First step to dreams

Izmir University of Economics (IUE) brought together 30 high school students with special needs on campus as part of the project titled ‘Meslekleri Tanıyorum, İşimi Seçiyorum’ (Getting to Know Professions, Choosing My Job). Experiencing the excitement of visiting a university campus for the first time, the young participants had the opportunity to explore various professions not only by listening, but also by producing and experiencing them firsthand. Designing their own paintings in the woodworking workshop, T-shirts and puppets in the textile workshop, making their own pasta in the gastronomy workshop, and acquiring career preparation skills, the students also learned the rules they must follow for a safe work environment. Discovering new skills and experiencing the happiness of accomplishment, the students boosted their self-confidence while gaining new goals and hopes for the future.

Songül Yasemin Özgün, a lecturer at the Izmir University of Economics Vocational School of Health Services, served as the coordinator for the TUBITAK 4008 project titled ‘Getting to Know Professions, Choosing My Job: Vocational Workshops for Vocational High Schools’. The work was completed with the contributions of lecturers Betül Özkul, Ezgi Oral Bozkurtoğlu, and Hakan Yıldız, as project experts, along with Asst. Prof. Bora Görgün and school Principal Mürvet Bakır. 10th-grade students from Konak Special Education Vocational School and Torbalı Special Education Vocational School got to know the university environment closely by spending three days on campus and one day at Bademler Natural Life Village. Bringing IUE's educational resources together with social impact, the project turned into a special gathering that helped the young participants discover their own interests and talents.

“CONTRIBUTION TO INDEPENDENT LIVING SKILLS”

Providing details about the project, Songül Yasemin Özgün stated that they aimed to help the students realize their own abilities and interests, saying: “For youth with special needs, vocational awareness is one of the important steps toward making decisions for the future and building a more independent life. For this reason, we attach great importance not only to their acquiring knowledge, but also to their directly experiencing what they can do, being part of the production process, and experiencing the feeling of accomplishment through a tangible product they create. Being able to start and complete a task, take responsibility, and see the results of their own efforts strengthens their self-confidence and self-belief.”

“UNIVERSITIES ALSO HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY”

Özgün continued as follows: “One of the important aspects of the project was that it allowed the students to interact with different social environments. We observed that the experience they gained here positively affected their self-perceptions and thoughts about the future. One of the most valuable gains for us was that the young participants could experience the feeling of ‘I can do this’. To enable individuals with special needs to participate more strongly in education and employment processes, accurate guidance in the early period, practical experience, and supportive learning environments must be created. We believe that universities also carry a significant responsibility to share their knowledge and facilities with different segments of society. Our project has been a very valuable initiative in terms of spreading an inclusive education approach and raising social awareness.”