Hokuriku/Shinetsu
Kyusyu/Okinawa
Kyusyu/Okinawa
Kanto
Kanto
Tokai
Chugoku
Chugoku
Kinki
Kinki
Tokai
Kanto
Shikoku

Komatsu
Kagoshima
FukuokaTokyo
Tokyo
Shizuoka
Kurashiki
Kure
Wakayama
Osaka
Gifu
Tokyo
Tokushima

Akita University
Miyagi technical College/Sendai Technical College
Shimane University
NPO Kodomo Yugakukan Shimin Stage1
Shimosuwa-Town - Board of Education
Waseda University
Aomori-City Junior High Schools Working Groupon Science
Komatsu-City - Board of Education
Kagoshima-City
Kyusyu University
Tokyo-Gakugei University
Kokubunji-City - Board of Education
Shizuoka Science Museum - RU·KU·RU
Kurashiki-City Board of Education
Kure-City Yamato Museum
Wakayama-Prefecture Board of Education
Osaka-Prefectural Education Center
Ogaki-City Board of Education
Keio University
Anan-City Board of Education

Kodomo = Children, Yugakukan = Study House, Shimin = Civic/Citizen

Hokkaido

Strategic Footholds of the Space Education Center

TohokuHokuriku &Shin-etsu

Agreement with Shimane University

Kinki
Kanto

Chugoku

Tokai
Shikoku
Signed agreement

Kyushu &Okinawa

16

JAXA Space Education Center

1-Aug-09
1-Dec-09
10-Jan-108-Mar-10
10-Mar-10
1-Apr-10
12-Jun-10
1-Jul-10
18-Aug-10
15-Nov-10
20-Dec-10
24-Mar-11
24-Mar-11
25-Jan-12

B. Support for Informal Education
Supporting informal education continues to be another pillar of the activitiesof the Space Education Center. Using unique programmes and materials
that it has developed, the Center supports educational activities carried out
by other entities rather than schools outside the formal curricula, normallyduring non-school days.
Through its informal education support, the Center aims to maximize thesynergies of space education efforts undertaken by various entities,
including local governments and relevant non-governmental and non-profit
entities. The Center aims to achieve this objective while ensuring that its
goals and principles continue to be followed by those entities involved inspace education activities around the country and building upon what has
been achieved by its “Cosmic College”.
In the past year, the Center has followed a few strategies as described
below.
Based on its belief that the responsibilities of fostering local children lie withthe local communities, the Center encouraged more local communities totake the lead in organizing space education events for local children while
the Center itself plays only a supportive and advisory role. This is to allow for
the massive expansion of space education activities to reach out to all partsof Japan without increasing the level of resource requirements of theCenter. By ensuring that the local communities are involved from the
beginning of the planning, the Center has made efforts to increase thesense of ownership and responsibilities among the local communities
organizing those events.
The Center has increased its efforts to establish partnerships with interested
industries to organize space education activities. Ways and means toestablish partnerships have varied depending on the interest of theindustries and the circumstances of the activities concerned.
The Center’s efforts have shifted from the planning, organization andmanagement of events to the enhancement of its support system for spaceeducation instructors and leaders, who play key roles in space education
events organized around the country. In addition to providing training

Activities in 2011–201217III. OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES OF CENTER ACTIVITIES

opportunities and technical advice, the Center has begun to provide
material support to those instructors and leaders who are active in carryingout space education activities.

C. Support for Education at HomeAs natural evolution of its support for informal education throughcollaborations with local communities, the Space Education Center has
increased its efforts to bring space home in the past year. Its support forhome education is provided mainly through its collaborations with KodomoUchu-Mirai Association (KU-MA)2 in organizing “Space School for
Families”, for participation by parents and children together.
The “Space School for Families” programme consists of a several gatherings
throughout the year, called “schooling”, where the participating parents
and children learn together about various space-related subjects andconduct basic experiments, and are given homework assignments to bedone between sessions using the learning materials distributed during theschooling. While similar to the programme of regular schools, thisprogramme is unique in providing opportunities for the parents and theirchildren to share time together at home to discuss space-related topics andto conduct experiments as homework. Through “Space School for
Families”, the Center aims to enhance parent-child relationships and help
create conducive learning environment at home.

D. International Activities
The Space Education Center continues to expand collaborations withentities of other countries and international organizations to promote spaceeducation. In this effort, the Center uses as much as possible the existing
frameworks for cooperation in space activities and endeavours to createsynergies of efforts made through different frameworks.

2

18“Kodomo”, “Uchu”, “Mirai” mean “Children”, “Space”, “Future” in Japanese language.

JAXA Space Education Center

Through its international activities, the Center places emphasis onenhancing benefits for primary and secondary school teachers and children
through space education, particularly in Asia and the Pacific. The spaceeducation initiatives taken within the framework of the Asia-Pacific Regional
Space Agency Forum (APRSAF) for primary and secondary school teachersand students, therefore, are given high priority.
While recognizing benefits of introducing programs and materials developedby other space agencies with established education programs for use by
Japanese teachers and schools, the Center also makes efforts to share its
space education principles and approaches as well as materials particularly
with developing countries that are increasingly interested in and capable ofcarrying out space activities.
As for developing countries in other regions, the Center supports their spaceeducation activities through initiatives taken by the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and otherentities of the United Nations system as well as development agencies, such
as Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
Cooperation with space-faring nations in space education activities ispursued mainly through the framework for cooperation provided by theInternational Space Education Board (ISEB).

E. Dissimination of Information and Publications
The Space Education Center uses Internet-based services and publications as
its main tools to disseminate information.
As for the Internet-based services, the Center provides information on its
activities, including announcements for upcoming events, campaigns, andreports on past activities and distributes updated on-line education materials
and programs. Information and explanatory notes on various space-related
topics are also available through the Space Information Center, an on-line
information service that can be accessed through the Center’s web site.
The web site of the Center (http://www.edu.jaxa/jp) aims to achieve thefollowing objectives: i) to serve as the focal point to disseminate information

Activities in 2011–201219

III. OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES OF CENTER ACTIVITIES

on space education activities and to provide a forum for exchanging ideas
and information among educators; ii) to provide education materials,
images and pictures that can be easily downloaded for use by educators inclassroom teaching; iii) to make available in a most efficient manner theteaching and learning materials developed through the Center’s support toschools as well as reports on the classroom activities supported by theCenter. Its web site continues to be upgraded, and it now contains movie
files and video clips.
In the past year, the Center focused on the following strategies: i) to create
a conducive environment for any school teachers, leaders and instructors ofspace education activities as well as any individuals interested in spaceeducation to communicate and interact with each other and to exchange
ideas and education materials; ii) to actively pursue other means ofdisseminating information rather than on-line services; iii) to use movie clips
to report on the activities so as to make the users of the web site feel as if
they were at the venues of those activities; iv) to reorganize the Space
Information Center to make it more user-friendly and to make the content
easier to understand by the general public.

Web site of the Space Education Center: http://edu.jaxa.jp

20

JAXA Space Education Center

IV. PROGRAMME STRUCTURE OF THE MAJOR ACTIVITIESA. Support for Informal Education
1. For young people: from kindergarten to high-school students
Most of the activities for young people that the Center supports continue tobe carried out as part of “Cosmic College”, which aims to achieve thefollowing objectives: i) to increase interest of young people in science andtechnology; ii) to help establish voluntary groups of young people that arefond of science and technology; iii) to motivate young people to raisequestions, think and find solutions by themselves; iv) to encourage
collaborations with others; v) to lead young people to appreciate theimportance of life. The Cosmic College offers three courses, covering fromkindergarten to high school students. In addition to the Cosmic College
courses, the Center also supports a few other recurrent space education
events and special events for young people.
In supporting the organization of Informal Education activities, the Centerhas continued to work closely with the Young Astronaut Club (YAC)-Japan,
an incorporated foundation originally established in 1986 and currently has
140 branches across the country and about 3,500 members to carry out
educational activities addressing space and science.
a. Cosmic College: Kids Course
The “Kids Course” is for children younger than the second-year inelementary school and their parents to participate. The programmeuses principles founded in space as it aims to increase interest of theparticipating children in and their familiarity of the surrounding nature.
Through hands-on activities involving observations, experiments andhandicraft work, the programme is designed to cultivate young
children’s scientific thinking and to build the basis for logical thinking
process.

Activities in 2011–201221

IV. PROGRAMME STRUCTURE OF THE MAJOR ACTIVITIESb. Cosmic College: Fundamental Course
The “Fundamental Course” is for the school students between thethird-year in elementary school and the third-year in junior high school.
The programme aims to localize students’ perspective of space while
enhancing their interest in surrounding natural objects andphenomena. Through hands-on activities involving scientificobservations, experiments and handicraft work designed for the studyof nature, the programme aims to enhance students’ scientific andlogical thinking capabilities.

c. Cosmic College: Space Camp
The “Space Camp” is for a wide range of students starting from thefourth grade of elementary school all the way to senior high school.
The programme takes place over multiple days and participants stay on
JAXA’s field centers the entire time while spending the night in thedormitories with their peers. They are given the opportunity to directly
observe the space development team with the finest and mostadvanced facilities and technology at the camp. Through hands-on
activities involving scientific observations, experiments and handicraft
work, the programme leads the students to pose scientific questions
and come up with answers for those questions by themselves. The
programme aims to enhance their scientific and logical thinking
capabilities.
d. Other recurrent activities
At Sagamihara Campus, the Space Education Center organizes afive-day training programme for high school students, during theirsummer vacation period, to learn how to design scientific missions
through teamwork and to experience the mission evaluation, requiringthem to present their missions and respond to questions from theaudience, including leading space scientists and engineers of JAXA.
This programme is known as “Space Mission High School”, or“Kimission”, which is a combination of “Kimi”, or “you” in Japanese,and “mission”.
The Center assists, upon request, other departments and offices of

22

JAXA Space Education Center

Group discussions and presentations
during “Kimission”

JAXA in organizing, or co-organizing with other research entities tocreate educational activities for young people. Such activities include
Space Schools, organized by the Institute of Space and Astronautical
Science (ISAS), to provide the students with opportunities to interact
with its leading space scientists, Microgravity Experiment Contests, by
the Space Environment Utilization Center to provide the selected

Lecture of “School of Space” by ISAS

students with opportunities to conduct microgravity experiments
during parabolic flights, and Science Camps, hosted by Space andField Centers of JAXA in Tsukuba, Tanegashima, Chofu and Kakuta andorganized by Japan Science Foundation, for the students to visit spacefacilities, listen to lectures by leading space engineers and to
experience the making and launching of model rockets.

Microgravity experiment by thestudents

Science Campe. Special events
The Center supported the “CanSat Kohshien”3. Each participating highschool student team builds a “CanSat”, nano-scale quasi-satellite
model weighing 350 to 1050 grams with all basic functions of asatellite fitted into a soda can of 350 ml, and its carrier to be placed
onboard a model rocket.

“Kohshien” is the name of the prestigious ballpark in Hyogo Prefecture where the traditional
Japan High School Baseball Championship is held every summer with the participation of about
50 high school teams selected through the prefectural tournaments.

3

All Japan Water Rocket Contest

CanSat Kohshien

Activities in 2011–201223

IV. PROGRAMME STRUCTURE OF THE MAJOR ACTIVITIES

2. For educators and instructors of space education
The Center has been offering Space Education Leaders Seminars for
instructors of space education activities. In 2009, the Center began to offer
training opportunities for those instructors with experience to further
enhance their knowledge about space education and their skills. The
support system for the Space Education Leaders (SEL) who have completed
the Seminars has also been enhanced to facilitate communication among
them and to provide material support for their space education activities.
a. Space Education Leaders Seminar
The Space Education Leaders (SEL) Seminar is for any individualinterested in carrying out space education activities with or without
experience in informal education activities. The programme aims totransfer to the participants basic knowledge and skills that are required
to be able to demonstrate space education activities. Among other

Space Education Leaders Seminarthings, the participants learn about the goals and principles of spaceeducation, role of leaders and understanding children’s needs, as wellas crisis management and safety measures.
The SEL Skill-Up Course is for those individuals who have completed
the above Seminar and who wish to improve their skills in conducting
space education activities. Through this Course, the participants obtainthe latest news on the developments with space activities, basic
knowledge in the aerospace area required to carry out space education
activities as well as know-how and skills for activity management,teaching skills and methods to develop educational materials.

Space Education Leaders Skill-Up
Courseb. Space Education Leaders Support System
As part of its support to the Space Education Leaders (SEL) who havecompleted the SEL Seminar in the past three years, the Space
Education Center has a financial support system, and a rental system
for its education materials and equipment for use during their spaceeducation activities. The rental period is up to one month, and the useof materials and equipment of the Center requires the Center’s priorapproval. After the completion of the activities, the users are requested
to provide feedback on the rented materials and equipment.

24

JAXA Space Education Center

Space suits for rent

B. International Activities
1. Focusing on children in Asia: Asia-Pacific Regional Space
Agency Foruma) Space Education and Awareness Working GroupThe Space Education Center has supported educational activities ofAsia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF) since 2005 andhas served as the Secretariat of APRSAF Space Education andAwareness Working Group since 2006. Currently consisting ofmembers from 17 countries and 3 international organizations and one
associate member organization4, the Working Group has become

Working Group members during
APRSAF-18, held in Singapore,
December 2011

increasingly active in the past few years with the aim of: i) effectively
using space materials to enhance education for young people; ii)
providing education and training opportunities for young people inspace science and technology; iii) contributing to enhancing mutual
understanding among countries in the region through exchange
opportunities for young people; and iv) increasing public awareness ofthe societal benefits and importance of space activities.
In addition to organizing space education events for primary andsecondary school teachers and students, the Working Group has
strengthened efforts toward: i) making more teaching and learningmaterials available in local languages; ii) aligning its space education
efforts with global educational initiatives taken by the entities of theUnited Nations system and other international organizations; and iii)
contributing to enhancing inter-regional cooperation by making it
possible for countries of other regions to benefit from its spaceeducation initiatives.

Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal,
Pakistan, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, Asian Institute of Technology,
the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations
Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UN COPUOS) and the United Nations Office forOuter Space Affairs (UNOOSA) are currently members of the Working Group, and Space Generation
Advisory Board(SGAC) is current associate member of the Working Group.

4

Activities in 2011–201225

IV. PROGRAMME STRUCTURE OF THE MAJOR ACTIVITIESb) Water Rocket Event
Starting from 2005, the Working Group has organized the Water
Rocket Event each year, immediately following the APRSAF session.
This annual regional Event has provided opportunities for young
people between 12 and 16 years old not only to learn about basics ofrocket science and space activities in general, but also to learn aboutother countries and their cultures, to build lasting friendships beyond

Getting ready for launch, Singapore
December 2011

national borders based on the common interest in space.

APRSAF-12 Water Rocket Event,Kitakyushu, Japan, 2005

APRSAF-13 Water Rocket Event,Jakarta, Indonesia, 2006APRSAF-14 Water Rocket Event,Bangalore, India, 2007

APRSAF-15 Water Rocket Event, Ha
Noi, Vietnam, 2008

APRSAF-16 Water Rocket Event,Bangkok, Thailand, 2010APRSAF-17 Water Rocket Event,
Melbourne, Australia, 2010APRSAF-18 Water Rocket Event,Singapore, 2011c) Poster Contest
The Working Group has organized a Poster Contest under a selected
theme each year since 2006 during the APRSAF session, for children
between 8 and 11 years of age. From among those posters submitted
by the participating countries, the participants of the APRSAF session
vote to select the best poster, for APRSAF Best Poster Award, and thesecond and third best posters for APRSAF Special Poster Awards.

26

JAXA Space Education CenterPoster by a Malaysian student who won
APRSAF-18 Special Award

Poster by a Malaysian student Poster by a Japanese student
who won APRSAF-18 Bestwho won APRSAF-18 Special
Poster Award
Award

Poster Contest in Jakarta, Indonesia,
2006 under the theme “Importance ofSpace”

Poster Contest in Bangalore, India,
2007 under the theme “50 Years inSpace”

Poster Contest in Ha Noi, Vietnam,
2008 under the theme “Wonders of
the Universe”

Poster Contest in Bangkok, Thailand,2010 under the theme “Our UniverseGreat Discoveries”

Poster Contest in Melbourne, Australia,
2010 under the theme “SpaceTechnology to Help the Earth”

Poster Contest in Singapore, 2011
under the theme “The Next 50 Years inSpace”d) Space Education Forums and Seminars
The Working Group convened space education forums and seminars in
Vietnam and Indonesia in 2006, Sri Lanka in 2009, Bangladesh in 2011
and Nepal in 2012, as a response to the need for providing
opportunities for students and teachers of primary and secondary
schools particularly in developing countries. The aim is to enhance theirunderstanding of space science and technology and their applications

Making bubble-rockets during handson session of the Space Education
Seminar, Sri Lanka

and to participate in hands-on space education activities.

Activities in 2011–201227

IV. PROGRAMME STRUCTURE OF THE MAJOR ACTIVITIESe) International Water Rocket Event Workshop
In order to expand the pool of skilled and informed educators who caneffectively use water rockets to enhance education for young people
and to establish a network of those educators, the International Water
Rocket Education Workshop was hosted by Victorian Space ScienceCentre (VSSEC) in Melbourne, Australia, from 30 June to 3 July 2008.
Teachers, educators and space experts from 12 countries in Asia andFlight testing various types of water
rockets

the Pacific as well as Latin America participated in the Workshop,
which resulted in establishing an Internet-based Wiki site to serve as
an on-line forum for any interested teachers and educators to
exchange information, views and education materials relating to water
rockets.
(See Wiki site: http://wiki.vssec.vic.edu.au/waterrockets/index.
php?title=Main_Page ).
Looking back over the years, the Working Group has created thereport of a brochure on water rocket activities for educational
purposes to seek for sponsorship by not only space-related public
entities, but also commercial entities in September 2010.

2. Collaboration with advanced space-faring nations:International Space Education Board
The Space Education Center represents JAXA in the International Space
Education Board (ISEB) and collaborates with other ISEB members topromote space education. Established in October 2005 by the CanadianSpace Agency (CSA), the European Space Agency (ESA), the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration of the United States (NASA) and
JAXA as its Founding Members, ISEB now includes Centre National d’Etudes
Spatiales (CNES), the French space agency, as Member from October 2006
and VSSEC as Associate Member from October 2010. The objectives of ISEB
are: i) to increase science, technology, engineering and mathematics literacy
achievement in connection with space; and ii) to support the future
workforce needs of space programs. While ISEB meets once a year with theparticipation of heads of education of its member agencies during theannual IAC, the activities of ISEB are being carried out and coordinated by
its Representative Working Group, consisting of one officer each from the28

JAXA Space Education Center

Establishing ISEB in October 2005

ISEB member agencies. The membership is open to any public organization
carrying out space activities and pursuing education programmes.
a) Activities
In 2011 and 2012, the following projects were carried out within theframework of ISEB: i) international student programs at theInternational Astronautical Congresses (IAC’s) held in Cape Town,
South Africa in September/October 2011; ii) international participationin NASA Academy; iii) CanSat activities. The use of the International
Space Station for educational purposes is also recognised as an

Interactions with Heads of Agencies,
IAC 2011, Cape Town, South Africa

important initiative that needs to be undertaken.
The Space Education Center continued to support the activities of ISEB
by participating in the organization of IAC Student Programs, andsending Japanese students for those Programs and supporting theparticipation of Japanese undergraduate and graduate students inNASA Academies, held at Goddard Space Flight Center in summer
2008, 2010 and 2011, and Ames Research in summer 2009 and 2012.

Lunch time event at International
Student Zone, IAC 2011, Cape Town,
South Africab) Chairmanship
The term of the chairmanship is one year, and it rotates among theFounding members. Following its successful initial year under thechairmanship of ESA, ISEB was chaired by NASA from October 2006,
by CSA from September 2007 and by JAXA from October 2008, by
ESA from October 2009, by NASA from October 2010, and CSA iscurrently serving as the chair again.

3. Pursuing cooperation with developing countries outsideAsiaa) Supporting UNESCO efforts
Upon invitation by UNESCO, the Space Education Center participatedin workshops organized by UNESCO in and for developing countries.
Following its participation for the first time when the workshops were
held in multiple cities of Colombia in November and December 2005,
the Center has participated to date in those workshops held in
multiple cities in Ecuador, Peru, Tanzania and Vietnam.

Participants of the workshop with the
Deputy Minister of Education and
Vocational Training at the center,
Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania

Activities in 2011–201229

IV. PROGRAMME STRUCTURE OF THE MAJOR ACTIVITIESFrom 2008 to 2010, the Center introduced water rockets as
educational activities and supported hands-on session for school
children to experience the launch of water rockets at the workshops
held in Dar-es-Salaam and Arusha, Tanzania, in May 2008, Lima, Peru,
in June 2009, and the Philippines in February 2010.
At the regional space camp held in Ibarra, Ecuador, in May 2008 forteachers and students from 5 Latin American countries, i.e. Argentina,

Head of the space agency of Peru
conducting the first water rocket
launch, Lima, Peru

Brazil, Chile, Ecuador and Peru, the Center also helped organize thesession to build water rockets and the water rocket launchcompetition. Lectures on water rocket theory at an advanced level
were also offered at the space camps held in Salinas and Puerto Aroyo,
Galapagos, Ecuador in June 2009, where college students participated.
Mayor of Ibarra opening the water
rocket competition

Water rocket lecture and launch in Salinas, Ecuador….and in Puerto Ayora, St. Cruz, Galapagos, Ecuadorb) Supporting water rocket activities around the world
The partnership with UNESCO has turned out to be effective inpromoting water rocket activities for educational purposes, using thematerials provided by the Space Education Center. It has opened thedoor for collaborations with those other developing countries withemerging space capabilities with willingness to initiate space education
activities to reach out to a large number of school teachers. As part ofsuch collaborations, the Center has continued to support water rocket
events as well as associated teachers seminars held in Argentina, Brazil,
Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Nigeria, Philippines, Vietnam and Bangladesh.
Teaching physics in Argentina using
water rockets

30

JAXA Space Education Center

While the Center has introduced its teaching methods and materials indeveloping countries, it has also benefited from inputs provided byenthusiastic teachers and educators in developing countries.
Building upon the Educator’s Manual for Water Rockets developed by
the Center and translated into Spanish in cooperation with UNESCO,
teachers in some countries, such as Argentina, have developed

Teachers training in Braziladvanced teaching materials to meet the needs of their classes.
The map below shows the countries to which the Center provided
technical and material support for their water rocket activities. The
Center continues to receive various ideas from teachers and educatorsin those countries.
Water rocket workshop in Chile

Water rocket competition during Space
Adventure, Baranquilla, Colombiac) Supporting Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) as
part of its training programme
In response to requests by Japan International Cooperation Agency(JICA), the Center received groups of African science teachers in
September in 2006, 2007 and 2008 to introduce space education. The
Center provided short hands-on sessions for those teachers to use
space materials and resources to stimulate interest of students inscience classes. In total, the Center provided such opportunities to 24
science teachers from 9 African countries, i.e. Kenya, Gambia, Ghana,
Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda.
In addition, liaison council of JAXA-JICA has started since January

Welcoming the group of scienceteachers from African countries, 2008

Activities in 2011–201231

IV. PROGRAMME STRUCTURE OF THE MAJOR ACTIVITIES

2008, and discussions regarding Space Education for developing
countries were brought up in the 3rd meeting held in February 2011.
JAXA Space Education Center and JICA are collaborating together tohold Space Education Leader Seminars since November 2011 in 2 JICA
training facilities, Kamagane and Nihonmatsu. These seminars are held
every quarter and the number of participants from the JICA dispatch
members have increased each session.

4. Other collaborations: providing education opportunities
outside Asia for graduate students
In cooperation with the International Space University (ISU), the Space
Education Center continues to provide scholarships for Japanese university
and graduate students to participate in the Space Studies Program (SSP), a

ISU Campus in Illkirsch, France(Photographs: Courtesy of ISU)nine-week course held between June and August by ISU at a different
location each year around the globe, and the degree programs for Masterof Science in Space Studies and Master of Science in Space Management(MSS/MSM), a one-year course held at ISU main campus in Strasbourg,
France. Starting from 2008, the Center also provides funding support forJapanese university and graduate students to participate in the annual
symposium organized by ISU in February.
With more than 3,000 alumni worldwide and several hundred faculty andlecturers drawn from around the world, ISU offers unique programmes thatare international, interdisciplinary and inter-cultural in nature. Based on the
Memorandum of Understanding concluded between JAXA and ISU in
December 2003, JAXA supports the activities of ISU by receiving MSS/MSM
students as interns at JAXA research facilities, sending JAXA staff aslecturers for SSP and MSM/MSM and participating in the Board of Trusteesof ISU.

32

JAXA Space Education Center

ISU Annual Symposium in 2012

V. RECENT ACHIEVEMENTS

A. Support for Formal Education
1. Introducing space education at schools across the country
Providing customized support to teachers and schools consumes a large
amount of staff time and effort. A classroom activity plan consists ofnormally more than one class, and the period required to implement theplan could last for one full academic year, requiring at least several visits by
the Center’s staff and experts. The Center has, nonetheless, continued thislabour-intensive approach to support school education with a team of 5
staff members.

Numbers of schools supported by the Center and the students benefited from the support
FY 2007
Schools

FY 2008

Students

Schools

Students

FY 2009
Schools

Students

FY 2010Schools

FY 2011

Students

Schools

Students

Kindergarten

1

94

2

150

3

250

0

0

0

0

Elementary Schools

18

1,634

14

1,177

34

2,105

36

2,916

44

4,251

Junior High Schools

6

817

14

1,088

18

1,348

16

1,497

24

2,070

High Schools

17

1,499

20

594

12

537

14

821

14

1,195

TOTAL

42

4,044

50

3,009

67

4,240

66

5,234

82

7,516

NOTE: Japanese fiscal year starts from April 1 to next March 31.

It should be noted that in the past year, some schools that had received
support from the Center in the preceding years have continued classroom
activities with the use of space materials without support from the Center.
Through administered transfers from one school to another, some of thoseteachers who had been supported by the Center in the past have begun
their classroom activities with the use of space materials at their new
schools by themselves. There are apparently more schools that have started
or that are carrying out classroom activities using space materials than theabove statistics indicate.
Another major development is the increased opportunities for teachers
training in space education through collaborations with, for example,
boards of education or faculties of education. The Center started its support
for the faculty of education by organizing one space education training
session in 2007. During the fiscal year 2008, three such sessions wereorganized with the support of the Center. As for the previous fiscal year,
four sessions have been organized, benefiting 396 students. The number ofActivities in 2011–201233

V. RECENT ACHIEVEMENTS

training sessions that the Center supported for those teachers who are
already teaching at school has also increased over the past years, from one
in the fiscal year 2005 to 42 in the fiscal year 2011.

Number of teacher training sessions and participants
FY 2007
Sessions

FY 2008

FY 2009

FY 2011

Students/
Students/
Students/
Students/
Students/
Sessions
Sessions
Sessions
Sessions
Teachers
Teachers
Teachers
Teachers
Teachers

For candidates
for teachers

1

156

3

234

2

265

3

324

4

396

For teachers

7

242

39

1,186

36

1,163

30

1,320

42

2,925

TOTAL

8

398

42

1,420

38

1,428

33

1,644

46

3,321

2. JAXA Space Education TV Conference Class: Ogaki Ehigasi
Elementary School and Kurashiki Otoshimahigashi
Elementary School
6th Grade students in the Gifu and Okayama prefecture elementary schools
were given the opportunity to share with each other what they have learnedin their science classes with each other via video conference in November,2011 and February, 2012. The students introduced their schools, exchanged
information regarding space foods and the moon and talked about theenvironmental differences between the earth and outer space. Students wereable to improve their ability to think, express themselves and make judgments
by sharing each others’ ideas and accomplishments through this course.

3. Let’s Learn about Rockets ~Researching and Experiencing
about Rockets and Space~: Shimosuwa Junior High School
The Space Education Center worked in cooperation with Shimosuwa JuniorHigh School, in the Nagano Prefecture, from May to November 2011 during
their integrated study periods on the subject of outer space. The course wasaimed toward 7th and 8th grade students who researched the theory andcomposition of rockets, made model rockets out of paper and umbrellabags and presented their research and rockets at the school cultural festival.
Through this activity students were able to internalize how space affects
their daily lives, learn the schematics of building rockets and spark interest inouter space as a whole.

34

FY 2010JAXA Space Education Center

4. Kudan Independence Plan: Chiyoda-Ward Kudan Junior HighSchool, Tokyo
JAXA worked in cooperation with Kudan Junior High School in June to
December 2011 during their integrated study periods on environmental
science. The 7th Grade students split up into groups and select a theme
they would like to pursue. This course was done in accordance with otherorganizations. JAXA explained the use of satellites to observe theenvironmental changes of the earth and discussed the possibilities of space
habitation. Students learned of current environmental issues, maintaining a
symbiotic relationship with nature and seeing how these studies could leadto career opportunitites.

5. Japanese Space Food Development: Fukui Obama FisheriesHigh School
The Space Education Center cooperated with Obama Fisheries High School
in developing space food in their food processing class from April to
October 2010. The school’s 12th Grade class participated in 23 classes tolearn about space food, the issues in the local marine product industry, domarket reserach, investigate manufacturing processes and teach elementary
school students how to make Space Caramel. Students were able to deepen
their interest in space in addition to further engaging them with the marine
product industry. They were able to learn technical skills in both space andtheir own field of study which will help them become independent,
innovative learners.

Activities in 2011–2012

35

V. RECENT ACHIEVEMENTS

B. Support for Informal Education
Reflecting the success of the Center’s strategy to transfer the central
responsibilities as the organizers to the local communities, the number of
space education events organized around the country continues to increase
while the level of financial and manual resources remained the same.

Number of events and participants of Cosmic College courses
FY 2009

FY 2010

FY 2011

EventsParticipants

EventsParticipants

EventsParticipants

Kids Course

46

3,476

49

2,286

57

4,203

Fundamental
Course

81

5,610

103

10,567128

10,243

Space Camp

3

88

10

215

9

262

130

9,174

162

13,068194

14,708TOTAL

NOTE: Japanese Fiscal year starts from April 1 to next March 31.

The pool of space educators and instructors who have newly received
training from the Space Education Leaders Seminar continues to expand. As
for the current fiscal year, FY2011, the number of participants of the Space
Education Leaders Seminars as well as its Skill-Up Courses that have beenorganized to date is over 1000.

Number of Space Education Leaders (cumulative)
FY 2009

FY 2010

FY 2011

661

676

909

As the number of space education events continues to increase, thedemand for use of the teaching materials developed by the Center also
increased. In the past year, the Center reorganized its system of managing
its numerous learning and teaching materials, packaging some materials forready-use and immediate rental for selected activities and monitoring thefrequency of use. The packaged materials include those activities to makeand launch water rockets, syringe rockets, umbrella-bag rockets and hot-air
balloons, conducting micro-gravity experiments and experiments withatmospheric pressure and comparing models of the Moon and the Earth, toname a few examples.

36

JAXA Space Education CenterC. Support for Education at Home
The series of “Space School for Families” in collaboration with KU-MA(Kodomo Uchu-Mirai Association) began as a separate and distinctive
programme since April 2009. During the last fiscal year, 31 courses wereorganized totaling 3,890 participants.
The success of this new programme is reflected not only in terms of thequantity of the courses and participants, but also in the feedback from theparents who participated in the schools. The Center has received positive
comments from a number of parents who appreciated the opportunities to
do something with their children to think, to conduct simple experiments
and to discuss with their children at schooling sessions and at home.
Through the programme offered by the Space School for Families, someparents discovered and treasured what their children really enjoy doing.
For the Space School for Families, series of teaching guides on typical handson activities continue to be produced, covering various scientific topics
under the following 12 themes: i) flight and floating; ii) light; iii) soil andsand; iv) water; v) air (atmosphere); vi) heat, temperature and combustion;vii) electricity and magnetism; viii) force and motion; ix) breeding of animals
and cultivation of flower and plants; x) field observations; xi) sound; and xii)
Sun and its companions. As of March 2012, 80 sets of teaching guides havebeen developed.

Number of teacher training sessions and participants
FY 2007

FY 2008

FY 2009

FY 2010

FY 2011

Course

Nil

3

15

20

31

Participants

Nil

1,037

2,000

3,187

3,890

Activities in 2011–201237

V. RECENT ACHIEVEMENTS

D. International Activities
1. ISEB Student Program
During IAC2011 Cape Town, South Africa, ISEB student program sponsored
students from each agency and organized academic presentation sessions
by specialists, student presentations, Q&A Sessions with respective Heads ofAgencies, and held an outreach activity for local learners, age 8 to 11, toinvite them to the IAC. They held a workshop using legos and other crafts
and took time to visit the booths of different space agencies.

2. APRSAF Water Rocket Event
In 2011, the seventh APRSAF Water Rocket Event was held in Singapore on
3 and 4 December 2011, in conjunction with APRSAF-18. 55 students and
42 teachers and leaders from 17 countries participated in the event. The
eighth APRSAF Water Rocket Event is planned to be held in Malaysia on 8
and 9 December 2012, immediately preceding APRSAF-19.

3. APRSAF Poster Contest
In 2011, the APRSAF Poster Contest was held at APRSAF-18, to contributethe commemoration of 50 years of human space flight in honor of Yuri
Gagarin. The Working Group had produced a calendar for April 2012 –March 2013 using the posters submitted for the APRSAF-18 Poster Contest,
held with the theme “The Next 50 Years in Space”. 30 posters were
submitted from 10 countries and the winners of the Awards wereannounced during APRSAF-18. The next Poster Contest will hold the themeof “Friends in Space” to celebrate the International Year of Cooperatives.

4. Space Education Seminar
The Space Education Center and Nepal Scientific Activities and Research Centre(NESARC) jointly held a Space Education Seminar, “Space Science and Technology
and their Applications into classrooms”, in cooperation with GISTDA of Thailand, in
Kathmandu, Nepal in March 2012. The Chairman of the Constitution Assemblyof Nepal was in attendance as Chief Guest as the Ministry of Science andTechnology and Congress of Nepal supported the seminar.

38

JAXA Space Education Center

Calendar for 2012, withposters submitted to
ARPSAF-18 Poster Contest

GISTDA and JAXA representatives gave lectures and demonstrated hands on
activities for local teachers to use satellite images in the classroom andcreate film case rockets and injection rockets using materials easily found at
home.

E. Dissimination of Information and Publications
The Space Education Center develops many materials to correspond with its
various activities. Examples of such materials include: Activity manuals thatwill help participants become more conscious of their connection to space,
Instruction manuals to help local teachers and leaders educate students andtheir community about space, Materials on how to introduce the subject ofspace in the classroom in a manner which will pique students’ interest and

School Wall Newspaper“Space School for Families” materials that will give parents and theirchildren opportunities to learn about space together and perform
experiments using household items.
There are over 200 materials that have been archived into an online
database. With the improved layout of the webpage and updated searchengine, materials have become more accessible to users.
Among the newest materials that were developed were videos of various
experiments taken by Japanese astronauts while aboard the International

Quarterly magazine, “Sora e no Tobira”(“Door toward Space”)

Space Station. These experiments were first performed in on earth, and theastronaut would compare the results after the experiments were performedin space. Experiments titled “Bernoulli’s Theorem”, “Water and Space” and“Inertia and Energy” were organized in 2010, and “Weight and Mass of
Objects” and “The Mysteries of Space Environment” were performed in
2011. In addition, the Center made a video comprised of several replicatedzero gravity experiments that took place on a parabolic flight.

Space Education TV Channel

The Space Education Center set up a campaign called “Let’s Observe the
Total Lunar Eclipse Together” on its website to raise chlidren’s awarenessand interest in astronomy in accordance with the total lunar eclipse thattook place in Japan on 10 December 2011. Children were asked to takepictures of the lunar eclipse and post the pictures onto the website. The
campaign gathered approximately 400 photo submissions.

Activities in 2011–2012

39

V. RECENT ACHIEVEMENTS

As alternative means to Internet-based services, the Center has continued toissue paper-based publications on a regular basis. The Center has continued
to distribute newsletters, in the form of school wall newspapers to about
10,000 elementary and junior high schools in the country. For “Science forKids”, a monthly journal for children, the Center has continued tocontribute articles on its activities. The 19th issue of the quarterly journal,“Sora e no Tobira” (“Door toward Space” in Japanese), has been issued in
March 2012. The purpose of the journal is to deliver the most recent SpaceNews and to report on recent Space Education Activities. It is also a tool thatis used to publicize upcoming events.
Starting from April 2009, the Center significantly increased the frequency ofreal-time television broadcasting to provide live coverage of not only therocket launches but also space education events organized by the Center.
The Center aims to provide such live coverage through “Space Education TV
Channel” which is broadcasted on average twice a month. From April 2011
to March 2012, 35 programmes were broadcasted through the “Space
Education TV Channel”. All these broadcasted programmes have beenarchived and made available on-line. On 10 December 2011, the Channel
held a special live broadcast of the Lunar Eclipse in Japan. The special
episode attracted over 680,000 viewers throughout the broadcast.

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JAXA Space Education CenterVI. STRATEGIC ALLIANCES AND ESTABLISHMENT OF FOOTHOLDSThe Center further strengthened its collaborations with other offices anddepartments of JAXA, industries and national research institutes while
continuing its collaborations with the non-governmental, non-profit
organizations engaged in space education activities by reaffirming its
conviction that the collaborations with all stakeholders would be the key tosuccess in further expanding space education activities at various levels ofschool education and many different places and occasions.
As a result of its increased efforts to collaborate with interested industries,

Collaborations with Discovery Channel

some of the courses of the Cosmic College were co-organized with
Panasonic Corporation, Discovery Channel and The Sankei Shimbun Co.,
Ltd.. In the case of the Discovery Channel, which broadcasted
advertisements of the Cosmic College courses, eleven courses have beenorganized together, and the event attracted about more than 200
partcipants.
Since 2010, the Center began to vigorously pursue collaborations withnational research institutes, such as Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Scienceand Technology (JAMSTEC), National Astronomical Observatory of Japan(NAOJ) and RIKEN, to have their researchers and experts involved in not only
co-organizing educational events but also in the development ofprogramme contents and planning for future activities.
Significant progress has been made in the collaborations with publishingcompanies producing textbooks and supplementary learning materials. In
response to 127 requests from 45 such companies, the Center has provided
images and data resulting from space activities and projects of JAXA for use
in the textbooks and supplementary learning materials for not only sciencebut also other classes, including those for Japanese and English languages,
geography, agriculture and homemaking.
To provide a systematic framework of support by leading researchers andexperts from various disciplinary areas who are committed to spaceeducation efforts, the Center is establishing the Space Education Advisory
Board. The Advisory Board would provide advice on the overall executive
directions to be pursued by the Center as well as its major policies
concerning the implementation of its programmes, support for spaceeducation leaders and development of educational materials. Under thisActivities in 2011–201241

VI. STRATEGIC ALLIANCES AND ESTABLISHMENT OF FOOTHOLDS

Advisory Board, the establishment of two working groups, one on spaceeducation materials and the other on space education activities, is also
envisaged.

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JAXA Space Education Center

VII. CONCLUDING REMARKS

Two years has passed since the Hayabusa Spacecraft retruned to earth.
There are already 3 films that have been made in regardance to the
Hayabusa. There are other movies that have been produced about space
missions like “Apollo 13”, but it is rare to see multiple films on the same
mission. The three films attracted about 1.4 million viewers combined. The
capsule that brought back the asteroid sample has been put on display ateach of the 47 Prefectures in Japan in 69 venues with a total of over
890,000 visitors. There are many children who know what the Hayabusa is,even if they do not know what JAXA is. Eventually children started
personifying the spacecraft by calling it “Hayabusa-kun” (the suffix “kun” isgenerally used for young boys). This personification was not done
intentionally, but came naturally as the children became personally attachedto the mission. It is interesting to think about what the children feel after
learning about how the spacecraft overcame many trials and tribulations toeventually make it back home. Perhaps they fell in love with the tenacity of
the Hayabusa and its staff. Hope, endurance, sadness, never giving up,
curiosity, adventurous and the importance of crafting are perhaps among
other emotions children may have felt.
Young children will create memories with events that give a strong
impression and will remember them for their entire lives. This is where thefundamentals of Space Education lies. We are to help children treasurethese precious memories especially in their youth. There are so many
possibilities to create such memories even outside of the labors of the
Hayabusa. JAXA’s Space Education Center would like to continue tocontribute to the wholesome growth of today’s youth through our slogan,“Space will ignite the children’s hearts” so they can take care of themselves,
their friends, family, the earth and outer space.

Activities in 2011–2012

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Report of JAXA Space Education Center
On Its Activities in 2011–2012
Japan Aerospace Exlopration Agency(JAXA)Space Education Center
3-1-1 Yoshinodai, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-5210, Japan
Tel: +81-50-3362-7590 Fax: +81-42-759-8612
http://edu.jaxa.jp
Photo/Illustration Courtesy
ISS and KIBO © NASA/JAXA, SRMS and OBSS © NASA/JAXA, Hayabusa Swing-by© Akihiro Ikeshita, Hayabusa Body and Return Capsule Reentry © Akihiro Ikeshita,
Hayabusa Approaching Itokawa © Akihiro Ikeshita