In 2017, our Foundation piloted the ‘Anatolian High Schools Improvement Project’ in three of our Anatolian High Schools. The project aimed to enhance educational equipment, laboratories, information technology classrooms, and English language education with native English-speaking teachers.

The first phase of the ‘School Climate Assessment and Development Project’ commenced at Hacı Sabancı Anatolian High School in 2017, while the second phase expanded to Borsa Istanbul Başakşehir Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School in 2019 through a protocol signed with the Istanbul Provincial Directorate of National Education. Later on, the pilot project was adapted for state schools, excluding those under the Foundation’s purview. n the third phase, the insights garnered were utilized to implement the expansion plan of the School Climate Model across 80 schools in 39 districts of Istanbul between 2022 and 2023, in collaboration with the Istanbul Provincial Directorate of National Education and the Development Workshop. In response to the earthquakes on February 6, a seminar titled “School Climate in Times of Emergency and Crisis” was integrated into the project.

We developed a “Social-Emotional Development Support Program” to disseminate project learnings and ensure the sustainability of efforts focusing on the school as an integrated entity comprising students, teachers, administrators, parents, and counseling units.

The program was implemented at Sakıp Sabancı Anatolian High School. After being comprehensively implemented for three years, the program is now being administered by the school’s guidance department as of the 2023–2024 academic year. To facilitate this, the “Sabancı Schools PDR Network Project” was developed and launched in January 2023, in collaboration with guidance counselors and core teachers from five of our high schools located in Adana, Balıkesir, Kocaeli, and Mersin.

The project was tailored to meet the needs of our high school guidance departments following the earthquakes. The project, based on creating a peaceful, happy, tolerant, and safe environment for all in high schools, continues to be implemented in the 2023- 2024 academic year at Balıkesir Enerjisa Bandırma Science High School and Kocaeli Sabancı Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School.