Turkey's first ecoliteracy training program launched in Yalova

The Ministry of Education and the Protection of Natural Habitats and Combating Soil Erosion (TEMA) teamed up in putting together this pilot program entitled “Ecology Literacy Teacher Training,” the first of its kind in Turkey and one of several in the world.

The teachers in training met beneath the willows of the Karaca Arboretum on Tuesday afternoon for the opening ceremony of the two-week ecoliteracy training program. After successfully completing the program -- which consists of workshops and hands-on activities on issues ranging from soil ethics in civil society to forestry and erosion by leading scientists and experts in the fields -- the teachers will receive certification to be ecoliteracy instructors recognized by the Ministry of Education.

In the next four years, the project aims to certify 300 teachers in 81 cities on the principles of ecoliteracy, according to TEMA's Department of Education Head Burcu Arık.

TEMA head Hayrettin Karaca, after whom the arboretum is named, began the ceremony by addressing the current dismal state of the environment and the importance of teaching the next generation how to “learn from our mistakes and live sustainably.” Yalova Governor Esengül Civelek, also addressing the eager group of teachers, emphasized the importance of this ecoliteracy program and thanked the teachers for stepping up to make a positive change on such a pressing issue.

After the ceremony, the teachers broke into groups for a tour of the aboretum. Passing beneath plants from countries like Japan, the US, China and Iran, the trainees learned the history, uses and traditions of trees like the sweet gum, Sequoia and Empress trees.

While 55 teachers gathered for the opening ceremony, TEMA expected another 20 or so teachers to arrive the following day for the program. The first ecoliteracy training program will take place Sept. 19-30.

After the program, the certified ecoliteracy instructors will return to their cities with resources provided by TEMA to share the principles of sustainability with other teachers, their schools, and ultimately students. Arık said this ecoliteracy training program will be taking an important step in educating the next generation on environmental issues. “We must learn to make our lives adapt to earth rather than the other way around,” she said.

On the importance of teaching the next generation about ecoliteracy, Arık echoed Karaca: “We need to plan accordingly so that we don't make the same mistakes we do now. Nothing we have -- whether it is the way we treat the environment or the education system -- is sustainable. We must teach the next generation to live within the principles of nature.”

According to Arık, trainees of the ecoliteracy project will learn four major principles -- everything depends on one another; everything is going somewhere; nothing is eternal; and nature has the last word.

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Practicing the sustainability they preach

In the next four years, the ambitious project aims to certify 300 teachers in 81 cities on the principles of ecoliteracy, according to Arık.

Arık said that TEMA and the Ministry of Education have designed the innovative ecoliteracy project so that it not only lasts for many years, but also grows.

After the program, the certified ecoliteracy instructors will return to their cities with resources provided by TEMA to share the principles of sustainability with other teachers, their schools and ultimately students.

During the second week of the project, TEMA representatives will work together with the trainees to plan out the next year, including putting together contact lists and programs. But Arık added that she is hesitant to push the teachers too hard. “We want to work alongside them, answering questions and providing them with the resources they need. It is important that we don’t impose anything on them. We want them to own this and embrace it,” she said.

To ensure the success and sustainability of the project in future years, Arık said that they will be asking for constant feedback from teachers. “We will hold regional meetings in December, when we will ask for feedback. Which lessons worked? Which books were good? These are the sort of questions we will ask,” she said.

Teachers will be able to keep contact with one another through an Internet forum they plan to establish after the first pilot program is complete. “They will be able to share ideas and their experiences and get more feedback,” she said.