Summer Discovery 2024

Summer Discovery 2024, an event for our employees’ elementary school children, was held at Orbray [TRAD] on August 7. We hosted 63 children this year, more than last year, in the third annual event.

The 17 members who managed the event consisted of 9 people who responded to an open call from within the company, 4 employees who were approached by other members, 2 people who will be joining the company next April, a university student from Yuzawa City who participated in the “Furoppuro” event that we sponsored when he was in high school, and President Riyako. Based on last year's experience, we prepared for the event with greater foresight and ingenuity.

The main purpose of the Summer Discovery event is to let the children of employees learn about the kind of work their fathers and mothers do on a daily basis, but there are actually several other purposes as well.
One of them is to expose children to the joy of making things.

It is often said that children these days are good at playing electronic games, but lack the experience of creating something using items around them. Constructing actual physical objects is a valuable experience that will help them in their future life and career.
Another purpose is to have the participants experience “upcycling,” in which new value is infused into something that might be trash to other people. In this activity, the participants created photo frames using pieces of sapphire and other waste materials from the factory. President Riyako explained that in addition to recycling, which is reusing waste materials, Orbray’s practice of upcycling, which is giving new value to waste materials, contributes to Goal 12 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), “Responsibility to Create, Responsibility to Use,” and she wanted people to know that even children can contribute to solving global problems.

　

Record stylus from a paper cup and a bamboo skewer

During the factory tour, President Riyako herself took the children on a guided tour of the TRAD factory, complete with a quiz.

To help the children learn about the record styli manufactured by TRAD, the first Handmade Record Needle Experiment was conducted.

The experiment involved a record stylus made of a paper cup and a bamboo skewer, which had been handmade by one of the members. When it was placed on a real record, it actually produced sound. The children exclaimed “Wow!” when they heard music flowing out of a stylus made from such simple, everyday materials. They also learned how a string telephone transfers sound. When the children saw the diamonds that Orbray uses to create actual record styli, they cheered and said, “Beautiful!” They were surprised that making record styli requires such intricate work. The members who organized this part of the program were pleased that the children were able to experience the wonder of the diamond styli that the employees themselves make, and they also enjoyed themselves.

　

Tweezer work and fiber optic assembly

At this year's Summer Discovery, we offered two manufacturing processes that children could enjoy doing themselves. One was making a keychain using tweezers, which is a very delicate and nerve-wracking process. We upcycled a lot of scrap wood for decoration of the keychains.
The other manufacturing process was the assembly of optical fiber. This was a little difficult for the younger children because of the many steps involved, such as checking the movement after assembling the parts, and the need to use a lot of force. Watching this, one of the members said happily, “I was impressed by their willingness to take on challenges without giving up, even if they were difficult!”

　

Mini-Fair

We also staged a summer mini-fair for the children to enjoy. The activities included target shooting, in which they hit sweets with sling shots or catapults handmade by members using chopsticks that had been partially split and rubber bands; and golf putting, using super balls that were souvenirs from last year's Summer Discovery. The children were excited about the target shooting. Golf putting was difficult even for adults because the balls bounced around, but both members and children still had a lot of fun doing it. This year, we gave away traditional “uchiwa” fans with the Summer Discovery logo as souvenirs.

The final part of the event was the magic show that the children had been waiting for.
The children were again entertained by the Orbray magician's many magic tricks, which left them wondering, “What! What's going on?”

　

　

Short preparation time was harrowing

Preparations for the event began in June. First, based on the lessons learned from last year's event, we introduced a self-introduction time so that children who had never met each other before could get to know each other immediately. We also set up an area where children could interact with robots that use our motors so that they could enjoy themselves even during the waiting time.

With less than two months to prepare, some members worried that they would not be able to complete everything in time, and others regretted volunteering without knowing what they were getting into. Another initial hiccup was that the members included employees from both the Yuzawa and Yokote factories. The two sites may seem close, but they are actually far apart, and the number of employees who have a business relationship with people at the other factory is limited. Especially at first, it seemed as if they were hesitant with each other. However, as the event approached, employees who had never spoken to each other before became closer as they worked together and kept in touch, and in the end, all members worked together as one team, keeping in close contact and cooperating with each other. The members’ efforts to work hard together seemed to strengthen the sense of unity among the employees of both factories.

Members commented that the event was a good experience for them, that they enjoyed themselves, and that they were able to see a different side of the employees when they were working with the children, indicating that they learned and experienced many things through this event.

President Riyako said, “I am impressed by the way our employees played a central role in bringing to fruition my dream that the children who will create the future will learn about our company, and that more children will take pride in their community and local companies. With such a short preparation time, some of you may have felt anxious in creating this event, especially if it was your first time. I believe that in such situations, it is important to take the first step. And I think you had a wonderful experience of overcoming hardships and achieving a satisfying result in cooperation with your colleagues. Thank you, everyone, for all your hard work!”

“To all the employees and their children, I hope to see you again next year at Summer Discovery 2025! Let's have lots and lots of fun!”