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October 2, 2024 - GTU Office of Press and Public Relations
Gtu academics and students provide educational support and motivation for children and youth affected by the February 6 earthquakes through the 2nd Hatay Festival of Science, Art, and Sports.
Gebze Technical University (GTU) continued its socially impactful initiatives in Hatay, organizing the 2nd Hatay Festival of Science, Art, and Sports for children and youth affected by the earthquakes. With the slogan “The Butterfly Effect in Social Impact,” GTU academics and students aimed to boost educational motivation and address the learning needs of school-aged children and young people whose education had been disrupted by the disaster.
The first edition of the festival was held on July 10–13, 2023, in Hatay Defne Orhanlı tent city with a 35-member team from GTU. Following the establishment of the GTU Office for Social Impact, the team expanded and returned to Hatay between September 24–27, 2023, organizing a new series of workshops, training sessions, and seminars in Dikmece Primary and Secondary School, Hatay High School of Science, Samandağ Mevlüt Gümüş High School of Science, and Samandağ Anatolian High School.
This year’s team, consisting of 42 members, included Social Impact Coordinator Prof. Meral Elçi, Festival Organizer Assoc. Prof. Fatma Karaoğlu-Ceyhan, and faculty members such as Prof. Fatma Yüksel, Asst. Prof. Merve Mocan, Assoc. Prof. Gülşen Ulucak, Research Assistant Mehmet Ali Gasseloğlu, Aişe Ünlü (PhD), and external contributors from Boğaziçi University such as İlmar Gahramanov (PhD) and Mustafa Mullahasanoğlu. Before starting the activities, the team received training on “Working with Vulnerable Groups” from Psychological Counselor Gülçin Birinci.
Thematic workshops were conducted at Dikmece Primary and Secondary School with the aim of providing psychosocial support to children affected by the earthquake, helping them adapt to new living conditions, and reducing the impacts of trauma. All 250 students at the school participated in various 40-minute sessions, including a Mathematics Workshop organized by the GTU Department of Mathematics, a Drama Workshop by the Theater Club, a Robotics Workshop by the Robotics and Automation Club, a Painting Workshop by the Fine Arts Club, an Introduction to Coding Workshop by the IEEE Club, a Design Workshop by the Faculty of Architecture, a Music Workshop prepared by architecture students, and a Chemistry Workshop by the Chemical Engineering Club.
Academic programs were also held in high schools. These included seminars, trainings, and panel discussions. Among the offerings were advanced math lessons such as “Secure E-Commerce through Mathematics” by Assoc. Prof. Fatma Karaoğlu-Ceyhan and “From Mosaics to Magnetism” by Mustafa Mullahasanoğlu from Boğaziçi University. İlmar Gahramanov delivered an online lecture titled “Scientific Research in High School.” Prof. Fatma Yüksel delivered a training on scientific article writing, and Prof. Meral Elçi held a seminar on stress management. Asst. Prof. Merve Mocan discussed the TEKNOFEST competition process, and Aişe Ünlü (PhD), who participated online, presented a step-by-step guide to TÜBİTAK projects. GTU students Ahmet Efe Alkan and Fatih Coşkun gave presentations on artificial intelligence and its applications, while Ömer Sefertaş delivered a seminar on entrepreneurship. The Theater Club entertained students with improvisational performances. In addition, young entrepreneur and event sponsor Ahmet Kotan shared his experiences on career planning. These activities reached over 700 high school students.
Alongside the workshops and seminars, school visits were conducted to identify educational needs on site and discuss long-term initiatives.
Outside the core field team, additional support for the festival came from GTU academics, administrative staff, and student volunteers. Sponsors included OctoXLabs, Gebze Chamber of Commerce, Çayırova Municipality, Turkish Federation of Soroptimist Clubs, Darıca Municipality, and Gebze Municipality.
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