Your home
as a classroom.

What we do

Product

Programmable Toaster Oven

Enhance your STEAM curriculum with our IoT Toaster Oven, controlled using MIT’s Scratch-based programming. Equipped with WiFi and Bluetooth, students can monitor temperatures and switch heaters on/off remotely. This tool supports hands-on projects like designing custom cookies and pizzas, fostering creativity and technical skills through real-world coding applications.

Programmable Lighting

Transform your STEAM program with our innovative LED Lighting curriculum, powered by Scratch-based coding platform. Students create light-based art, exploring emotional and spatial expressions. Beyond enhancing educational outcomes, the program fosters a new lighting culture. Cultivate creativity and technical skills in your students through our unique blend of learning and artistic light projects.

Service

Scratch Home Workshop

We offer engaging summer camps and workshops where children can explore STEAM subjects. By integrating IoT devices like programmable toasters and LED lights, we deliver unique STEAM learning programs tailored to your schedule. Inspire young minds with hands-on technology and creative projects that blend coding, engineering, and artistic expression.

Cases

Case 1

Year-Round STEAM Program at Saint Agnes School in Massachusetts

Panasonic HD is launching its inaugural year-long STEAM program for K-8 students at Saint Agnes School in Massachusetts from September 2024 to June 2025. Utilizing Panasonic’s programmable IoT toasters and lighting, the initiative aims to explore and expand into the US STEAM education market.

Related Article
Case 2

Academic Activities

We actively present our work at international conferences and develop educational materials by incorporating feedback from experts around the world.

Related Article
Case 3

World Wide Workshops

We conduct workshops in various countries around the world, including Bangkok, Taiwan, Boston, and Bhutan. Learning about differences in values through food and art also contributes to the educational experience.

Related Article
Case 4

MIT Media Lab Summer Camp 2021 in Japan

In 2021, we conducted a light programming workshop at the MIT Media Lab's summer camp held in Japan. We continue our partnership with MIT and regularly engage in collaborative exchanges through research.

Related Article

Features

STEAM in Daily Life

  • Family Creative Learning

    Explore the 'Inventive Family' Approach to Nurturing Your Children's Creativity Together.

  • Innovate your everyday

    Not just learning, but using all five senses to inspire inventive living.

  • Creative Divergence

    Discovering a child's true interests through trial and error, embracing creative divergence.

For children navigating a rapidly changing society, fostering resilience is crucial.

In an era of uncertainty, cultivating individual agency empowers kids to discover and live authentically. We turn everyday life into a learning journey, offering programs to enhance children's agency. Agency involves processes of 'imagination,' 'creation,' 'play,' 'sharing,' and 'reflection.' Embrace elements of modern learning, such as remixing and feedback, in this process. Through life-related activities, foster children's proactive learning beyond programming skills.

Team

  • Kazutoyo Takata, Ph.D.

    Project Leader

    Chief Researcher at Panasonic Holdings Corporation, Technology HQ. Visiting Scientist at MIT Media Lab / Lifelong Kindergarten Group from 2016 to 2019. Engaged in modeling human cognition and creativity in the field of artificial intelligence.

  • Akira Hirata

    Strategy

    Chief Strategist at Panasonic Holdings Corporation, leading US education initiatives. He started his career in M&A investment banking at Dresdner Kleinwort and later served as President of Z-kai USA. Based in Boston, he teaches STEAM to over 300 PreK-8 students and holds an MPP from William and Mary and a BA from Keio University.

  • Toshiyuki Shimizu

    Technology

    Chief Engineer at Panasonic Holdings Corporation. Since 2008, developing over 10 products such as intercoms and energy monitors, some of which achieved Japan's No.1 market share. He is the team’s Chief Technology Officer, responsible for the technical development of educational materials, including IoT devices.

History

  • Research in MIT MediaLab

    Developed a programmable toaster oven at MIT Media Lab

  • Pilot classes for building a new curriculum using programming appliances

    At Kosei Junior High School in Niigata Japan, we piloted a class using programmable toaster oven where students designed their ideal cookies through programming. This hands-on experience evolved into a new STEAM curriculum integrating chemistry and biology, confirming its educational effectiveness.

  • Smart Lighting Workshop at Media Lab Summer Camp 2021

    We participated in "Media Lab Summer Camp 2021," the first educational event independently hosted by the MIT Media Lab in Japan, and held a hands-on session using the programming software "Scratch" developed by MIT Media Lab to program IoT home appliance prototypes and explore "the ideal cookie" and "the future of lighting."

  • Start of long-term curriculum demonstration in Japan

    We have launched a paid curriculum pilot program, "Scratch Home School – Panasonic’s School," at Tsunashima Sustainable Smart Town, enabling students to learn from the creative learning approach advocated by MIT. Developed a programmable toaster oven at MIT Media Lab.

  • Massachusetts schools begin year-round STEAM classes

    We conduct a one-year STEAM class for K-8 students at Saint Agnes School, a private school in Massachusetts, USA, from September 2024 to June 2025.

  • 150+
    Lessons/Classroom
  • 3000+
    Attendees
  • 98%+
    Class Satisfaction

FAQ

  • Is on-site teaching fee-based?
    Yes, on-site teaching is fee-based. Prices vary depending on factors such as the number of participants, duration, and whether a teacher is provided.
  • What are the target age ranges, number of participants, and content for on-site teaching?
    We accommodate students aged 8 to 18. The standard duration is 2 hours, but we can arrange the schedule based on your needs.
  • Where can I attend the workshop?
    Workshops are scheduled to be held various ocations depending on the timing. Please refer to the NEWS section on our website for more details.
  • Can I participate if I am a programming beginner?
    Yes, you can participate even if you have no programming experience. Our instructors will support you, so please feel free to join with confidence.
  • Can I participate if I have allergies?
    Yes, you can participate. In workshops that involve cooking, we ask that you take home the items you create instead of consuming them on site.