The project titled “Green Legacy for the Future: Climate Change and Sustainability Education for High School Students,” led by Prof. Dr. Rana Atabay Kuşçu, Director of the Vocational School of Social Sciences at Istanbul Medipol University, has been successfully completed. The project aimed to raise awareness of climate change and sustainability among high school students in Beykoz.

Led by Prof. Dr. Rana Atabay Kuşçu and supported by the Community Engagement Commission, the project provided training to a total of 1,036 students across eight high schools in Beykoz. The 20-week project team included Lecturer Yusuf Bilgi, Ahmet Faruk Korkmaz, İlayda Teper, and İbrahim Emre Ötegen, with contributions from the Faculty of Education, the Sustainable Development Application and Research Center (SURKAM), and the Distance Education Application and Research Center. This community engagement initiative aimed to increase young people’s awareness of environmental issues and encourage them to take responsibility.

The Project Began with a “Training of Trainers” Program

In the first phase, university students received 45 hours of training focusing on three main themes: Climate Change and the Environment, Sustainability, and Educational Sciences. Through the “Training of Trainers” program, university students acquired the necessary skills to deliver lessons in high schools. In the second phase, these university students gave presentations on climate change and sustainability to raise awareness among high school students.

The project successfully raised awareness of climate change and sustainability among the target group and provided an opportunity to scientifically examine students’ attitudes toward climate change. Conducted under the guidance of expert academics, the project also evaluated the impact of peer education-based awareness training on students’ perspectives.