The 7th- and 8th-grade students visited Odaka Industrial Technology High School in Minamisoma City and Soma Agricultural High School.

This visit provided an opportunity for them to think about their future paths. From their own perspectives, they observed and learned about what can be studied, whether commuting from Okuma Town is possible, what kinds of facilities are available, and what the senior students are like.

At Odaka Industrial Technology High School, the students attended the “Project Observation and Presentation Session,” where they watched presentations from each department. The topics were highly specialized, including an electric motorcycle built using advanced equipment, a punching machine using piezoelectric elements, and participation reports from a robot sumo competition. In the Commercial Department, presentations focused on issues such as surplus inventory at supermarkets and food loss.

Impressions from the presentations

  • “I researched the school on its website beforehand. Some parts were difficult to understand.”
  • “What impressed me most was the punching machine. I thought it was amazing that they built something that could be placed in a game center by themselves.”
  • “I thought it was incredible that they made a motorcycle. I would like to try the punching machine myself.”

After that, the students received explanations about each department and were given a tour of the school building.

At Soma Agricultural High School, the students observed a practical lesson in the Food Science Department. A teacher from a confectionery school visited as a guest instructor and led the class. The students watched the process of making the dough for ichigo daifuku (strawberry mochi) and were able to see high school students working up close.

Afterward, they watched an introduction to the school, videos introducing the three departments, and a video about club activities. Students at the school choose a course related to their future career paths from an early stage, starting in their first year. The school has a 120-year history and places great importance on preserving local traditional performing arts. There are also many clubs unique to a high school, and the students watched with bright, excited expressions.

The two high schools we visited each offered distinctive learning opportunities. Thank you very much for welcoming us.