The Earth Is Our Home

Project Summary
Grantee: Foundation for The Protection and Promotion of The Environment and Cultural Heritage (ÇEKÜL)
Purpose: Developing respect and empathy towards all living things, especially animals, that we share the planet, adopting that the world is home for all living beings and not owned by a single owner and embracing a prevention-based perspective that ethic issues on nature philosophy can be examined by developing an understanding of the integrity of life. 
Location: İstanbul 
Grant Amount: 52.650 TL
Project Period:
 October 2019 - May 2020

BACKGROUND

It is necessary to take urgent precautions to protect the Earth as a living planet with living ecosystems. Beside national and international regulations, individual's awareness and sense of responsibility about the process can be very significant. In this regard, training programs play an important role.

On the other hand, in our country the formal education programs maintain instrumental approach which treats nature as a resource. In parallel with this dominant paradigm, the concept of animal rights does not develop sufficiently in students and right to life and habitats of animals are increasingly violated day by day.

For this reason, students need to discover that the Earth is our common planet shared by all living things and develop empathy for the integrity of life by stepping out of the classroom. 


PROJECT GOALS

  • A training program including activities that can be applied in and out of the classroom will be prepared for 4th grade students in Akçansa Mehmet Akif Ersoy Primary School in Büyükçekmece.
  • Perception of ‘home’ will be expanded for students to settle the idea of Earth is our big home and develop empathy for all living things sharing the planet.
  • In the field trips that allow the students to explore the place where they live, students will meet with nature and experience the nature as a big home where life is shared with other living things.
  • On field trips, students will discover animals and develop empathy by observing their common needs with humans such as nesting, feeding and safety.

PROJECT RESULTS

  • Within the scope of the project, a training program for 4th grade students and ’Matching Game Cards’, ‘Postcard’ and ’Activity Book’ were prepared to be used in the practices and field trips within the scope of this program.
  • The training program was implemented in Akçansa Mehmet Akif Ersoy Primary School with a total of 231 students.
  • According to the results of the assessment forms filled out by 148 students who attended the training
  • It was observed that children gained the expected awareness on topics such as seeing the world as the common home of all living creatures, the right to life, the protection of living spaces, developing empathy and protection.

PARTICIPANT TESTIMONIALS

“I have a cat and I love animals. After today I will take better care of the animals and I will buy a new dog very soon.”  10 years old, student

“The world doesn't just belong to humans. Animals also have rights. That is why we must be respectful and affectionate to the creatures living in the world.”  10 years old, student

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