Go SOZO Tokyo 2019 (hereinafter referred to as "Go SOZO") was held on Monday, September 23rd at 42F Roppongi Grand Tower. Go SOZO is an event where children play a leading role. Here's a report on the event, which was full of children's possibilities and excitement!
Presentation and booth presentations to show off your work
There were two types of presentations: presentations and booth presentations (exhibits). In the presentations, the students showed their programming works with videos and demonstrations of their own creations. The themes of the works ranged from shooting games and fortune-telling to measures against suspicious people on their way to and from school. About 40 children, ranging from preschoolers to junior high school students who attend the programming class, presented their creative works with free ideas.
PROFESSIONAL JUDGES FROM THE FOREFRONT OF THE FIELD, INCLUDING JAXA PROFESSORS AND IT COMPANIES, GAVE ON-THE-SPOT FEEDBACK TO THE PRESENTERS. THE JUDGES TOOK THEIR HATS OFF TO THE STUDENTS NOT ONLY FOR THEIR PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS, BUT ALSO FOR THEIR PRESENTATION SKILLS, WHICH WERE AS GOOD AS ANY ADULT'S. "I COULD SEE THAT THEY WERE WILLING TO TAKE ON THE CHALLENGE OF OVERCOMING PROBLEMS WHEN THEY FACED THEM," SAID THE JUDGES.
After the presentation, the audience gave feedback. They evaluate the work by showing their feelings of "Excitement", "Surprise", "Wow! and "Happy", respectively. The children who made the presentations were thrilled to see how the audience felt.
The youngest presenter was a 4-year-old girl. The audience looked at her warmly as she did her best to give a presentation. Watching children's challenges is one of the important themes of Go SOZO.
At the booth presentation, the creator of the game explained to the visitors how to play the game.
The game producer, who has worked on many popular games, was also very impressed. I was stimulated by the children's flexible ideas. I hope we can work together in the future.
The boy, who loves toilets, used Scratch, a programming education software, to beautifully recreate the toilet's water flow. He was particular about the reality of every detail, including incorporating the actual sound of running water.
Contents & workshops for children and adults
In between the presentations and booths, two children who are continuing to expand their potential took the stage as special content: Junior high school entrepreneur Michiaki Kato (13), who started his own business with his parents at the age of 12, spoke about "how to live life without giving up on the present. Harudai Kosukegawa, 10, a winner of the Robot World Competition, talked about his dreams and goals, including the development of robots to solve the problems of a super-aging society. The adults in the audience were very interested in the messages from these highly motivated people. They listened attentively.
