REPORT
Sony Creative Science Award Winners Embark on Once-in-a-Lifetime Journey of Discovery to Tokyo
Sony Creative Science Award (SCSA) is a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program organised each year by the Sony Group of Companies in Singapore together with the Singapore Science Centre. The program aims to promote creativity among children and make science fun and interesting to them. It consists of workshops and a creative toy-making competition, where children aged between 7 to 12 years are encouraged to create unique and innovative toys which demonstrate at least one scientific principle. Winning entries are selected based on originality, creativity, design and scientific principle, and the winners and their schools are awarded attractive prizes from Sony.
(The article is provided courtesy of Sony Electronics Asia Pacific)
SCSA receives continual support from Singapore's Ministry of Education, and since its origins in 1998, has touched the lives of over 50,000 students from almost every primary school in Singapore. This year, SCSA celebrates 15 marvellous years of toy-making in Singapore, and as a special reward, the top winners this year won for themselves an all-expenses-paid educational trip to Tokyo, Japan.
The competition was particularly tough this year, with a record number of entries received (4,128 entries from 104 different schools). Thus, it was suitably fitting that the top 9 winners this year were flown to Japan to participate in a specially planned six-day journey of discovery and learning.
The itinerary included:
1. Sony's Headquarters in Tokyo
A visit to Sony's Headquarters in Tokyo. The students were treated to a tour of showroom of Sony's ground-breaking electronics, movies, music and games.
2. Tokyo Science Museum
An educational experience at the Tokyo Science Museum, where the students learnt about science and technology such as mechanics, magnetism, electricity and optics through various interactive exhibits and workshops.
3. Sony ExploraScience
A visual-auditory extravaganza at Sony ExploraScience, a hands-on science hall which tells a story to explain the link between the latest technologies and basic science principles. The venue allowed them to thoroughly explore 'light', 'sound' and 'entertainment'.
4. Participation in an "Augmented Reality" Orienteering Workshop
Participation in an "Augmented Reality" Orienteering Workshop with Japanese students. The aim was to experience cultural exchange between students from both countries, allow the students to immerse in technology using Sony's tablet, and also learn about environmental issues. This involved field work in the vicinity of Daiba-Park and Aqua-City in Odaiba.
5. KidZania Tokyo Theme Park
A visit to KidZania Tokyo Theme Park. KidZania provides children and their parents a safe, unique, and very realistic educational environment that allows kids to do what comes naturally to them: role-playing by mimicking traditionally adult activities. As in the real world, children perform "jobs" and are either paid for their work (as a fireman, doctor, police officer, journalist, shopkeeper, etc.) or pay to shop or to be entertained. The indoor theme park is a city built to scale for children, complete with buildings, paved streets, vehicles, a functioning economy, and recognisable destinations in the form of "establishments" sponsoretd and branded by leading multi-national and local brands. At KidZania, the students got to explore their dream careers such as being a pilot, fireman or musician. Of particular interest to them was becoming a professional photographer, and they each got to experience this at the photo studio (sponsored by Sony Marketing) within KidZania.
6. An exciting city tour
An exciting city tour that included visits to Asakusa and the vicinity of Tokyo Sky Tree, as well as lunch at a traditional ramen shop. The students also got to experience the magic and wonder of Tokyo Disneyland.
The children all agreed that it was an unforgettable trip for them, with close friendships forged and a bag-full of warm memories to take back home. All of them look forward to participating in SCSA again next year.
SCSA continues to provide a platform for young inventors to embark on experiential learning integral to their development, while having fun and letting the fascinating world of science take them on a journey of imaginative discovery. Sony will continue to contribute to the local community through impactful CSR activities like SCSA to reach out to the next generation.
