Civic Involvement Projects (CIP101) was introduced in 1999 as a compulsory course for all students in all Sabancı University programs. The purpose of the projects are to help individuals perform their responsibilities towards their community both through teamwork and personal initiative. The projects make a difference in the society and ensure continued involvement.
“Sabancı University was a milestone in my life, and Civic Involvement Projects was the turning point of my university life”
Sabancı University Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences student Yiğit Karataş speaks about Civic Involvement Project experiences
Sabancı University was a milestone in my life, and Civic Involvement Projects was the turning point of my university life. I found myself having a 20-year family, a huge library of people, a ton of memories, and a wide smile on my face. Every project had its associated memories and adventures. Every university student grows with and adapts to the environment, but while most do this through student clubs and friends, I consider myself lucky to have done it through CIP. I remember my very first project: I hardly knew what I was doing before I woke up in Erzurum one morning for the "Discover Yourself" project. I don't know if I was able to teach anything to the kids, but I learned a lot from them, and the unexpecting love in their eyes was a great motivator for my own work when I came back to Istanbul. I then took part in the Human Library, which was one of the rare days of my life when I was genuinely shocked. Looking back at yesterday, I have unforgettable memories marked by CIP; today I have friends that I got to know through this family; and for tomorrow I have dreams that have been shaped and molded by civic involvement.