10/09/2025
The Discover Yourself Project took place between September 1–5, 2025, at the Sabancı University Ayvalık Küçükköy Creative Technologies Workshop with volunteer students from Sabancı University.
Workshops on themes such as children’s rights, cultural interaction, cultural heritage, conflict–reconciliation–peace, environment, city, and photography were carried out with primary and secondary school students coming from different parts of Ayvalık through the Ayvalık The Olive Seeds Association. Within the scope of the project, WWF-Türkiye contributed to the program with the Curious Panda workshops, which included interactive nature games and upcycling activities.
The Sabancı University students who participated in the project shared their experiences as follows:
“The Discover Yourself Project allowed us to both have fun with the children and discover ourselves. Teaching, learning, and playing games with their curiosity and energy was truly enjoyable. I’m so glad I took this journey and was part of this project.” (Efe Kuşcu)
“The project we carried out gave me many different emotions and experiences. Being with the children and being able to touch their lives was very valuable. We spent time with more than 30 children, and they gave us more than 30 new perspectives. I was surprised, proud, and very happy with every question and answer.” (İlayda Holinoğlu)
“Spending time with the children, guiding them, and communicating with them was very valuable for me. I felt like a child again with them. We were aware that we contributed something to the children, but on the last day, we realized that we touched them much more than we thought, and that made us very happy.” (Talya Naz Mıgırdiçoğlu)
“Discover Yourself not only provides us with different perspectives but also helps us, as volunteers, to discover ourselves. In this project, we tried to explain many topics to children in a practical way, such as gender, environment, cultural heritage, and the city. It was a very productive and very special experience.” (Eylül Yaltır)
"Discover Yourself will remain an unforgettable memory for me throughout my life. During the activities, we were both children with the kids and also took on the role of their older sisters and brothers. When we parted from them, the feeling of seeing that we could touch their lives was indescribable, a sensation that could only be experienced..” (Dicle Ezgi İlhan)
“The Discover Yourself Project allowed me to learn the stories of many children living different lives in various regions of Türkiye. I think the greatest advantage of this project is that we can step out of our comfort zones and experience the realities of life through the children. The smiles on the children’s faces at the end of the project are even more valuable than all of this. Being able to touch their lives, even just a little, is an experience I will never forget.” (Mehmet Rafet Yıldırım)
The Discover Yourself Project offered a meaningful experience for children and university students, where sharing, learning, and creativity were highlighted and social awareness was strengthened. We sincerely thank our project partners for their contributions and support. We would also like to thank CarrefourSA for their support in providing meals for our project.
