Background

Social polarization directly affects schools and classrooms. Teachers need new tools and methods to create safe environment for learning. Supporting teachers about children’s rights, nonviolent communication, democratic school examples and positive discipline, may help to transform schools to more participative and peaceful institutions and to raise kids as individuals respectful for diversity and aware of their rights.  

Project Goals

• A training kit and materials will be developed for teachers about participative and peaceful learning.
• 48 new teachers will participate in the initial training on children’s rights, nonviolent communication, democratic schools etc.
• 24 teachers among “Other Teachers are Possible Platform” of the Association will be trained and they will become mentors of the new group.
• Two groups will be matched through online trainings and they will be supported with case studies and mentorship.

Project Results

• A 15-day long training called ‘Beginning Program’ was held on children's rights, nonviolent communication, conflict resolution and democratic schools with the participation of 43 primary and secondary school teachers selected from all around Turkey.
  
• 27 volunteer teachers who participated ‘Beginning Program’ last year attended an in-depth training program on nonviolent communication.
  
• A mentoring program was implemented by pairing 43 new teacher who joined the teacher community this year and 27 teachers who received in-depth training.
  
• For the dissemination of the content, teachers worked together to develop content in ‘Teacher Handbook for Participation Mechanisms’ and ‘Teacher Handbook for Peace in Classroom’.
  

Testimonials

“There was a kid who did not make a sound at all in school, let alone express his needs, for three months. But now he can defend himself very easily. He speaks in front of the class. His family says I am the biggest motivation for him going to school.” A Teacher and Project Participant

“A student rejected communicating orally in the classroom; she then recognized her interest in rhythm and music and bought a harmonica. I teamed up with the music teacher, and we created space for her; then she started expressing herself step by step. Her relationship with her friends has got better.” A Teacher and Project Participant