Projects are conducted throughout our school in order to encourage scientific studies, to allows students to utilize their potential effectively and to improve their science based skills. With the support of advisory teachers, students develop projects in both fundamental and social science areas such as Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics, History, Sociology and Psychology. By the completed projects, they can enter their projects into a number of the national or international competitions or fairs. TUBİTAK, MEF, Istek Schools, DOESEF, Genious Olympiads, I-sweep and First Step to Nobel Prize are among some of the competitions in which we have participated. Students who have the chance of presenting their projects or earning a place in those competitions will improve their academic, social, cultural and interpersonal skills as well as contributing to their goals.
Every year in April the ECIS Math Quest is organized through the participation of ECIS member schools. The competition is for grade 5 and 6 students under the age of 12. The aim of the competition is to foster motivation and interest for mathematics by means of an intercultural and social experience that promotes the interaction and cooperation amongst participants. The participating students are hosted by the students of the host school.
The Math Quest is composed of individual and team questions, a construction challenge and a mathematical orientation around the city.
ENKA Schools has participated in this event since 2012 as the representative of Turkey. ENKA hosted the Math Quest in 2019. It has previously been held in Paris, Oslo, Berlin, Barcelona and Stockholm.
In October a selection exam is given to the volunteer grade 5-6 students from our school to form the ENKA team. This team is then prepared for the competition during sessions after school.
Community Service consists of activities involving creativity, physical activity, and social responsibility. Completion of these activities is mandatory.
Students are required to document their community service (CS) activities, provide supporting evidence, and write a personal reflection (e.g., essay, cartoon, website link, etc.) reviewing the changes they experienced during the process and the outcomes they achieved. The activities should span approximately eighteen months. In addition to regular activities, students are expected to carry out a project lasting at least one month.
At ENKA Istanbul High School, community service begins on the first day of Grade 11 and is completed by the middle of Grade 12. These activities are recorded on a platform called “Managebac.” At the beginning of the school year, students are guided on how to use this platform. The most important aspect of the process is the student’s self-reflection based on the goals they identified at the beginning (e.g., highlighting strengths and areas for growth, challenges faced, issues of global importance, or ethical considerations).
At the start of Grade 11, the community service process and necessary steps are introduced to students, and a handbook prepared for this purpose is distributed.
Each group of eight students is assigned a CS advisor teacher who meets with them at least three times throughout the year for follow-up meetings. Missing information on Managebac is shared with each student individually.
Additionally, the progress of Grade 12 students in the community service program is reported to parents via progress reports sent at the end of each quarter. For Grade 11 students, parent updates are provided at the end of the first semester and at the end of the academic year.
The community service coordinator holds regular meetings with advisor teachers to share updates and ensure the smooth operation of the program. The coordinator also communicates with other relevant individuals when necessary.
ENKA Istanbul High School holds all students responsible for fully completing the community service program.
WHAT IS JEYF (EYP)?
The European Youth Parliament (EYP) is a unique educational program which brings young people together from all over Europe to discuss current topics in a parliamentary setting. In our school, we refer to the EYP conference as the ENKA Youth Forum (EYF).
WHY DO WE ORGANIZE CONFERENCES?
- To raise awareness of European issues, encourage active citizenship, and motivate young people to get involved in politics;
- To promote international understanding, intercultural dialogue, and diversity of ideas and practices;
- To contribute to the self improvement; and
- To provide a forum in which young people can express their own opinions, without reverting to role play.
IN ORDER TO TOUCH HEARTS…
ENKAinteract is an organization, established by ENKA High School students as a new generation branch of Rotary Club, to bring aid and support to everywhere they can reach. The organization is solely based on volunteerism. The mission is to carry out as many activities as possible every year to touch hearts. ENKAinteract consists of 40 students and this number increases after every activity and it helps to build a web of aid and support. ENKAinteract is linked to Yeniköy Rotary Club. Students determine the activities and they take active roles to organize them.
What we have done to touch hearts between 2013 and 2016:
- Third Traditional EnkaInteract Concert: Students organized a concert, with the support of the Music Department to raise funds for fieldwork with Samsun Vezirköprü, Göl Primary School students. We will bring joy and light to students with these workshops
- Istanbul Marathon: We ran for Akut at the İstanbul Marathon. We supported Akut’s “One step one life” Project
- Hand in Hand with the Syrian Kids: Students started a clothing and dry food campaign for the Syrian kids. We distributed them in Fatih to those in need
- Charity Sale: We attended the charity sale organized by Rotary. We used the Money to buy a respirator for the new born unit in Çapa Hospital
- Third Traditional EnkaInteract Karaoke: Students found sponsors and used the donations for Derviş Baba association to support kids in need.
- Second Traditional ENKAinteract Concert: With the support of the Music Department, students organized a concert to raise Money for Rize Çaykur Vocational High School. They established a library there. After that, they had dance, literature and English workshops with the students
- First Traditional ENKAinteract Karaoke: Students found sponsors for themselves and collected money at a Karaoke event. The Money was used for the library in Rize
- Marathon: We ran for AKUT at İstanbul Marathon to collect donations
- Hand in Hand with the Street Kids: We worked with the Derviş Baba Foundation to host students in need at our school. They took part in various workshops
- ENKAinteract was chosen as the best Interact club.
- Traditional ENKAInteract Concert: With the support of Music Department, students organized a concert to collect money. The Money was used to establish a library at Çağlayan Ziyapaşa Primary School. The District National Education Manager opened the library with the participation of a guest author
- Food Bank Project: We supported the food bank Project of the Rotary Club. Students distributed food at the food bank
- March 8, World Women’s Day: Students organized an activity on March 8, World Women’s Day, to portray women who serve the community
- Charity Sale: Students attended the charity sale organized by Yeniköy Rotary Club to support İmece Project organized by our students
- Koruncuk Foundation: Students went to Koruncuk Foundation to take part in day-long Art, English, Games and Sports activities with the kids.
A Message from the Countries Who Entered the First World War on Its 100th Anniversary
The main goal of the project is to ensure that the Grade 7 and Grade 8 students are able to do the following about the First World War, especially given that it is the War’s 100th anniversary.
During the first year of the project executed by the History Foundation of Turkey Grade 7 and Grade 8 students examined and evaluated how the First World War was represented in the widely used and current history lesson books belonging to the countries that entered the war. The findings were presented to historians, academicians, teachers and the parents of the students who participated in the project.
During the second year of the project, our students critically analysed, deconstructed the National Ministry of Education’s Grade 7 Social Sciences and Grade 8 T.C. History of Revolution and Atatürkism text books and they discussed the solutions that they had reached. Workshop activities were organised throughout the year concerning topics chosen around the themes that were thought to be insufficiently covered in text books, and evidence and resources were collected. Based on the data collected, critical reading and writing activities were done.
In light of these activities, workshops which would present how our students wanted to read/write/understand the First World War were organised. The workshops that were held within the scope of this project were held by Prof. Dr. Yücel KABAPINAR who is known for his work about “Evidence Based History Education” and Assist. Prof. Erol KÖROĞLU who is known about his work “Turkish Literature and the First World War”.
At the end of the workshops, the students presented a First World War Narrative that they had prepared and this was shared with historians, academicians, teachers and the parents of the students who participated in the project.
After the presentations were finished, Board Member of the History Foundation of Turkey Fırat GÜLLÜ, Prof. Dr. Yücel KABAPINAR, Asst. Prof. Erol KÖROĞLU, Associate Prof. Meltem TOKSÖZ and Researcher-Journalist Ayşe HÜR held an evaluation session.
The undertaking to turn the student narratives that were presented during the 2016-2017 school year into a book continues.
