Arçelik “Standing United for Education” Project, initiated in 2004 by Arçelik AŞ, in partnership with the Ministry of Education, with the aim of “improving the education and development of children at regional elementary boarding schools and creating exemplary individuals for the benefit of society”. It receives sponsorship from the Arçelik Corporate Social Responsibility Project Fund set up under the auspices of the Vehbi Koç Foundation (VKV).
One of several projects supported by VKV in the educational field, it is managed by Greenactive, an Arçelik public relations company. Its ultimate objective is to reach all of around 300 regional elementary boarding schools, which teach 200,000 rural children of limited financial means. The project remit includes: creating “Voluntary Family Unions” in the provinces to give children a warm family environment and meet their clothing and book needs; opening spaces called “Our Rooms” equipped with interactive educational and play materials to help cognitive, personal and social development; managing a program called “Support for Teachers and Education” which gives in-service training to a number of teachers chosen from each school, focusing on new developments in education and technology; running the “They Were Kids Too” campaign which enables children to meet famous role models from the business, media and arts world; and providing unconditional education grants to top students who have graduated from the regional boarding schools and are in need of financial support.
It is a multi-agency project, run through the collaboration of civil society groups such as the Educational Volunteers Foundation of Turkey (TEGV), the Mother Child Education Foundation (AÇEV), and the Private Sector Volunteers Association, together with the families of local Arçelik dealers and local administration in the cities.