Konko Gakuen Junior and Senior High School is located in Konko Town, Asakuchi City.
Its affiliated organization, the Wakaba Project, runs a series of courses.
I had heard from a friend who graduated from the school that they offered courses for elementary school students, and that their child had taken one.
The familiar names of the instructors and the new course content I had never heard of at the time really piqued my interest.
It seems the courses for the 2024 school year have evolved a little more!
Here is an introduction to the Saturday School and Saturday Courses for students in grades 4 through 6.
The information provided was current when this article was published in February 2024. Please note that it may differ from current information.
2024 School Year: “Elementary School Saturday School” and “Elementary School Saturday Courses”
The Wakaba Project’s courses for elementary school students began in the 2022 school year.
They have gradually evolved since the first session, and in the 2024 school year, the “Saturday School” and “Saturday Courses” will be held.
Registration opens at 7:00 a.m. on Friday, March 1, 2024, and closes once capacity is reached.
An “Information Session and Mini Trial Session” is scheduled for Saturday, March 2.
What Is the Wakaba Project?
The Wakaba Project is an affiliated organization of the Konko Gakuen educational corporation.
Its representative is Sato Masatoshi, former vice principal of Konko Gakuen Junior and Senior High School.
Since the 2022 school year, it has held courses mainly for upper elementary school students.
One of its aims is to “contribute to local education while helping people learn about what makes Konko Gakuen special.” However, the project was also launched with the intention of addressing “local challenges related to after-school care.”
By using Konko Gakuen’s facilities for the courses and involving the school’s teachers as instructors and in academic guidance, the project also helps introduce the private school to the wider community.
Saturday School and Saturday Courses
Although the names Saturday School and Saturday Courses sound similar, their content differs.
Here is an introduction to each.
Saturday School Program
The Saturday School is a year-round program being launched in the 2024 school year after careful preparation.
It is scheduled to run on designated Saturdays during the first term (April to July), second term (September to December), and third term (January to March).
The daily schedule includes Study Time, Challenge Time, Active Time, and Free Time, designed to encourage participants’ independence and willingness to take on challenges.
Saturday Courses
There are nine courses available in the Saturday Courses program.
Instructors include experts in various fields, as well as teachers from Konko Gakuen.
The Saturday School, which provides after-school care, and the Saturday Courses, whose wide range of enriching content is impressive.
We spoke with Sato Masatoshi, representative of the Wakaba Project, about how both programs are run.
Aiming to Contribute to Local Education
The Wakaba Project was launched with the aim of addressing challenges in local education.
We spoke with its representative about how the project came about and how the school and courses were established.
Could you tell us how the Wakaba Project got started?
Sato (honorific omitted)
It began when we heard that the local schools’ after-school programs could not accommodate all the children who wanted to attend, and were asked whether Konko Gakuen could provide after-school care.
We launched the Wakaba Project to respond, even if only in a small way.
Since Konko Gakuen is a private school, one of the main pillars of our activities is also to introduce it to people in the community.
Parents would like year-round after-school care, but for various reasons, it is difficult to hold programs on weekdays throughout the year. So we started the “Saturday School” to offer care at least on Saturdays.
Could you tell us more about the Saturday School?
Sato
The Saturday School is built around three pillars: “Study,” “Challenge,” and “Active.”
Study Time is a broad learning period that includes reading and independent research, in addition to regular school subjects. Teachers and former teachers are available to offer advice during this time.
During Challenge Time, an instructor is present each session, and participants take on a challenge. We hope they will discover something that suits them through a variety of experiences.
Active Time is about getting involved and taking action, using your body. We hope that by taking action, participants will become people who think for themselves.
And those who want to explore something in greater depth can also take part in the Saturday Courses while attending the Saturday School.
Could you tell us about the Saturday Courses?
Sato
Through the 2023 school year, the program was called “Saturday Challenge Courses,” but in the 2024 school year we dropped the word “Challenge.”
That is because we want these courses to bring students into contact with the real thing and help them get closer to it, rather than being a one-off effort to take on a challenge.
So in the 2024 school year, the courses are scheduled to run from April through July, and then continue from September through December.
What kind of courses are offered?
Sato
We have created nine courses that we hope will help students develop new skills.
The instructors are all Konko Gakuen teachers or experts in their respective fields. Some also have close ties to Konko Gakuen, including graduates and former parents.
We hope the students will gain genuine expertise.
Could you tell us about the programs held so far?
Sato
In the 2022 and 2023 school years, we held the “Saturday Challenge Courses,” “Summer School,” and “One-Day Winter School.”
- Saturday Challenge Courses: Held during the first term. Courses included English, physical education, and robotics competitions.
- After-School Summer School: Held during summer vacation. Along with studying, we ran a variety of events, including grade-specific programs and camps.
- One-Day Winter School: Held for one day during winter vacation. We offered courses related to winter.
Over the past two years, nearly 500 children have participated in total.
Many siblings have taken part, and the repeat participation rate is also very high.
The Summer School in particular is a popular program that runs for nearly a month. In 2023, it filled up within hours of registration opening, so we had to increase capacity at short notice.
Participants come from a wide area, including Bizen City to the east, Onomichi City to the west, and Ibara City and Soja City to the north.
Do you have a message for people considering taking part?
Sato
Our activities began in response to requests from parents, so we believe they should meet the needs of parents and children.
At the same time, we hope the children will have an enjoyable time.
We hope that, while having fun, they will naturally learn things that are important in life. Please feel free to join us.
Our motto is “Cherish others, cherish yourself, cherish things.”
This is also Konko Gakuen’s motto.
Thanks to the companies and individuals who understand and support our activities, we are able to keep participation fees affordable.
From the Writer
The Wakaba Project logo depicts a hand supporting a pair of sprouting leaves.
It seems the idea came from representative Sato and was turned into a design by a Konko Gakuen graduate.
The Wakaba Project’s motto is also Konko Gakuen’s: “Cherish others, cherish yourself, cherish things.”
One day when I was a student, I was surprised to hear, “The order of the motto matters. You are in the middle because cherishing yourself enables you to cherish other people and things.”
It has been decades since I graduated, but as I grow older, the motto resonates more deeply, and I find myself remembering “why I am in the middle.”
Like a hand supporting children who are just beginning to sprout and grow, I felt inspired to encourage them to cherish themselves.
I hope the children will eagerly seize opportunities to learn and look forward to Saturdays.
Konko Gakuen Wakaba Project: Saturday School for Elementary School Students and Saturday Courses for Elementary School Students 2024 — Information
| Name | Konko Gakuen Wakaba Project: Saturday School for Elementary School Students and Saturday Courses for Elementary School Students 2024 |
|---|---|
| Dates | [Saturday School] Period: First term (April 6 to July 20, 2024), on designated Saturdays (15 days in total) Time: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Venue: Konko Gakuen Memorial Auditorium and other locations [Saturday Courses] Period: April 13 to July 20, 2024 Time: Varies by course Venue: Konko Gakuen Memorial Auditorium and other classrooms |
| Location | 1350 Urimishinden, Konko Town, Asakuchi City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Participation fee (tax included) | [Saturday School] ¥18,000 per person (15 days for the first term / ¥1,200 per day) Payment in full upon application; no refunds for early withdrawal Sibling discount available [Saturday Courses] ¥7,000 per course (7 sessions in total / ¥1,000 per session) However, the English conversation video course only is ¥14,000 (14 sessions in total / ¥1,000 per session) Payment in full upon application; no refunds for early withdrawal Some courses require an additional materials fee *Discount available for participants in Saturday School 2024 |
| Website | Information on the 2024 Saturday School for Elementary School Students and Saturday Courses for Elementary School Students, hosted by the Konko Gakuen Wakaba Project (for students in grades 4–6) |
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