New Technology and Design Workshops Open in Two Junior Highs in Batman
Tüpraş Expands Its Technology and Design Outreach
Tüpraş is actively building new workshops as part of its “Energy to the Future: I Code, I Model, I Produce” social responsibility program. This initiative, in collaboration with the Ministry of National Education’s Directorate General of Basic Education, has been ongoing since 2018.
On June 5, 2024, Tüpraş opened two new workshops in the ‘Prof. Aziz Sancar Junior High’ and ‘TOKİ Dumlupınar Junior High’ in Batman with the participation of the Batman Protocol. These additions bring the total to 11 schools in Batman, all part of Tüpraş’s network of 45 junior highs across seven provinces, allowing the company to collectively reach nearly 15,000 children.
Tüpraş continues to take concrete steps in its “Energy to the Future: I Code, I Model, I Produce” social responsibility program, a collaboration with the Ministry of National Education’s Directorate General of Basic Education since 2018.
Through this project, Tüpraş supports 7th grade and 8th grade junior high students in their journey to master robotics coding, 3D modeling, and design skills by building Technology and Design Workshops aligned with the Ministry of Education curriculum. Following the earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş, Koç Holding and its Group companies established ‘Hope Cities’ in five locations, including Kahramanmaraş and Hatay, under the coordination of the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority. As part of this initiative, Tüpraş previously opened “Technology and Design Workshops” in these two cities and has now strengthened its education network with two new workshops in Batman. The goal is to have nearly 600 students from the 7th grade and 8th grade receive lessons in these new workshops throughout the year in accordance with the Ministry of Education curriculum.
The new workshops in ‘TOKİ Dumlupınar Junior High’ and ‘Prof. Aziz Sancar Junior High’ were opened on June 5, 2024, with the participation of Ekrem Canalp, Batman Governor, and his spouse Dr. Ayten Canalp; Mehmet Ali Koç, Garrison Commander and Brigadier General, and his spouse; İbrahim Kaba, Batman Provincial Police Chief; Mahmut Kurtaran, Batman Provincial Director of National Education; and the Tüpraş management team.
Batman Governor Ekrem Canalp chatted with teachers and students at the workshop openings where students shared their learnings and experiences.
Opening the workshop together with the students, Governor Canalp said: “Dear students. We all understand that we will not be able to build the world of tomorrow if we do not work today. The most important thing we can do for you is ensure that your generation can gain a good understanding of life and basic needs. We are building the future we envision for you.
The benefits of our investments in technology were visible in the most recent TÜBİTAK regional finals. Among eight provinces, Batman received seven of the 17 first-place prizes. Batman also won the highest number of second- and third-place prizes.” Governor Canalp also noted the symbolic meaning of the school: “The contributions of Tüpraş to this project are very much valued and appreciated. Tüpraş has been serving and investing in Batman for decades. As a private firm, it has made significant contributions to the development of the technologies in the curriculum.
Mahmut Kurtaran, Batman Provincial Director of National Education, also commented on the project: “We are here for the opening of two new Tüpraş Technology and Design Workshops, one of the most critical education initiatives in Batman. The Tüpraş Technology and Design Workshops in Batman's 11 junior highs offer hands-on training in wood design, robotics coding, and 3D modeling, all in accordance with the relevant course curriculum. Thanks to these workshops, our children in Batman are taking confident steps toward the future and building an ecosystem for Batman. I extend my appreciation to our Governor and Tüpraş officials for bringing these major projects to life. I would like to emphasize that we will continue to prepare our children for the future with confidence.”
“We have reached 45 junior highs and nearly 15,000 children in seven provinces. We are so thrilled that the energy of Tüpraş continues to match the energy of our children.” Çiler Teber, Corporate Communications Manager at Tüpraş, emphasized Tüpraş’s belief that social development is as crucial as economic development for sustainable and inclusive growth and added: “We launched our ‘Energy to the Future: I Code, I Model, I Produce’ project in 2018 in collaboration with the Ministry of National Education’s Directorate General of Basic Education to create opportunities for our youth to grow into productive and capable individuals. Our goal was to support junior high children from the 7th grade and 8th grade with science, technology, and innovation and help develop their design skills. We built technology and design workshops in line with the Ministry of Education curriculum in the four provinces where our refineries are located, as well as in Istanbul, where our headquarters is based. Following the earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş, we held openings in the Hope Cities established by Koç Holding in Kahramanmaraş and Hatay. In total, we have reached 45 junior highs and nearly 15,000 children in seven provinces. We are so thrilled that the energy of Tüpraş continues to match the energy of our children.
”Highlighting their goal to better equip classrooms by supporting teachers with instructor training, Teber continued: “Since the beginning of the project, we have provided intensive training to 100 teachers. With the support of the Ministry, our teachers became certified trainers. Developments in innovation, digitalization, and artificial intelligence will undoubtedly play a key role in transforming all industries and even national economies. And we will continue to advance and expand our project in line with the demands of the new century. We believe that many talented, bright children will be raised in these classes, and the tens of thousands of young lives we touch will lead our country into the next century."