“We designed the ‘Anatolian Science Festivals’ as a model to bring the educational programs we developed to different regions of Turkey. We structured this model as a turnkey organization that directly brings Usturlab’s ‘learning by doing’ philosophy to children by collaborating with local administrations.

In this journey, we worked with the municipalities of Diyarbakır Kayapınar, Şırnak Uludere, Bitlis Hizan, and Mardin Derik. In 2018, we conducted a comprehensive 5-day program in Diyarbakır Kayapınar with 180 workshops attended by 750 children. Following this, we organized intensive 3-day programs in Şırnak Uludere (450 children), Bitlis Hizan (350 children), and Mardin Derik (350 children). These festivals brought together over 1,900 students with 465 workshops in total.

Each festival was a space of discovery for children, going beyond a standard lesson.” In the “Forest Explorers” workshops, participants explored the ecosystem of their own cities firsthand. In the biomimicry and microbiology workshops, they examined inventions inspired by nature, while in the astronomy workshops, they questioned our place in the universe. This exploration was further integrated into the philosophy workshops, where discussions focused on “making sense of this world.”