Learning from play—
A form of next-generation education utilizing Gunpla
Gunpla Academy is a lesson package for elementary schools provided by the Bandai Namco Group. We offer a next-generation education program where participants learn about manufacturing and the SDGs while enjoying Gunpla and deepening their understanding of factory work.
Environmental and career education passing on Bandai Namco’s monozukuri heritage to the next generation
We are putting efforts into nurturing the children who will lead the future of our world. Gunpla Academy, which launched in fiscal 2021, contributes to the development of children who will lead the next generation from three perspectives.
The first is passing on Japan’s monozukuri culture. This culture is highly acclaimed worldwide. We can teach children about manufacturing so that they can understand the process of industrial production and the development of technology, and the importance of passing on these skills to the next generation.
The second is environmental education. By communicating Bandai Namco’s real-life initiatives, such as recycling plastic waste and sustainable manufacturing, we can raise awareness of environmental issues and foster a commitment to contribute to building a sustainable society.
The third is career education. In today’s schools, emphasis is placed on career education, which helps children deepen their understanding of future career choices and work styles. By learning about the joy of monozukuri and factory work, children can develop an interest in the profession.
Bringing the plastic model factory to the classroom and experiencing the joy of monozukuri through model assembly
Gunpla Academy, which is primarily geared towards fifth graders’ social studies classes, allows students to tour a plastic model factory and experience assembling models without leaving the classroom. The video includes content that allows viewers to learn about monozukuri, career education, and the SDGs in a comprehensive manner, including production processes, interviews with people working in each process, and plastic recycling.
There is also the “My Plastic Station” program as an option for advanced learning. A specially truck equipped with a runner cutter and molding machine visits schools to demonstrate the plastic recycling process.
Continue to foster the next generation after having reached a total of 900,000 children by fiscal 2025
In fiscal 2024, over 220,000 students from 3,500 schools participated. Since the program’s inception in fiscal 2021, the total number of participants exceeded 900,000 as of October 2025. Teachers at the schools where the classes were held commented that they felt the passion of factory workers, and it was great to see the children learning on their own. We will continue to carry out educational activities for the next generation who will lead the future.
© SOTSU・SUNRISE