Japan rolls out AI‑enabled summer research programs for students

An event called “Summer Research Lab” will run in Kobe’s Nada ward from July 25 to August 10 2026. Organized by NPO KOBEとまり木 with special sponsor Anju Home and backed by Kobe City, the free program offers nine hands‑on activities for elementary and middle‑school students and their parents, such as creating games with Google’s Gemini AI, a pasta‑tower competition, an egg‑drop challenge, a parent‑child investment workshop, and a dye‑making session using invasive plants.

Separately, Asahi Gakken ThinkQuest has opened the “KidsNet Summer Research Project 2026” on its education portal. The online hub supplies more than 500 research topics, a new AI‑driven “Free‑Research‑Aid” search tool that suggests themes in real time, step‑by‑step guidance for report writing, and special collaboration topics co‑created with companies and organisations.