Working Together for
Equal Opportunity in Education.
The Nişantepe Study Program (NEP) was realized through the 'Responsible Citizenship and Impact' (SEC 202-204) course.
Building a Social Impact with the Spatial Agents of the Future in a Disadvantaged Area
Located right next to Özyeğin University in the Nişantepe neighborhood, Nişantepe Middle School has a disadvantaged area status and struggles with problems arising from unequal opportunities, especially concerning the quality of education, student absenteeism, and nutritional deficiency.
Within the scope of the 'Responsible Citizenship and Impact' course, developed by the Özyeğin University Sectoral Education Department and mandatory for all students in the 2024-2025 academic year, the Nişantepe Study Program (NEP) was developed and implemented. In line with the principle of equal opportunity in the Basic Law of National Education, ÖzÜ undergraduate students came together with the middle school students studying at Nişantepe Middle School to work together under the coordination of ÖzÜ stakeholders.
MAP
Under the NEP Program during the Fall and Spring semesters of the 2024-25 academic year, students gathered every day after school to collaborate on 13 different projects ranging from 'children's rights' to 'computational thinking', and from 'LGS exam preparation classes' to 'story visualization with AI'. Through NEP, mutual and bilateral gains were achieved for both groups.
Changes Happened at Nişantepe Middle School: Increase in Academic Success, Nutrition, and School Belonging...
For the first time at Nişantepe Middle School, a study program was held for all middle school levels apart from the LGS preparation process. Out of ~150 middle school students, 85 students participated in the fall semester, and 115 students participated in the spring semester.
1. Nutritional Deficiency in K12 Education: 19.2% of children from Turkey who participated in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2022, which is nearly one in five students, report that they skip meals at least once a week due to financial constraints. Compared to OECD countries, Turkey is the country where this rate is the highest. This situation was also observed for Nişantepe middle school students, and as a solution, a meal provided every day throughout the semester was included in the study program as a nutrition break.
2. Absenteeism: In the school where the absenteeism problem is major, officials stated that students participating in the NEP Study program showed an increase of around 15% in class attendance, indicating that the program encourages school attendance. Officials also reported that in addition to school attendance, they observed a significant improvement in interest and participation in lessons.
3. Academic Development: Academically, while no student from Nişantepe Middle School had passed the LGS exam since the 2022-23 academic year, it is pleasing that at the end of the 2024-25 school year when the NEP program was implemented, 3 out of 14 students who took the exam passed the LGS, and two students completed the English section of this exam without any mistakes for the first time.
4. Decrease in Disciplinary Offenses: School officials stated that there was a visible decrease in disciplinary offenses during the NEP program, and disciplinary investigations decreased to almost non-existent levels.
5. Sociocultural Development: Beyond academic success, positive developments in self-care, language development, and sociocultural aspects were observed in students participating in NEP.
A Step Towards Rights-Based Solutions and Responsible Citizenship with ÖzÜ Students
The impact of NEP on ÖzÜ students: It was observed that this program triggered the questioning of previously normal-seeming structures and practices by 'providing a space' for undergraduate students that 'forces them to question how they relate to the world and how they interact with it'.
The interactive process that ÖzÜ undergraduate students participating in NEP spent in the field with middle school students is expected to encourage them, in the long run, to observe social problems on-site, investigate their multi-layered causes, develop rights-based, high-impact, and permanent solutions for deficiencies, and become effective and active stakeholders in social development as responsible citizens.
The impact on ÖzÜ stakeholders: NEP, realized with the contributions of a very wide stakeholder network ranging from the Çekmeköy Directorate of National Education to Özyeğin University student clubs, has enabled project coordinators, students, administrative units responsible for transportation and food, and everyone contributing to the program to personally experience the power and synergy of uniting under a single intention.
ARTICLE
In addition to its social impact, the Nişantepe Study Program (NEP) formed the application ground for a scientific research that contributes to international academic literature. This study, authored by Dr. Selin Üst and Dr. Seda Dönmez, records the experiences gained during the program from a scientific perspective.
Scientific Framework and Methodology: The research was published in the Open House International journal under the title "Students as spatial agents: an exploration and reimagination of educational environments". By positioning students as active "spatial agents" in the design of their own educational spaces, the study details an innovative six-stage methodology involving in-depth interviews, cognitive mapping, and AI-supported visualization techniques. In this process, children's dream school environments were transformed into a scientific dataset with a design-oriented approach.
"The children felt valued. They found the opportunity to converse with their elders, whom they could take as role models in their academic lives. By solving questions together, their motivation to study for the high school entrance exam increased. Their bellies were also full."
Ali Ustaibrahimoğlu Nişantepe Middle School Science Teacher"(...) it was observed that as a result of our students coming together with university students and participating in activities, they felt valued, therefore they eagerly attended the courses and went home happy."
Leyla Kaymak Nişantepe Middle School Mathematics TeacherBeyond being a charity activity, the Nişantepe Study Program (NEP) is a social innovation model that redefines equal opportunity in education with the principles of "spatial representation power" and "participatory design". In line with Özyeğin University's "Responsible Citizenship and Impact" course, this program has built a sustainable ecosystem where academic knowledge meets the field, and technology meets children's dreams.
When the experience of our university students in developing rights-based solutions to social issues combined with the motivation of Nişantepe Middle School students to shape their own futures, the resulting outcome was seen not just as a study program, but as a transformative learning journey for both sides.
