Supporting
Our Youth
for the Future
Japan
Children's Idea Contest
The Children's Idea Contest is Honda’s learning activity aimed at fostering the qualities and abilities that children will need to survive in the future world filled with uncertainty through the course of envisioning their dreams and experiencing the importance and joy of creativity.
The contest that marked its 20th year in 2022 received a total of 8,250 entries that year. Over the past 20 years, a cumulative total of 83,000 entries have been submitted. For the past few years, the final review process had been carried out online to comply with the safety measures to prevent the spread of COVID 19 infections.
But in 2023, for the first time in three years, it was conducted in a face-to-face setting where all the children participating in the latest contest assembled with big smiles on their faces. To commemorate the 20th anniversary of this activity, Honda Motor Chairman Kuraishi also participated as one of the judges. The submitted ideas covered a wide range of themes from everyday challenges, contemporary trends like computers, robots and AI to social issues pertaining to nature and environment, as well as matters related to communication. The Children's Idea Contest also took place in Thailand and Vietnam, which led to drawing a grand total of over 9.8 million entries from both countries and Japan combined.
Honda believes that this contest provides a great opportunity to nurture the next generation of young people in each country where it is held.
North America
Honda Companies in North America Support STEAM Education for Tomorrow's Innovators
The Honda companies in North America place STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics) education and career readiness as their top priorities to inspire the next generation’s creativity and innovative approach to solve tomorrow's real-world challenges.
Every year, Honda Canada Foundation (HCF) provides funding to hold FIRST Robotics Competitions nationwide and assist 30 high school teams in their robot creation for these competitions. HCF also supports the STEAM programs of Toronto Metropolitan, Queen's and York Universities, as well as the entrepreneurship and leadership programs of Inspire and Shad Canada that provide scholarships for women and indigenous people pursuing degrees in robotics and science, award outstanding students in the engineering field and enabling high schoolers to attend lectures, labs and meetings with local industry leaders in STEAM.
In the U.S.A., Honda launched the Honda Engineering Roadshow in partnership with Center of Science and Industry (COSI) to expose youth to STEAM education and future career opportunities, and has distributed over 15,000 learning kits to marginalized communities near Honda’s operational bases since late 2022. Honda also co-sponsors the nationwide Creators Wanted tour together with the National Association of Manufacturers and the Manufacturing Institute, attracting over than 15,000 students since 2021, of which 84% have reported improved views of manufacturing careers.
Honda in the U.S.A. Advances its Long-term Commitment to HBCUs
In the United States, Honda's corporate social responsibility (CSR) vision is extended to its longstanding commitment to support Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). For more than three decades, Honda has positively impacted the lives of nearly 300,000 HBCU students and awarded over USD 14 million in grants supporting HBCU education programs and facility improvements.
They range from the decades-long support to Honda Campus All-Star Challenge (HCASC), Honda Battle of the Bands (HBOB) that feature the nationally renowned HBCU marching bands to numerous HBCU grant programs including the STEAM and scholarship programs, Alabama A&M University's STEM Star Scholars Initiative, the Alabama State University’s Traffic Safety Program, the FASTRAC Program with Tuskegee University, and the JELMA Summer Youth Arts Institute at Morgan State University.
The latest support projects added in 2023 include the collaboration with the National Urban League's Business Executive Exchange Program (BEEP) aimed at empowering the next generation of Black, Latinx, AAPI and Native leaders by helping their career development in various communities near Honda’s US operational bases together with Honda leaders deployed to 10 campuses to participate in classroom lectures, panel discussions and student networking events in addition to offering them access to career resources, advice, and guidance from executives at some of the largest organizations in the world.
This year, Honda associates have also been actively engaged in mentoring, guest lectures, hands-on workshops and discussions, including Honda's Ohio manufacturing and R&D operations that hosted 28 HBCU students for the company’s first-ever immersion event with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF).
South America
Sponsorship of the Bachiana Music Project in Brazil
Honda Serviços Financeiros (HSF) sponsors the Bachiana Musicalization Project. The project held activities twice a week during FY2024 to promote cultural and social inclusion, music education, and environmental awareness through music for 90 socially disadvantaged children in the city of São Paulo.
In October, the symphony orchestra, conducted by João Carlos Martins, promoted a concert that was attended by 1,255 people and watched by over 5,400 additional people on social media. The HSF is actively engaged in this type of social contribution activities through music.
Professionals Training Course Offered in Brazil
From May through December 2023, the Honda Social Project Professionals Training Course was offered to 25 students at Honda's After Sales Training Center located in Recife in the state of Pernambuco in Brazil, And also this year, the first Social Project class opened in Sumaré in the state of São Paulo to which 19 students have enrolled.
Included in the 870 hours of socio-professional training programs offered to socially vulnerable students from 18 to 20 years old were theoretical and practical classes in car mechanics, motorcycles, financial services and sales, in addition to behavioral modules and sessions to learn about the Honda Philosophy.
In 2023, 45 Honda associates participated in this project as volunteer educators, and a total of USD 159,458.47 was spent, beside investing another USD 21.187.96 to donate food baskets every month to the students. Over 300 young people participated in this vocational training program in the last 16 years, including those who were all employed after concluding their last class in Recife and Sumaré in December 2023.
Europe
Honda in Support of Garth Hill College Careers Fair in UK
In Bracknell, UK, Garth Hill College Careers Fair was held on July 12 with numerous local companies in attendance.Honda Motor Europe Ltd. (HME), HME-UK and the Honda Institute, which supports local schools and educational partners, also participated in the fair, with Honda associates from various business units taking turns to answer students' questions about working at Honda and the in-house apprenticeships that Honda offers to school leavers.
In addition, two HME-UK employees participated in the “Year 10 Interview Workshop” held at this college on July 14, where they conducted a number of interviews with 14- to 15-year-old students, providing them with sound advice on skills that will help them open more possibilities of their future career journey.
Bracknell-based HME has a longstanding supportive and cooperative relationship with the local Garth Hill College and is committed to maintaining and strengthening that relationship in the future.
HRE-UK Participates in Industry Day Hosted by WMG
The “Industry Day” organized by Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG), in which HRE-UK participates, is a careers fair with a twist. Instead of the typical format of each participating company handing out public relations materials, etc. at their booths, the event is designed to give students an opportunity to broaden their options for consideration and to think carefully about which of those options they should choose by providing a venue for representatives from each company's recruiting department (referred to as “industry partners” hereafter) to explain directly to students what they do and how they apply their expertise and technology in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to their respective business operations.
The event is divided into two parts, starting from “Lightning Talk,” in which each industry partner gives a three-minute overview of their company to the students using one PowerPoint slide with the company name and presenter's name displayed on it, and followed by the "Main Session" in which each company has up to 20 minutes to provide students a more detailed description of their business and the areas of research and development they are particularly focused on, either verbally or with an interactive demonstration.
The event has generated a high level of interest, with 192 students from 11 schools registered as participants this year.
Asia and Oceania
Honda Cars India Limited Received "Shiksha Vibhushan Award" for its Education Enhancement Activities
Honda Cars India Limited (HCIL) has received the "Shiksha Vibhushan Award" for education enhancement activities conducted at the public schools in Tapukara, Rajasthan.
This was the second year to receive this award which was handed by Rajasthan Education Minister.
HCPI Received Three Platinum Awards from the 6th "Driven to Serve" Awards
Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. (HCPI) received three platinum awards from the 6th "Driven to Serve" Awards hosted by the Society of Philippine Motoring Journalists (SPMJ) for specific projects conducted as a part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives.
The projects that HCPI won the Platinum Award this time were "Teen Smart with Honda SENSING Demonstration for Students", "Recycling of Used Lead Acid Batteries and Industrial Oil" and "Innovation Contest for Senior High School Students in the Philippines" that were respectively related to road safety, environment protection and education.
China
New Recipients of HMCI's "SCLF Honda Dream Fund" Selected
In 2023, a total of 7 students from universities across China became new members of SCLF Honda Dream Fund. Their dreams involve multiple dimensions such as child care education, regional environmental improvement, and innovation in intelligent technology. SCLF Honda Dream Fund will provide financial support and practical guidance for every student to help them achieve their dreams.
SCLF Honda Dream Fund was officially launched in September 2017 by Honda Motor (China) Investment Co., Ltd. (HMCI) in collaboration with China Soong Ching Ling Foundation. This project is funded by HMCI and aims to provide assistance and support to young people in low-income families, encouraging them to establish themselves in society and create greater social value while pursuing their own dreams. Since the start of the project, 43 students who have bravely challenged themselves to achieve their dreams have joined SCLF Honda Dream Fund family.
"Honda Eco Mileage Challenge" Held in China for the First Time in 3 Years
The 14th Honda China Eco Mileage Challenge was successfully held at the Guangdong International Circuit from November 25th to 26th, 2023, for the first time in three years. In this two-day competition, nearly 60 teams from major universities and Honda affiliated enterprises across China competed fiercely in four groups comprised of university teams and corporate teams driving either gasoline or electric vehicles. In the fuel powered vehicle category, Jilin University (537.77km/l) and Wuyang-Honda Motor (1092.52km/l) became the university / corporate group's champion team respectively, while in the EV category, Beijing Institute of Technology (24094m) and Dongfeng Honda Automobile (51524m) won the championship in respective groups.
Honda Eco Mileage Challenge was founded by Honda founder Soichiro Honda in Japan in 1981. Since this competition was introduced in China in 2007, it has drawn a total of over 10,000 participants in 14 rounds all successfully held to date.
The event has generated a high level of interest, with 192 students from 11 schools registered as participants this year.
