Children’s Academy

In the context of the continuation of the social cohesion process, the World Academy for Local Government and Democracy (WALD) initiated the Social Protection and Academy project in cooperation with the Anatolia Education and Culture Foundation (AKEV).

WALD Academy Director Hülya Alper and Project Coordinator Nuriye Niğdelioğlu Happani visited Istanbul Aydın University's Florya campus on September 8, 2021, upon the invitation of AKEV to develop bilateral cooperation. During the visit, ideas for future projects and collaborations were discussed.

At the meeting where bilateral cooperation was discussed, the focus  of the cooperation was on topics of Gastronomy and Culinary Arts, and Children's Academy. In this context, it was decided to start the "Social Cohesion and Academy" program within the Child Academy, in which local and refugee children aged 9-12 will participate.

Ten children will participate in the "Social Cohesion and Academy" project and the project will take place for 12 weeks between 25 September 2021 and 11 December 2021 in cooperation with WALD, UNHCR, Bağcılar Municipality, Istanbul Aydın University and AKEV. The children will take classes on artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship and innovation, cartoons and animation, archeology and yoga.

Children's Academy aims to introduce children to the fun side of science and art at an early age. Thus, they will gain basic life skills such as scientific and critical thinking, being creative, judging, questioning, asking questions, being curious at an early age. They will make it by interacting with the university, doing and hands-on learning.

As WALD, our aim is to convey the experiences of academicians and university students to children and young people through this education model. In this way, the interest of the students will be turned towards science, scientific thought and cooperation with art at an early age. Science will strengthen the bonds of social cohesion by being a part of tangible, visible and directly experienceable education for children.