Third-year students from Kastamonu University Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Department of International Trade and Logistics turned the dreams of elementary school students into reality through projects they prepared as part of their Business Ethics and Social Responsibility course.
Under the guidance of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Erol Tekin's students developed various projects within the social responsibility framework. As part of these efforts, "Little Heroes of Art: Colorful Dreams Workshop" by Samet Aksoy and "Clean Classroom, Clean Future" by Cemalettin Beşir Demir were implemented. The project teams initiated their work by meeting with Nuri Mesut Tekmen, the teacher of class 4/D at Ali Fuat Darende Elementary School in the city center.
In December, a painting workshop was conducted by students from the Graphic Design Department of the Faculty of Fine Arts and Design, including Esra Çalışkan, Aleyna Atalar, Sultan Çolak, and Elanur Sinanoğlu, where elementary school students were asked to draw their dream classroom. During the semester break, eight university students chose to stay instead of traveling to their hometowns to bring these dreams to life by completely renovating the classroom. The walls and desks were painted, and literature, science, mathematics, and sports corners were created. A map of Turkey was decorated with visuals of products grown in different provinces, while capitals and flags of various countries adorned the classroom walls. Additionally, tree figures painted on the wall were completed with fingerprints of the elementary school students.
Samet Aksoy, one of the project coordinators, emphasized that their goal was to share in the children's dreams, stating: "Fulfilling their dreams was a great joy for us. We decorated the walls according to their wishes and designed their envisioned classroom."Cemalettin Beşir Demir also highlighted that the excitement and happiness of the students made the project even more meaningful.
Aleyna Atalar, a Faculty of Fine Arts and Design student, underlined the importance of art in fostering children's imagination, saying: "Our aim was to increase children's interest in art and help them realize their dreams."
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Erol Tekin pointed out that such social responsibility projects play a crucial role in students' contributions to society, stating: "The involvement of young people in such initiatives significantly enhances social awareness. Our students have once again demonstrated that dreams can become reality."
Returning to their newly transformed classroom, the elementary school students expressed great excitement. Enes Eymen Tekin, one of the students, said: "Our classroom has changed so much, and it looks amazing! Thank you to our older brothers and sisters." Similarly, Doğa Karasalihoğlu and Deha Baş shared that their classroom turned out even better than they had imagined.
Our Rector, Prof. Dr. Ahmet Hamdi Topal, emphasized the university's mission to contribute to society while evaluating the project, stating: "Projects like these, initiated by our students with a strong sense of social responsibility, not only support their academic development but also enhance their social awareness. I congratulate all our students and academics who contributed to this valuable initiative, which brought elementary school students' dreams to life. We will continue to support projects in education and social responsibility."
