Holistic Academy Model for Youth is Launched

The “Istanbul Youth Academy Project Workshop Meeting” was held in partnership with Üskülar University and the Istanbul Governorship. At the meeting, organized to strengthen the psychological resilience of young people living in Istanbul, develop their social skills, and instill a sense of social responsibility, the importance of protective and preventive work for young people facing risks such as digital addiction, social isolation, academic stress, and peer bullying was emphasized. It was also stated that the project is structured as a holistic model covering young people at risk and their families.

The meeting, held in the Senate Hall of Üsküdar University's Central Campus, was attended by Istanbul Deputy Governor Dr. Serap Özmen Çetin, President of Üsküdar University, Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan, Rector's Advisor Prof. İsmail Barış, and Community Contribution Coordinator Asst. Prof. Nebiye Yaşar, among many others.

Dr. Serap Özmen Çetin: “We believe the project will be implemented in a short time and will create an important model”

Istanbul Deputy Governor Dr. Serap Özmen Çetin spoke at the opening of the meeting. Çetin said; “As we stated in our previous meeting, it was deemed more appropriate to establish an academy focusing on children and young people under the umbrella of the Istanbul Children's Foundation. In this regard, our faculty members started working on existing modules and previously implemented projects. With the positive approach of the Ümraniye District Governorship towards the project, and in cooperation with our institutions, the sub-headings of the project will be shaped under the auspices of our university and governorship. Since the project is planned to be carried out within a one-year timeframe, it is of great importance to define all processes in detail within the project logic. Thanks to the combination of our university's knowledge and experience in this field and the field experiences of our relevant institutions, we believe that the project will be implemented in a short time and will create an important model.”

“There is a Serious Need for Projects for Children and Young People”

Emphasizing the importance of disseminating the work as widely as possible, Çetin said; “Especially in a metropolis like Istanbul, with a dense and highly dynamic population, there is a serious need for protective and preventive projects for children and young people. Many risk areas are being combated, including school absenteeism, digital addiction, and other types of addiction. Therefore, in our work, we prioritize implementing preventive measures before risks arise, rather than intervening after problems emerge. At the core of all projects we carry out within the Istanbul Children's Foundation is reaching out to our children and young people, supporting them, and disseminating these efforts as widely as possible. We believe that conducting preventive work without waiting for problems to emerge is much more valuable. In this context, we find the cooperation to be established between our Governorship and Üsküdar University extremely valuable, and we are very pleased to work with our esteemed Professor, with his expertise in the field.” 

Prof. Nevzat Tarhan: “One of the Important Pillars of the Project is Trainer Training”

President of Üsküdar University, Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan delivered the opening speech of the meeting. Tarhan said; “We designed the Istanbul Youth Academy project based on the work we prepared for at-risk groups. The project covers young people with high screen exposure, at risk of digital addiction, prone to substance use, experiencing behavioral problems, or at risk of encountering legal issues, as well as their families. At the same time, one of the important pillars of the project is trainer training. The aim is to train trainers, implement modules, and ultimately transform this structure into a permanent center. With the involvement of our university's master's and doctoral students, the project will be able to be transformed into scientific publications and academic studies.”

“Our Priority is to Support Young People with Protective and Preventive Work Before They Become Clinical Cases” 

Emphasizing the importance of protective and preventive work, Tarhan said; “The project has a parent education dimension that covers not only young people but also their parents. We currently have comprehensive content for young people at risk, including modules such as empathy, self-awareness, anger management, and problem-solving, and these trainings are being implemented in various settings. Our priority is to support young people with protective and preventive work before they become clinical cases, experience legal problems, or are drawn into risky areas such as digital and substance addiction. In this context, a one-year pilot project can be prepared and implemented. If successful, the model could be extended throughout Turkey. Furthermore, this work will also provide significant contributions to our university's ‘Continuous Education Center’.”

Prof. İsmail Barış: “Istanbul Youth Academy is a Holistic Model”

Rector's Advisor Prof. İsmail Barış made evaluations about the project. Barış said; “We believe that the Istanbul Youth Academy should be approached not only as an education project but also as a holistic model supporting the psychosocial development of young people. The combination of our university's academic knowledge and the field experience of public institutions will enable the project to be built on scientific foundations and achieve a sustainable structure.”

Asst. Prof. Nebiye Yaşar: “A Sustainable Model is Aimed to be Presented”

Üsküdar University Community Contribution Coordinator Asst. Prof. Nebiye Yaşar made a presentation detailing the project. Yaşar said; “In the draft work we prepared in line with the opinions and suggestions received from you, the project name was determined as ‘Istanbul Youth Academy’. In the project planned to be carried out in cooperation with the Istanbul Governorship and Üsküdar University, the Istanbul Children's Foundation, Istanbul Provincial Directorate of National Education, Istanbul Provincial Directorate of Youth and Sports, and Istanbul Provincial Directorate of Family and Social Services are among the stakeholder institutions. The pilot application is primarily envisaged to be carried out in the Ümraniye district. Based on the fact that today's youth face multidimensional risks such as digital addiction, social isolation, academic stress, peer bullying, psychological fragility, and loss of motivation, there is a need for a scientific and sustainable youth model at the Istanbul scale. In this context, the Istanbul Youth Academy aims to strengthen the psychological resilience of young people, develop their social skills, raise their awareness against the risks of the digital age, enable them to gain a sense of volunteerism and social responsibility, and support their leadership and entrepreneurial potential. Through modules to be created based on the YENGEÇ Individual Rehabilitation Model developed by Üsküdar University, the aim is to present a sustainable model that supports the holistic development of young people and will set an example for other provinces.” 

During the continuation of the meeting, ideas were exchanged and a roadmap was determined. 

The meeting concluded with a group photo session.