Classroom Adventure Inc. has been named a winner in the Learning & Education category of the World Summit Awards (WSA) 2025, an international award held within the framework of the United Nations. In May 2026, CEO Imai will attend the award ceremony in Vienna, Austria, marking the fifth time a Japanese initiative has won in the award's 23-year history. The award highly evaluated the company's gamified approach to information literacy education in tackling the global challenge of disinformation and misinformation.
The Escalating Problem of Disinformation and Misinformation
In recent years, the spread of misinformation and disinformation has become a serious social issue, driven by the ubiquity of social media and the rapid advancement of generative AI technologies. In the World Economic Forum's Global Risks Report, "misinformation and disinformation" has been ranked as the most severe global threat for two consecutive years.
In Japan, false rumors have caused significant societal disruption, such as fake rescue requests during the Noto Peninsula Earthquake that hindered actual lifesaving efforts. Studies point out that younger generations, in particular, have a higher tendency to spread misinformation, making it an urgent task to foster the literacy needed to independently question and verify the authenticity of information.
Recognition at the International "World Summit Awards"
The World Summit Awards (WSA) is an international award established in 2003 within the framework of the United Nations World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) to recognize digital innovation. With over 180 participating countries, the WSA selects outstanding initiatives that contribute to solving social issues. This marks only the fifth time in 23 years that a project from Japan has received this honor.
Classroom Adventure was recognized for its programs, including "Ray's Blog" (Rei no Blog) and the "Youth Verification Challenge." The company received high international praise for deploying a practical, gamified approach to the complex and daunting modern challenge of disinformation and misinformation. Rather than emphasizing fear and anxiety, the programs were commended for creating an experiential design that empowers learners to take an active role in their education, ultimately leading to this award.
The Award-Winning Programs
Below are the two flagship programs that earned the WSA recognition. These programs are designed not for passive knowledge reception, but to cultivate the ability of learners to independently research, think, and make informed judgments.
- Information Literacy Education Program "Ray's Blog"
"Ray's Blog" is an innovative media literacy education program centered on the theme of misinformation and disinformation. It is currently provided to educational institutions in 14 countries worldwide.
Through an immersive puzzle-solving game that utilizes a compelling narrative and the actual internet, participants naturally acquire cutting-edge verification techniques used by professional fact-checkers. Within the game, students learn practical skills rarely taught in standard classrooms, such as how to spot AI-generated fake images, use geolocation to pinpoint locations, and track down primary sources.
By experientially learning the three foundational steps of countering disinformation—"doubt," "research," and "judge"—students develop the resilience to navigate the information landscape and the ability to uncover the truth on their own.
- International Tournament "Youth Verification Challenge" (GenAsia Challenge)
The "Youth Verification Challenge" is an international competition for youth aged 12 to 24 that tests their fact-checking skills.
Classroom Adventure took over this tournament from Google's news literacy initiative in 2024. It is now co-hosted with the Japan Fact-check Center (JFC) and various fact-checking organizations across Asia.
The tournament aims to provide a practical and engaging platform for learning essential information literacy skills needed to survive in a digital society flooded with unverified information, including AI fakes and disaster hoaxes. Through real-time team battles, participants compete on speed and accuracy, with the winners of national qualifiers advancing to battle representative teams from other countries for the world championship title.
Future Outlook and Strengthening Global Partnerships
Following this award, Classroom Adventure will further strengthen its partnerships with overseas educational institutions and organizations to accelerate its global expansion. As the information environment continues to evolve, the company aims to deliver foundational literacy skills—essential regardless of country or region—to an even broader audience of learners.
As part of this initiative, coinciding with the award ceremony in Vienna, the company will also conduct a special visiting class at the Japanese School in Vienna, Austria. Through these cross-border practices, Classroom Adventure will continue to build new model cases for information literacy education.
We will continue to provide "overwhelmingly fun" learning experiences where participants can deeply engage and think critically, rather than presenting social issues as something that must be learned simply because they are "difficult." Through our ongoing activities, we are committed to contributing to the realization of a society where young people around the world are not swayed by misinformation, but can independently verify and judge information for themselves.
About Classroom Adventure
About Classroom Adventure Inc.
Classroom Adventure Inc. is an EdTech startup founded by active students at Keio University. Driven by the mission to "Make Maenomeri" (foster proactive engagement), the company creates "overwhelmingly fun" learning experiences utilizing gamification.
Its flagship program, "Ray's Blog" (Rei no Blog), which focuses on misinformation and disinformation, has been experienced by over 50,000 people in more than 14 countries. Additionally, "Ray's Missing" (Rei no Shisso), a program that allows users to simulate the dangers of illegal part-time jobs ("yami-baito")—a growing social issue—is being increasingly adopted in collaboration with local governments and educational institutions nationwide, including Tokyo, Hyogo, and Tottori prefectures.
Furthermore, since 2024, the company has taken over the hosting of the "Youth Verification Challenge" (now the GenAsia Challenge), an international tournament competing in fact-checking skills, from Google LLC.
In recognition of these activities, Classroom Adventure has received the following awards:
- Grand Prix, Asahi Shimbun University SDGs Action! Awards 2024
- First Prize, Tokyo Startup Gateway 2024 (One of Japan's largest startup contests, hosted by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government)
- Grand Prix, NIKKEI THE PITCH SOCIAL 2025
- Special R&D Innovation Award, Global EdTech Startup Awards (GESAwards) 2025
- Social Action Category, Internet Media Awards 2026
In 2025, the company joined UNESCO's international network, the "Media and Information Literacy Alliance," contributing to the global spread of information literacy education.
Official Website: https://classroom-adventure.com/