（コーディネーター：　エドワード・ジョーンズ）

We are in the process of organizing a panel discussion and exhibit at the National Science Museum in Tokyo with the theme of "Knowledge Creation - implementing the Global Knowledge Creating Web." This event will begin with an exhibit opening on July 7 and on July 19 we hold a panel discussion involving leading educators in discussing the development of an international education community based on the principles of organizational learning. This community, the Global Knowledge Creating Web, is a fractal-based network that links universities, museums, government agencies and schools in activities that promote science and environmental education. It does this by creating learning communities that organize themselves around shared thematic areas and projects.
 

The Global Knowledge Creating Web community formation is being coordinated through collaboration between the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund, the Master Teacher Program at Tama University and the Tomonokai - a Japanese teachers organization. It operates in Japan through a hierarchical system of fractals that spans the range from local to national organizations. The national fractal is composed of representatives from the National Institute for Academic Degrees, the National Science Museum, the Japan Science and Technology Corporation (the Japanese equivalent to the National Science Foundation), the Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, the Japan Aeronautic and Space Exploration Agency, several universities and schools.
 

The first mature regional fractal was formed in Sendai. It represents a similar constituency that is linked to and mirrored in a local fractal in the community of Kesennuma. This fractal has been selected by the United Nations as a Center of Excellence for The Decade of Education for Sustainability. Additional fractals are currently being organized other regions of Japan and in the United States.

The July event is intended to stimulate the continued fractal formation by focusing public attention on the concepts and processes involved in fractal web weaving. Our ultimate aim is to put in place a system for collaborative, inquiry-based education that will link similar educational fractals across the globe in conjunction with the aims of the Decade of Education for Sustainability. We would like to see this become a self-sustaining activity that organizes itself around the fundamental principles of organizational learning. To that end, we are interested in opening a dialogue on the process with other members of the SoL community.
 

For more information, contact Edward Jones, SoL Japan Coordinator.