The Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition (hereinafter referred to as “the Association) will begin accepting applications for schools to participate in the Junior Expo 2025 Education Programme for the 2024 Academic Year from Monday, 22 April.
This programme is designed to encourage children, who will play a leading role in the future, to participate in initiatives for Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan (hereinafter referred to as “the Expo”). Students also learn about the SDGs, come up with ideas around the theme of the Expo, “Designing Future Society for Our Lives”, and develop an interest in visiting the Expo in 2025. Since its launch in October 2020, a total of 258 schools (131 elementary schools and 127 junior high schools) from 31 prefectures, including Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, and Hokkaido, have participated in the programme, and a total of 19 overseas educational institutions from 8 countries have participated in this programme.
Teachers from each participating school will conduct classes using dedicated teaching materials compiled by the Association and will use comprehensive learning time to deepen the student’s understanding of the Expo and the SDGs. In addition, there will be “Research Meetings,” where children can interact online with companies working on the SDGs, as well as the “Junior Expo Elementary School Poster Exhibition” and “Junior Expo Junior High School Presentation” for the children to present what they have learned through the classes and other activities. The contents of this programme and exclusive teaching materials (reading books for learning) can be viewed on the Junior Expo 2025 Education Programme webpage: (https://www.expo2025.or.jp/overview/education/). (Japanese)
The dedicated teaching materials such as teacher’s guides and videos, other than the reading books, can be downloaded by the schools that applied from the dedicated website.
Further details about the programme can be found here: (https://www.juniorexpo2025.com/) (Japanese).
■ Overview of Applications
1. Application Period:
From Monday, 22 April, 2024 to Monday, 31 March, 2025
*Schools wishing to hold a Research Meeting should apply by Wednesday, 31 July, 2024.
2. Target Year Groups:
Elementary school: Years 5 and 6
Junior high school: All Years
*Teaching Materials are prepared according to the recommended year level.
3. Eligible Applicants:
– Elementary and junior high schools in all prefectures.
– Overseas educational institutions (School for Japanese students outside of Japan, schools that conduct supplementary classes for Japanese students outside Japan, and private educational institutions outside Japan)
– International Schools
*Companies, organisations, and individuals other than schools are not eligible.
4. How to apply:
Please apply via the URLs below. The Association’s Junior Expo 2025 Education Support Bureau will direct you to the dedicated website for applicant schools. The application procedure must be completed by elementary and junior high school teachers.
Click here for the elementary school application: https://teacher-site.net/junior-expo2025/elementary/ (Japanese)
Click here for the junior high school application: https://teacher-site.net/junior-expo2025/junior-high/ (Japanese)
5. Schedule (tentative):
・From 22 April, 2024: Recruitment of participating schools starts. (Domestic elementary and junior high schools, overseas educational institutions, and international schools)
*The start time of classes varies depending on each school.
・October 2024 – January 2025: “Research Meetings” (For students in domestic junior high schools, foreign educational institutions, and international schools)
Companies working on the SDGs will announce the details of their initiatives, and the students can ask questions about their initiatives. The meetings will be conducted online.
* If you wish to participate in the research meeting, you must apply separately on the dedicated website after applying for the programme. (Application deadline: Wednesday, 31 July )
・Late February 2025: “Junior Expo Presentation Session” (Students in domestic junior high schools, foreign educational institutions, and international schools)
A presentation session will be held for students to present what they have learnt and share their ideas.
* Schools that applied for the “Kansai SDGs Youth Action” with their presentations and received the award will participate in the presentation session.
・March 2025: “Junior Expo Poster Session” (Students in domestic elementary school, elementary schools in overseas educational institutions and international schools)
Posters created by the children to present their “Ideas for all brilliant lives,” will be published on the Association’s website and other media platforms.
* Each school can submit up to two posters. Only open to schools that have applied to the programme.
■ Overview of the Junior Expo 2025 Education Programme
1. Contents of the Classes
Textbooks, videos, and other dedicated teaching materials compiled by the Association will be used. (Produced in cooperation with the Osaka Prefectural Board of Education)
*The presentation session is scheduled to be held as part of the “Kansai SDGs Youth Meeting” which is co-hosted by the Kansai SDGs Platform.
2. Dedicated teaching materials
The materials can be downloaded from the “Dedicated teaching materials (reading books) for the Junior Expo 2025 Education Programme” button on the Junior Expo 2025 Education Programme webpage.
*Materials other than the reading books can be downloaded after registration is completed.
*The Teaching materials distributed by the Association are digital materials designed to be used on a tablet or other digital devices for classroom use. Physical teaching materials and booklets will not be distributed.
*This programme is designed to be implemented in comprehensive learning classes. However, schools may freely arrange and use the programme in their annual class curriculum.
To allow schools to adapt the programme to their school curricula, shortened versions and English versions of teaching materials and an English version which can be taught in about three lesson periods are also available.
* Classes can be held for one or more lesson periods.
(Contact)
● General enquiries about the Junior Expo 2025 Education Programme:
Local Community Cooperation Division, Local Community and Tourism Department
Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition
TEL:06-6625-8735
● Enquiries about applications:
Junior EXPO2025 Educational Support Office (within CAREERLINK CO.,LTD.)
TEL:06-7777-4111
● Enquiries from the press:
Global Communication Department, Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition
Email: globalpr@expo2025.or.jp