- Real-time interaction with people of the same age from abroad from an early age brings the world closer to you.
- By enhancing pre- and post-learning, the experience will not be a one-time event, but a memorable one.
- Fostering independence, inquisitiveness, and an SDG mindset through making friends and having fun learning
The winner of the BabyTech® Award Japan in the "Learning and Playing" category for 2021 is EN-TRY, an online service that connects Japanese kindergartens and nursery schools with the rest of the world. It sounds simple enough, but EN-TRY is packed with a lot of features to spark children's curiosity about the world, with a period of thorough preparation in advance! We asked Ms. Hikari Okada of Thinkalot, which operates EN-TRY, to give us an overview of the service, how it was developed, and its future prospects.
(We spoke with)
Thinkalot, Inc.
Hikari Okada
Experience connecting with the world from childhood
Editor: Thank you for your time today. The EN-TRY World Exchange, where you can connect with kindergartens and preschools overseas via online, sounds great! Please tell us about the concept and its appeal.
Okada: Thank you very much for your cooperation, the purpose of EN-TRY World Exchange is to broaden children's perspectives through online "world exchange. We believe that having exchanges with their peers overseas from an early age, when they are more sensitive and less prejudiced, is an experience that will expose them to a variety of differences and at the same time build a foundation for children's curiosity and respect for diversity.
In addition to the online exchange, the program is structured in such a way that participants can enjoy learning about the other's country and culture, and experience a preliminary program to introduce themselves, so that they can have a more intensive time when they actually interact online.
Editor: " I want to expose my child to the world from a young age! I think there are many parents and preschool teachers who are thinking "I want to expose my child to the world from an early age," but I feel that in many cases they don't actually know what to do. I think this will be a solution to such a problem.
Okada: People tend to think of overseas exchange as starting with English, but we believe that language is only a communication tool. We believe that the original purpose is to learn "that there are many different countries and cultures in the world" and to have fun interacting with people from all over the world. In Online Live, a puppet named "Magoo" acts as an interpreter and guide, allowing you to enjoy real-time communication, so you can enjoy the exchange without anxiety.
Two months of advance preparation time deepens the exchange.
Editor: I would now like to know more details about the EN-TRY program flow. What kind of programs are offered before and after the online exchange?
