‘SMALL STEPS FOR BIG TOMORROWS’: SCHOOLS PROMOTE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Today’s Zaman, Turkey
May 18 2007
Sabancý University’s Community Involvement Project (CIP) team recently
gathered Ýstanbul schools and universities together for the first
collaborative meeting to support and further school outreach programs.
On May 6 at the Karakoy Ýletiþim Merkezi 12 schools met for a day-long
seminar. Those institutions that have established outreach programs —
or who are beginning such programs — were invited to participate in
the event, the goal of which was to share information on each others’
projects, discuss best practice and to relate common problems in order
to brainstorm solutions. Along with Sabancý University, education
centers in attendance were Boðazici University, Koc University,
Fatih University, Galatasaray University, Iþýk University, Marmara
University, Istanbul International Community School, Robert College,
Alev Lisesi, Ýnanc Lisesi and Koc School.
What is a community involvement project?
CIP can be any program that promotes active philanthropy, a quality
that is not always a naturally occurring phenomenon. Of the groups
present at the conference, major areas of social outreach focus on
children, education, environment, the elderly, the handicapped and
human rights.
"Taking an interest in helping others is something that needs to
be cultivated," says Tara Hopkins, head of Sabancý’s program. "No
government in any country can or should take care of all people in
need," she advises, noting that for a society to work everyone needs
to lend a hand. Meltem Turkoz from Iþýk University adds, "Giving and
participating are character traits that can be learned and can be
taught." Turkoz underscores that the emotional reward that comes from
reaching out is a strong reinforcement that encourages individuals to
continue contributing to outreach programs later in their adult lives.
Hopkins maintains that, "In a truly participatory democracy the onus
is on the individual to help create a better world, both for themselves
and for those around them."
Sabancý CIP lends experience
Since 1999 American teacher Tara Hopkins has been running Sabancý
University’s CIP department to teach their students that "every
individual not only can but is obliged contribute positively to
society." As Hopkins explains, "Our goal is to teach a new generation
of people to be aware, involved, responsible and advocate positive
change." Supportive from the start, the university made Hopkins’ class
a one-year mandatory requirement for all incoming freshmen, though
many students eagerly volunteer with the project for years afterwards.
The program has thrived so well that in 2004 it won a $250,000 grant
from the Open Society Institute of the Soros Foundation for Hopkins
and her students to visit other universities in Turkey and abroad to
share know-how and demonstrate effective strategies for schools to
set up similar programs of their own. Hopkins plans to help initiate
the same CIP curriculum at new universities in Turkey each year;
to-date 13 other universities in Turkey have risen to the challenge,
as have universities in Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan,
Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.
After having established a firm foundation for their own CIP program
(which currently contains over 1,000 active members), Hopkins and
team have taken the first steps to develop an active and ongoing
collaboration between Ýstanbul schools and universities who share the
same philosophy: that everyone has the time and social obligation to
help where help is needed.
The May 6 collaboration conference in Karakoy included a survey of
why the participants think community involvement is important and
necessary. Alicia Kapudað, a high school student and student council
representative from Ýstanbul International Community School (IICS)
says, "At our school community service comes second nature to students,
because our curriculum includes it or has it as a required element
at every grade level starting from preschool. But even though parts
of it are ‘required,’ it doesn’t feel like a chore. We look forward
to community service projects because it feels really good to know
you’ve helped someone. I can’t imagine not getting involved."
For many of the schools, though, community service is a relatively
new offering– one that they are thrilled to have. They feel it is
necessary because: "It helps us feel our humanity"; "It educates
hearts as well as minds"; "It creates world citizens"; "It helps us
learn by teaching and to receive through giving"; "It teaches us
appreciation for what we are given. We are lucky and have hope —
we want to spread that hope"; "We believe that a small group of
dedicated people can change the world."
Succinctly expressed in Tuðce Canbolat’s presentation for Boðazici
University, "Kucuk adýmlar, buyuk yarýnlar" (small steps for big
tomorrows). As one school quoted Theodore Roosevelt, "To educate a
man in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society."
"One problem we all face at one point or another is demotivation,"
says Hakan Baba, a Sabancý University senior and consulting supervisor
for CIP. "Sometimes the emotional commitment is so intense that when
projects take longer than expected to implement or if it doesn’t have
the desired result volunteers can become disheartened."
"Student are not yet required to take our social responsibility
programs, so our efforts are dependent on and can be limited by student
interest," says Omer Bilgicli of Fatih University. "Therefore we have
to develop the most engaging methods to interest students."
"If students don’t yet have the culture of giving it can be a challenge
to recruit them," echoes Meltem Turkoz.
"Sometime students are unprepared for the intensity of the experience,"
says Murat Yucel of Boðazici, referring to their Big Brother/Big
Sister program. "The young children become attached quickly and can
be very adversely affected if the volunteer suddenly decides not to
turn up on a visiting day."
These and other problems are some of the many difficulty realities
that can stunt outreach projects if not effectively addressed. The
conference ended on an optimistic note with a brainstorming session
to help address some of these issues.
Sabancý University plans to arrange follow-up meetings as well as
implement an information portal for involved schools to pool data and
resources, identify opportunities for mutual cooperation, and to move
forward with more momentum and support.
Reaching out to beyond the education sector, Sabancý’s CIP also has
plans underway for a conference in fall for the business sector. The
corporate responsibility seminar will heighten the need for businesses
to be involved in philanthropic efforts and provide strategies for
increasing their participation.
For more information see
18.05.2007
JENNIFER EATON GOKMEN ÝSTANBUL
photo: Institutions that have established social outreach programs or
that are beginning such programs participated in a day-long seminar
hosted by Sabancý University’s Community Involvement Project to
share information on each others’ projects, discuss strategies and
brainstorm solutions to commonplace problems.
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