Social Empowerment Studies
Following the yaklaş_nişantepe (2019) project, multi-stakeholder efforts are being conducted in Nişantepe neighborhood to address the fundamental needs related to the elimination of disadvantage and to make on-site improvements. These efforts also focus on key areas such as social inclusion, education, access to rights, and awareness. If you would like to be informed about these activities, you can send an email to surdurulebilirlik@ozyegin.edu.tr to join the mailing group.
An individual born into a poor family that is unable to meet a large part of their daily basic needs grows up without the same opportunities as their peers. The inequality of opportunity, particularly in education, that they face in every area of life directly affects the individual's social and emotional development. This makes it difficult for them to integrate socially, culturally, and economically into society, thus greatly reducing their chances of breaking out of the cycle of poverty they were born into.
Özyeğin University has established the "Intergenerational Poverty Framework," which forms the basis of its fight against poverty, by organizing a roundtable discussion titled "What is Intergenerational Poverty? The Role of NGOs and the University," with the participation of local governments, civil society organizations, and the university.
The foundation of ÖzU's activities related to poverty reduction is to contribute to the reduction of intergenerational poverty. Fighting intergenerational poverty also necessitates combating today's poverty.
ÖzU aims to reduce intergenerational poverty by prioritizing the fight against child poverty in today's struggle. Continuity is key in activities, particularly those centered around children.
In line with this goal, ÖzU prioritizes the following areas:
- Education
- Reduction of Time Poverty
- Parental Investment
- Social and Cultural Environment
- Collaborations
- Basic Needs Support
- Research
- Transformative Student Experience
Since 2019, ÖzU Sp has continued its community empowerment activities focused on the adjacent disadvantaged areas with various stakeholders. It will continue these activities with the same resolution by widening its scope of impact.
Sources:
For the digital PDF related to the "Istanbul Roman Workshop", you can go to the provided link from the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality: Istanbul Roman Workshop PDF.
To access the "Strategy Document for Roma Citizens 2016-2021", you can visit the link from the State Planning Organization of Turkey: Strategy Document for Roma Citizens.
And for the "Education Reform Initiative" report, you can review the document via this link: Education Reform Initiative Report.
As part of the "Yaklaş_Nişantepe" (2019) project, a series of walks and workshops were organized to facilitate the engagement of members from the university campus with the Roman neighborhood residing in conditions of deep poverty. The primary objective was to cultivate closer relationships and foster collaboration with the Nişantepe community.
In an effort to strengthen these connections, Özyeğin University took several initiatives. Firstly, the university opened its sports center to the community, accommodating handball training sessions twice a week. Initially, young girls from the Nişantepe neighborhood actively participated in ÖzU's handball team exercises. This not only allowed them to experience the campus environment but also promoted positive role modeling by bringing them into contact with our university's handball team.
During the pandemic, as universities were temporarily closed by the Higher Education Council, ÖzU Sports Centre reached out to Defne Sports to provide continued support and training for these young athletes. After the pandemic subsided, Özyeğin University once again made its sports center available to Defne Sports.
Furthermore, ÖzU's School of Languages offered English lessons to the girls involved with Defne Sports twice weekly. Additionally, a dedicated group of volunteers initiated collaborations and projects aimed at enhancing the skills and resources of the athletes. One notable initiative involves an Erasmus sports project in collaboration with Defne Sport, the European Union, BoMoVu, and a partnership with Bilgi University.
These efforts underscore Özyeğin University's commitment to community engagement, social responsibility, and fostering positive relationships with our neighbors.
Sources:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CyyoHiiMwKh/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link