Intercultural Aspects of VolunteeringEmrah Yıldırım

VALUE, Intercultural Dialogue Subgroup

Lille, 2010

Who are we?The roots of İLKYAR lie in the

EFES (Educational Funds for Elementary Schools)

Founded by the Turkish Student Association at Princeton University (New Jersey, USA) in 1978.

At the beginning

Students in US try to establish a library at rural schools.

Small contributions and gifts

At the beginning

In 1998, EFES was re-founded in Turkey with the name İLKYAR (Aid Foundation for Elementary Schools).

The home of the foundation is located in Ankara

Vision, mission, objectives and goals

VisionNot to leave any village school or

YİBO (nick for the elementary level boarding school) unvisited by İLKYAR.

MissionTo create opportunities for

students in rural and underdeveloped areas to commit themselves to their education.

Vision, mission, objectives and goals

GoalsHelp the students in rural areas

gain motivation for continuing their education.

Leave no village schools without books.

Organize programs for teachers working in rural areas.

Vision, mission, objectives and goals

ObjectivesIncrease the number of schools visited

and supported with books.Reach more teachers and students to

host them in special programs and summer schools.

Promote all kinds of advertisement activities to raise funds for İLKYAR.

Vision, mission, objectives and goals

ActivitiesBooks and toys by cargoMobile experiments and learning aids

Hosting teachers and studentsSpecial day eventsScholarships for studentsCollaboration with other

organizations

Mobile projectsAim:The main aim of all activities is to

give children the enthusiasm about learning, studying, discovering themselves and arouse the motivation about pursing their education to the higher levels.

Mobile projectsBlue bus

Mobile projectsPhysicsCreative dramaMusicOrigami ChemistryLiterature……….

Total: 34 activities

Outdoor experiments

Library

Toys

Dance

End of the day

AchievementsWe receive around 3000 written

mails each year

We have reached over 650 schools and thousands of children

Problems from intercultural point of view

ProblemsHow to make a contact as a

person from outside?

How should we look like in order not to influence their culture?