Second Apprentice Student Vocational Skills Solidarity Exhibition
The second Solidarity Exhibition was opened for visits at a ceremony on September 29th. Please click here to visit the exhibition, which features small-scale projects that generate social benefit with an ecological angle. When you click on the relevant poster in the exhibition, you will be able to examine the poster that opens up and to make use of emojis to support the activity. You can also watch a video of the project by pressing the “play” button on the visual in the bottom right-hand corner of the poster.
Second Solidarity Exhibition
This Solidarity Exhibition includes work done to create social benefit within an ecological perspective by the Gebze Vocational Training Centre (VTC) from Kocaeli, by the Mustafa Nevzat Pısak VTC, Muhsin Ertuğrul VTC, Güngören VTC, Yüksel Kaya VTC, Esenler VTC and – with two separate projects –Esenyurt VTC from Istanbul, and by the Osmangazi VTC, Nilüfer VTC, Martyred Commando Private Bahri Avcı VTC and İnegöl VTC from Bursa.
The project carried out by the Kocaeli Gebze Vocational Training Centre aimed to take an advanced recycling perspective to waste and discarded materials. The project was entitled “3Ds: We are Recycling in Solidarity for Nature” (The words Recycling, Solidarity and Nature all begin with the letter ‘D’ in Turkish). Plastic waste was collected in conjunction with the primary school included in the project, and this waste was then used to produce chess pieces. Chess tables were designed using disused student benches, and a chess set carrying bag was produced from waste cloth. At the end of the project, the chess sets – made entirely of waste and discarded materials were presented to the primary school included in the project.
The Istanbul Mustafa Nevzat Pısak Vocational Training Centre project entitled “Living Space for Cats” aimed to offer services to our feline friends living in the vicinity of the school. A living space for cats was established in the school yard. In addition, food waste was collected from the workplaces around the school and used to cook catfood in the school workshop. The project strengthened the link between the cats and the school.
The Istanbul Muhsin Ertuğrul Vocational Training Centre carried out a project called “Paper Birdboxes” with a view to strengthening neighbourly relations with birds. Advanced recycling birdboxes were produced from the waste paper in the school. The birdboxes were then located in different parts of the school and birdseed was put in them. Throughout all these activities, awareness was raised about the resources expended in the manufacture of paper and in the process of paper becoming waste.
Seeking to draw attention to the problem of overconsumption, the Istanbul Güngören Vocational Training Centre carried out a project entitled “Recycling Turns to Decoration”. In this project, decorative objects were designed, and everybody joined forces to produce them using hundreds of items of waste and discarded materials. An exhibition was held at the school to inform the students and their families about the objects. Finally, the objects were presented as gifts to various people as examples of advanced recycling, thus strengthening the habit of making gifts without expecting anything in return.
The Istanbul Yüksel Kaya Vocational Training Centre focused on plants in its project, the “Happiness Garden”. Large flowerpots and decorative old car tyres were placed around the school patio, and flowers and vegetable seedlings were planted in them. All the plants sown were fertilised by turning the organic waste from the school kitchen into compost. The activity strengthened solidarity for the soil communities of our planet.
The first of the two projects of the Istanbul Esenyurt Vocational Training Centre, entitled “My Voluntary Barber in My School”, set out to provide haircuts and personal care to children from needy families and residents of homes for the elderly. First a system was developed for making appointments, then haircuts were designed for the children and young people living around the school and the haircutting went ahead. Subsequently, a visit was paid to a home for the elderly and the residents were provided with haircuts and personal care. The project contributed to developing sensitivity towards the needy people in our society and strengthening the spirit of solidarity.
The Istanbul Esenyurt Vocational Training Centre gave its second project the name “First Read the Contract; Then Thow Down the Gauntlet with your Team”. With this project, the centre opted to focus on the rights of apprentice students. Informational activities were organised for school students in Grade 9 about the apprenticeship contract and the rights and responsibilities of students. Then a football match was organised among those apprentice students who had demonstrated their familiarity with the contents of the contract. During the match, the students were encouraged to use water bottles made of materials that are not harmful to nature, switching the focus to the protection of the environment.
With its “Always To Be One” project, the Istanbul Esenler Vocational Training Centre sought to demonstrate the importance of mutual assistance and of exerting effort for the sake of the common good. By providing services such as hair, beard, nail and skin care to persons who have difficulty accessing them, they aimed to contribute to their wellbeing and brighten their lives. A team of volunteers was formed who performed haircuts, hair and nail care, make-up, skin care and similar tasks. In this way, vocational skills were deployed to strengthen the spirit of doing good for the society one lives in without expecting any reward.
By developing natural hair sprays inspired by nature, the Bursa Osmangazi Vocational Training Centre sought to reduce the negative impact on our planet of chemical cosmetic products used in the care and modelling of hair, and to raise awareness about this topic. As part of its project, “Let the World Grow More Beautiful with You”, the Centre produced hair sprays made from natural materials such as lemon and flower essences and water. The project team also shared these with local shops. In addition, activities were conducted to inform people that cosmetic products made from chemicals are a threat to human health, pollute the planet and constitute an ecological hazard by damaging the natural life cycles of all beings.
With its “Home and Food for our Four-Footed Friends” project, the Bursa Nilüfer Vocational Training Centre met the needs of cats and dogs living in the neighbourhood for shelter through the advanced recycling of waste wooden materials. In addition, the animals’ nutritional needs were met with excess food collected with the support of nearby workplaces. As part of the project, awareness raising activities about street animals were conducted both at the school and at the public education centre with which the project cooperated.
Inspired by nature, the project, “Ecological Balance through Renewable Energy”, carried out by the Bursa Martyred Commando Private Bahri Avcı Vocational Training Centre focused on supplying nature-friendly, clean, quality energy from solar power. Awareness raising activities were organised at the school on the topic of renewable energy. Solar panels were placed on the school roof, and by means of this system, the electricity needs of various devices – including computers, mobile phones and mini-refrigerators – came to be supplied using solar power. The spirit of solidarity for the use of renewable energy was enhanced.
Considering that seeds are the essence of life, and that mistakes made by humanity are a serious threat to seeds, the Bursa İnegöl Vocational Training Centre carried out a project called “Seeds, the Essence of Life”. As part of the project, eight seedbeds were made of waste wood materials collected from local tradespersons. The seedbeds were painted all together and filled with soil. Cucumber, maize, strawberry, potato and tomato seedlings grown using heirloom seeds were planted in the seedbeds. Informational activities were conducted at the school to raise awareness about the making of seedbeds, the importance of using heirloom seeds and the growing process. Plans were made to share out the seeds to be obtained from the plants being grown. The project developed our ability to preserve the long history of our planet.
