【西粟倉中学校】1年生あわくらみらい学 世代を超えて村の未来を語り合う「地域の取組共有会」〈実施報告〉※R7年度記事

西粟倉村では毎年、村内で行われている様々な活動を共有する「地域の取組共有会」が行われています。今年、中学校からは1年生が参加。あわくらみらい学で取り組んだ「自然」「観光」「エネルギー」の3つのチームに分かれ、フィールドワークで得た気づきや、自分たちなりに考え抜いた課題解決のアイデアを発表しました。

会場には、同じく村の学習に取り組む小学4年生や、役場の職員が勢揃い。中学生の発表が終わると、鋭くも温かい質問が次々と飛び出しました。

自然チームへ向けて、小学4年生からは「自分たちでも何かものづくりをしてみましたか？」と素朴な疑問が。また、地域の方からは「その情報は本当に合っているかな？」と、地域で働く大人の視点からのシビアな確認が入る場面もありました。予想外の鋭い質問に、しばらく言葉に詰まる様子も見られましたが、チームの仲間と顔を見合わせて小声で相談。自分たちが調べた根拠を必死に思い出しながら、一生懸命に回答しました。

会の最後には、小中学生と役場の方々が混じり合っての交流会が行われました。学校の教室という枠を飛び出し、村を支える大人たちと同じ土俵で、村のために考えてきたことを共有しました。

「村のために」と考えてきたアイデアが、大人たちの知恵と混ざり合って語られたひととき。こうした交流を通して、村の未来は学校の教科書の中ではなく、村に関わる人々の想いによって作られていくのだと、改めて実感する共有会となりました。

[Nishiawakura Mirai-gaku: Discussing the Village’s Future Across Generations at the Community Project Showcase]

Every year, Nishiawakura Village hosts the “Community Project Showcase,” an event where various local initiatives are shared. This year, the 7th-grade students from our junior high school participated, dividing into three teams—Nature, Tourism, and Energy—to present the insights they gained from their fieldwork and their original ideas for solving local challenges.

The venue was filled with 4th graders from the elementary school, who are also engaged in local studies, as well as village office staff. Once the junior high students finished their presentations, they were met with a series of questions that were both sharp and encouraging.

The Nature Team received a simple but pointed question from a 4th grader: “Did you actually try making anything yourselves?” Meanwhile, a community member offered a more rigorous challenge from a professional perspective, asking, “Are you sure that information is truly accurate?” For a moment, the students seemed caught off guard by these sharp inquiries. However, they quickly huddled together, whispering and consulting with one another. Recalling the evidence from their research, they put their all into providing honest and thorough answers.

The event concluded with a mixer where elementary and junior high students mingled with village officials. Stepping beyond the walls of the classroom, the students shared their visions for the village on equal footing with the adults who support Nishiawakura every day.

It was a moment where ideas born from a desire to “do something for the village” blended with the wisdom of adults. Through this exchange, the showcase served as a powerful reminder that the future of the village is not found within the pages of a school textbook, but is shaped by the collective passion of the people who care for it.