To make environmental activities a normal part of everyday life, wide-ranging awareness-raising activities are needed. As clearly laid out in our revised Environmental Policy, we will leverage the know-how we have acquired from the provision of correspondence courses, to provide environmental education, particularly for children, via various methods.
Benesse incorporates environmental activities in Kodomo Challenge and Shinkenzemi correspondence courses for pre-schoolers to high school students.
Kodomo Challenge Environment Page
With Kodomo Challenge, a correspondence course for pre-school children, teaching materials incorporate an environmental perspective.
Shinkenzemi Activities
In its Elementary School Courses, Benesse has produced a supplement called the Global Environment Survey Book and incorporates environmental themes in teaching materials. For Junior High School Courses and Senior High School Courses, we provide a wide range of opportunities to study environmental issues, such as by including questions with an environmental theme.
Drawing on our know-how from providing correspondence-based education, we create teaching materials on environmental subjects that can be used at pre-schools and elementary schools.
Creation of Environmental Picture-story Shows
Benesse has created environmental education teaching materials (picture-story shows) aimed to pre-school children in kindergartens nationwide. With public interest in environmental issues rising, Benesse's aim is to enmesh awareness and behavior regarding the environment by encouraging more children to think about and tackle environmental issues from early on in their lives.
By watching picture-card shows at kindergarten and reviewing the content at home with their parents, children will learn to treasure and think about the environment, things and resources not just at school but also in their own homes.
By watching picture-card shows at kindergarten and reviewing the content at home with their parents, children will learn to treasure and think about the environment, things and resources not just at school but also in their own homes.
Creation of Teaching Materials for Interdisciplinary Learning Periods at Schools
In fiscal 2004, Benesse began producing environment-related teaching materials under contract for Okayama Prefecture. The materials are used during so-called interdisciplinary learning periods at schools.
Production of Environmental Video
We have produced an environmental video that features the popular Shimajiro, which we show at events and on other occasions.
Through local events, competitions and other means, Benesse provides opportunities for people to think about and find answers to environmental issues.
 |
| Children enjoying themselves at this hands-on event. |
Oyako Mirai Caravan
To commemorate the 20th anniversary of Kodomo Challenge and the popular character Shimajiro, Benesse held an outdoors event for parents and children called Oyako Mirai Caravan in all 47 of Japan's prefectures from the spring of 2008.
Environmental Activity Competition
Beginning in fiscal 2008, Benesse will run a competition concerning activities and ideas for addressing environmental issues. The competition will be open to students from the senior grades at elementary school to secondary school students. Entries will be accepted during the summer holidays and winning entries will be announced after judging.
“Drawing on the unique characteristics of our business to provide environmental education”
 |
| Toshiya Yoneyama, Section Leader, Environmental Section, Management Process Control Dept. |
It has been four years since Benesse stepped up its environmental activities. At first, we weren't sure how to proceed and spent some time searching for ideas. We started by creating rules and frameworks for paper-, garbage- and electricity-related activities at offices, and conducted activities in accordance with them. We have gradually seen the results of our ongoing steadfast efforts. However, the most important thing we have learned is that we won't produce results unless we ourselves take action. Whether it is reducing copying paper or sorting trash, it's up to us. Rising public interest in the environment, with newspapers covering something seemingly on a daily basis, is of course spurring environmental activity. In order to raise the level of our activity we have made environmental education a part of our new Environmental Policy. We plan to leverage the unique characteristics of our business as a company operating in the education field and actively apply them to our environmental activities going forward.
 |