Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality Head of the Department of Education, Youth and Sports, Prof. Dr. Mustafa Özdal, visited our foundation and examined the ongoing youth projects and educational activities on site.Bülbülzade Foundation continues to share its multidimensional efforts aimed at youth development with local administrations. During his visit to the foundation center, Prof. Dr. Mustafa Özdal received comprehensive information about the projects being carried out. During the consultations held within the scope of the visit, potential areas of joint work to increase young people's participation in social life were evaluated.INTERNATIONAL YOUTH MOBILITYVolunteer projects, youth mobility programs, and the activities of the Anatolian Student Union operating within our foundation were presented to Özdal. Emphasis was placed on the contributions of the Secondary Education and Teacher Training units to the academic and personal development of young people. Examples were provided to illustrate how the activities carried out by these units mobilize the youth potential in the field.THE CENTER OF ART, MEDIA, AND SPORTSA detailed presentation was made about the workshops and ongoing courses within the Katre Art and Science Center. The sectoral experience offered to young people by the Media Academy organized by the Middle East Media Communication Center and the athlete training processes of the İstikrar Sports Club were also among the prominent topics of the visit. These efforts, which consider physical and mental development as a whole, revealed the foundation’s multidimensional service approach.THE PRINCIPLE OF “REFORMING THE GENERATION, DEVELOPING THE EARTH”The principle of “Reforming the generation, developing the earth,” which lies at the center of all activities, was emphasized as the main source of motivation for the projects. Our foundation positions youth not merely as an age group, but as the main actor in building the future. Prof. Dr. Mustafa Özdal expressed his appreciation for these comprehensive efforts and highlighted the importance of cooperation in youth services.

Bülbülzade Foundation hosted a strategic planning meeting that will strengthen its educational vision. During the meeting organized by the Education and Teachers Unit, workshops and rich-content summer activities to be implemented in the upcoming period were discussed.The Education and Teachers Unit of Bülbülzade Foundation outlined the educational roadmap for the new term through a comprehensive meeting held at the foundation center. With the participation of teachers working within the foundation, the preparation process for four strategic workshops to be carried out under the themes of children, concepts, youth, and digitalization has officially begun. Participants aim to develop innovative models in education and integrate digital transformation into the process through these workshops.The workshops, whose planning phase has begun, stand out with the following themes:Children Workshop: Focuses on the developmental needs of early age groups.Concept Workshop: Aims to ensure the accurate transfer of fundamental values and concepts.Youth Workshop: Seeks to respond to the social and academic expectations of young people.Digitalization Workshop: Focuses on the use of technology and digital transformation in education.FIRST STEPS TAKEN FOR SUMMER ACTIVITIESOne of the main agenda items of the meeting was the highly anticipated summer programs. Foundation teachers initiated the preparation process for camps, summer schools, technical trips, and artistic workshops in order to offer students a fulfilling holiday. Participants reached a consensus on a comprehensive schedule where social and cultural activities are integrated with education.HULUSİ YİĞİT SHARED HIS EXPERIENCESHulusi Yiğit, General Manager of the Istanbul-based Values Education Center (DEM), also attended the planning meeting. Yiğit, who examined the work carried out by the foundation’s teachers on-site, provided important information about the current projects and institutional experiences of the Values Education Center. By sharing new models that can be applied in educational processes, Yiğit contributed to the projects planned by the foundation.

Volunteers of the European Solidarity Corps (ESC), who gathered in Gaziantep hosted by the Bülbülzade Foundation, experienced environmental awareness in practice by maintaining the trees in Kurtuluş Forest.The Bülbülzade Foundation brought together international volunteers who came to the city through the European Solidarity Corps (ESC) in nature activities. As part of social and cultural integration processes, Azerbaijani Ali Ghuliyev, Ukrainian Viktoria Kotelevets, Dutch Elisa Dijkhuis, and Bosnian Emir Fojnica participated in maintenance work in the foundation's Kurtuluş Forest. On this special day when the spring sun showed itself, the young people undertook an important responsibility for the protection of nature and the sustainability of green areas.BREATH FOR THE FUTURE FROM YOUTHDuring the maintenance work carried out to ensure the healthy growth of trees in the forest area, volunteers meticulously conducted fertilization processes. Throughout the activity, the young people learned the technical details of tree care from experts and had the opportunity to apply their theoretical knowledge in the field. Moving away from the chaos of city life and establishing direct contact with nature, the team observed firsthand how valuable soil cultivation and every stage of production are.BROTHERHOOD AND ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS TOGETHERThis solidarity displayed by different cultures for a common purpose made a great contribution to the foundation’s vision of green heritage. Emphasizing the importance of labor and effort, the activity increased the environmental sensitivity of the volunteers while strengthening the bonds of friendship among them. As the Bülbülzade Foundation, we aim to regularly continue such activities that add value to the environment and society together with our international volunteer team.

The Chairman of Bülbülzade Foundation and the delegation under his leadership visited Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Fatma Şahin in her office and held a comprehensive meeting on joint projects to be carried out and future vision.The Bülbülzade Foundation delegation met with Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Fatma Şahin to evaluate the activities carried out at local and international levels. During the meeting, the municipality’s visionary projects in the fields of education and culture and the foundation’s plans for the upcoming period were discussed in detail. One of the main agenda items of the visit was the “Common Future Meetings” to be organized with the participation of the Metropolitan Municipality and Syrian opinion leaders. It was emphasized that the cooperation between the two institutions in this regard is of critical importance for social cohesion and regional peace. In addition, the foundation delegation provided detailed information to Mayor Şahin about the Anatolian Cultural Centers (ACC) in Syria and especially the latest situation in Aleppo.PROJECTS ARE EXPANDING TO A BROADER GROUNDThe results of the workshops successfully conducted by the Foundation’s Education and Teachers Unit were shared. Views were exchanged on the educational, cultural, artistic, sports, and media activities planned to be implemented throughout the summer season. In particular, the process related to the Kurtuluş Forest project and the camp center designed within this area was discussed. At the end of the meeting, it was decided that the international activities carried out through the Bülbülzade Foundation Project Unit would be expanded to a broader scope in cooperation with the Metropolitan Municipality. It is aimed that joint projects will accelerate the cultural and educational development of Gaziantep.

The second of the Focus Group Meetings organized by BEKAM was held at the Bülbülzade Foundation. Prof. Dr. Ahmet Ayhan Koyuncu attended the meeting, where the topic “Being a Family in the Metropolis” was discussed.The Center for Science, Education, Culture and Research (BEKAM) continues its Focus Group Meetings series, where it examines social issues in depth. Following the first meeting held in February, the second session took place in the Bülbülzade Foundation Meeting Hall. The program, moderated by Enes Günaslan, hosted Prof. Dr. Ahmet Ayhan Koyuncu. In the event organized under the title “Being a Family in the Metropolis,” the transformative effects of modern urban life on family structure were presented to the audience through a comprehensive analysis.SPACE, POVERTY, AND NEW FAMILY TYPESIn his presentation, Prof. Dr. Ahmet Ayhan Koyuncu grouped the main dynamics shaping today’s family structure under three main headings. Focusing on the “Space and Poverty Equation” emerging with urbanization, Koyuncu explained how the physical environment is reflected in intra-family relations. Stating that the cultural industry trends brought by the digital age surround the family, Koyuncu pointed out that this situation weakens traditional bonds. In the final part of the presentation, up-to-date data on “New Family Types” developing outside classical family forms were shared.HOW DOES HOME ARCHITECTURE AFFECT THE FAMILY?In the meeting, within the context of the relationship between space and family, how changing home architecture transforms the social fabric was detailed. It was emphasized that minimal and isolated housing, replacing traditional large houses, restrict intra-family communication with physical boundaries. It was stated that economic concerns and poverty directly affect decisions about having children, and that the small-family model has become widespread as a necessity. It was discussed that single-parent families, which have emerged as a result of increasing divorce rates as a sociological reality, have become one of the most sensitive units of modern society that need support.A DANGER IN THE FUTUREIn the final section where new family types were discussed, it was pointed out that technological developments are pushing boundaries. With artificial intelligence and robotic technologies reaching the level of emotional partnership, the phenomenon of “marriage with robots,” which has begun to be seen around the world, was opened for discussion. It was predicted that human-machine interaction has the potential to fundamentally change the concept of family, and that digital-based family structures independent of biological ties will become one of the main agenda items of society in the future.BEKAM will continue to bring together theoretical knowledge in the field of social sciences with current societal issues through its Focus Group Meetings.

We have already begun preparations for our Foundation’s traditional Spring Festival. Our volunteers are working diligently in our Tailoring Workshop to produce handmade items that will be featured at the stands we will set up in June.As the Bülbülzade Foundation, we are taking action for our Spring Festival, which we have successfully organized for many years and which has now become a tradition in our city. We are carrying out a coordinated effort with all our units to ensure that our event runs flawlessly. We have rolled up our sleeves for this great gathering, which we will hold in the second week of June at Festival Park. We kicked off our festival preparations with intensive work in our tailoring workshop. The products handcrafted by our volunteers and masters will be presented to the public at the stands we will set up in the festival area. We carefully process the fabrics. Each piece is prepared with the purpose of goodness and solidarity.MULTI-DIMENSIONAL EVENTS AND STAND PREPARATIONSAll units of our foundation will set up stands during the four-day festival. At these stands, we will introduce our units and sell our handmade products. In addition, we will share our social and cultural knowledge through talks organized with our expert guests. For our children to have an enjoyable time, we are planning face painting, handicraft workshops, play tracks, and traditional competitions. In the field of gastronomy, we will offer local delicacies prepared by our volunteer women and mothers of orphans, in line with the taste of Gaziantep.We aim to strengthen our solidarity network by allocating all the income generated from the festival to our humanitarian aid activities. We look forward to bringing together all the people of the region around the same purpose at this meaningful gathering, which will be held at Festival Park in June.