OREANDA-NEWS. From next month through March 2016, Toyota will hold a series of free-of-charge science workshops in Japan, with the aim of encouraging children to take an interest in science and technology through fun, hands-on demonstrations.

As part of an annual program that began in 1996, the workshops are held both in public venues (such as science museums) and facilities owned by Toyota and its affiliates. To date, a total of 29,200 elementary school children have taken part in 389 workshops. This year, in collaboration with local museums, a total of 18 workshops are scheduled to be held around Japan. In addition, a larger summer lecture will be held for the first time at the Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology in Nagoya.

Instructors are volunteer members of the Toyota Engineering Society1, and use their specialized knowledge to teach children about a wide variety of scientific and technological topics, such as vehicle aerodynamics, vehicle collision safety, hovercraft and more. In all, seven teams will teach a total of nine programs in their respective fields of expertise.

As part of Toyota's ongoing efforts to support recovery efforts in the Tohoku region, the teams will also visit children's homes in disaster areas and present lectures in Iwate and Fukushima Prefectures.

President Akio Toyoda commented: "Since our earliest days, we have emphasized that manufacturing is about developing people. Since it is people that make things, I believe that it is extremely important to develop individuals' creative and reasoning faculties. All kids should know the joy of making something with their own hands. It's practical, a lot of fun, and can even help motivate you for the challenges you face later on. Nothing would make me happier than to contribute to that."