UoA Students Participate in "Candle Live @ Aizu Wakamatsu"

An event, "Candle Live @ Aizuwakamatsu" (*1), was held on September 6, 2014. Students from Aizu IT Nisshinkan Factories for Experiencing Start Up Venture 10, "Creation of ideas, local contribution project" (*2) joined this event, and sold Minami (Southern) Aizu-made vegetables and food.

Venture 10 keeps on contributing to local communities. Last year, they sold "Kozuyu-soup" (*3) at Iwaki Meisei University. The purpose of this activity was to donate sketchbooks and "origami" to Okuma Town Kindergarten (*4) children using the income. The students who gave these surprise presents to the children were happy to see them smiling. Later, the kindergarten teachers sent a thank you letter to the students. Such heart-warming encouragement moves the students forward in their studies.

Venture 10 is being proactively involved in contributing to local activities. Activities such as opening a shop at other universities' festivals, and collaboration projects with Minami Aizu Town, etc. have been scheduled for this academic year as well as part of the course.

*1　Candle Live @ Aizuwakamatsu:

An event hosted by the community, "Candle Aizu", and composed of two parts, daytime and evening parts.
In this event, you can enjoy live performances in various genres, and in the evening part, beautiful candle lights.

*2　Aizu IT Nisshinkan Factories for Experiencing Start Up Venture 10, "Creation of ideas, local contribution project":

The University of Aizu dedicated to IT education collaborates with local venture companies and communities, and offers "Factories for Experiencing Start Up Venture" with themes corresponding to the needs of local companies and communities. Students in each factory can experience the process of commercialization such as software development, etc. while having instructions from business managers and engineers in local companies. The purpose of this project is to help students to acquire solid skills and entrepreneurial spirit.

*3　Kozuyu-soup:

"Kozuyu-soup" is a traditional Aizu dish at roots in food of feudal Japan. The soup made from dried scallop stock contains lots of ingredients, and is a must for celebrations such as the New Year's celebration.

*4　Okuma Town Kindergarten:

The kindergarten was opened in Aizuwakamatsu as its branch after the Great East Japan Earthquake and Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Disaster in 2011.