For children in Turkiye’s earthquake-affected region, science class often means theory, such as reading about experiments rather than running them. But this summer, that changed.
From June 23–28, our partner Kırmızı Biber Derneği hosted a STEM camp at Afacan Gençlik Evi for students from Doğanşehir Fen Lisesi and other schools in the region, many of them girls who rarely see women working in science or engineering, let alone get to work alongside them.
Over five days, campers built AI models, extracted DNA from strawberries, ran surface tension experiments, and got a first introduction to coding, taught by two young female scientists working in the U.S. (one in cancer research and one completing a doctorate in mechanical engineering).
The transformative nature of this camp cannot be overstated. Aslı, a camper, described viewing science as something distant and unreachable when she walked in, but she walked out with a completely different sense of what she was capable of.
“Before coming here, I saw science and technology as a rather distant concept for me… but after coming here, I realized I could do this kind of work, and my self-confidence increased.”
Aslı was not alone in this feeling. Hazal, another camper, said,
“This camp made me feel free. It caused me to rediscover myself… It was like being reborn.”
Nalan Erdemli, a board member who observed the full week, watched something shift in real time as she watched girls and boys working side by side in mixed groups. She assured us that this experience will be life-changing for these campers, especially for the young girls picturing themselves as scientists for the first time:
“This camp will be a milestone in their lives.”
To hear directly from Aslı, Hazal, and the other campers in their own words, watch our short documentary from the week here.
Tümay Ulukaya, president of Kırmızı Biber Derneği, connects it to an even bigger picture. Fewer than 20% of Turkish female students currently choose STEM fields at the university level. Every girl who leaves this camp, she said, leaves with something more valuable than a certificate: the experience of ‘I can do this too.’
School principal İbrahim Başaran saw this same shift from the sidelines; kids who’d been quietly considering other paths suddenly grew excited about robotics and coding, energized by their newfound mentors. For many of these students, this week was the first time they’d ever met a woman scientist. For some, it may be the reason they choose to become one.
Camps like this one are part of an extensive effort by Kırmızı Biber Derneği to close the gender gap in STEM education across Türkiye, working to reach directly into communities still rebuilding after the 2023 earthquakes. We are proud to support them, and we look forward to their future plans.
Programs like this one are made possible by donors who support our work in Türkiye year-round. Please consider making a donation today.