The Circle of Life is a Daikin environmental education program that gives children the chance to become aware of and think about the relationship between living things and the environment, and between global environmental issues and the daily life of people in Japan. In addition to four lessons (five classes) led by the elementary school teachers, there are practical environmental lessons led by Daikin employees in response to school requests.
Circle of Life Program Focuses on Forest Issues
On the Theme of Forest Issues in Indonesia
Daikin Industries developed the Circle of Life environmental education program on the theme of biodiversity and began implementing it on a voluntary basis in elementary schools in Japan in April 2010. As of March 2011, 34 schools had participated in the program.
This program follows the subject of a reforestation project that Daikin undertook together with an international NGO starting in June 2008 in Java, Indonesia. The program gives children the chance to become aware of the relationship between living things and the environment, and how people's lives would be affected in case of damage to ecosystems of which humans are a part, as well as the intricate connection between their daily lives and forest issues in Indonesia.
Program Raises Awareness of Relationship between Environmental Issues and Daily Life
Children Learn Connection between Environment and Living Things
In the program, children do role-plays that make them think about the issue of cutting down trees in the forest from the perspectives of various people. Children learn that their plentiful lives in Japan are partly responsible for environmental destruction in other parts of the world, and they cultivate the ability to develop a solution while understanding that all players in an issue have differing viewpoints.
In a post-program survey of children, more than 90% responded that they would like to do whatever they can to solve environmental problems, and their comments included the following: "The world is more connected than I thought" and "I'm more interested in the environment and I want to save the Earth." This program has been successful in getting children to think of ways to earnestly tackle environmental problems on their own.
Worksheets like this raise children's environmental awareness
Daikin provides a variety of teaching materials using photos, graphs, and other visuals aids
What Our Stakeholders Are Saying
Ryuichi Wada
Principal
Mito Elementary School, Higashi-Osaka
Message to Children from Global Corporation Daikin
It's impossible to be a global company these days without taking a global view and working to protect the environment. This program is opening the hearts and minds of today's children—those who will build the next generation—to the world around them. I really felt that these hands-on lessons inspired the children to take action. I am deeply grateful to Daikin.
Practical Lessons Raise Daikin Employees' Awareness
In addition to lessons taught by the school teachers, Daikin employees lead classes on request by the schools. The Daikin instructors apply for this job in-house and undergo training. Since the instructors are not environmental specialists but rather employees from marketing, production, and other departments, these teaching duties give them a chance to think about how their own jobs relate to the environment.
Daikin's next aim is to make an even more valuable program based on comments gathered from school teachers, students, and the Daikin instructors to help both children and employees raise awareness and take action.
What Our Stakeholders Are Saying
Tsutomu Yunoki
Osaka Service Station West Japan Service Department, After Sales Service Division
Through Teaching, We Learn
I taught the children that it is important to be motivated about the many things that they can do close to home to help protect the environment. I was extremely pleased when the children commented that it is important to care for the Earth. This program raised my own environmental awareness as well, and now in my daily work the environment has become a one of the central topics.
