Vodafone Turkey Foundation's Environmental Awareness Training for Children

WITH ITS NEW SUSTAINABILITY PROJECT, "GREEN PLANET", VODAFONE WILL REACH 1,000 STUDENTS

Accelerating its environmental sustainability activities, Vodafone has launched its new project to raise environmental awareness. Implemented in collaboration with Vodafone Turkey Foundation and Habitat Association, the "Green Planet" project will provide students aged 7-14 in different provinces of Turkey with online training on climate change, recycling, electronic waste recycling, sustainability, and natural disasters. As part of the project, it is aimed to reach 1,000 students.

Working to become a "purpose-oriented company", Vodafone has added a new success to its sustainability activities. Until today, Vodafone has supported the management and recycling of e-waste with initiatives such as "Waste to Code" and "ReWorld Open Innovation Program". With the "Green Planet" sustainability project, Vodafone now aims to raise awareness in various fields for students aged 7-14 in different provinces of Turkey. Launched in collaboration with Vodafone Turkey Foundation and Habitat Association, the projects will provide students with online training on climate change, recycling, electronic waste recycling, sustainability, and natural disasters. Following the training, the project's participants will join an idea marathon. In the first stage, the project aims to reach 1,000 students with 50 volunteer trainers.

The "Green Planet" project was launched at the press conference held with the participation ofMr. Hasan Süel, Vodafone Turkey Foundation's Chair, and Mr. Sezai Hazır, Habitat Association's Chair.

Highlighting that environmental problems are a common global issue, Mr. Hasan Süel, Vodafone Turkey Foundation's Chair, said:

"At Vodafone, our purpose-oriented company approach is based on uncovering the potential of the telecommunication and communication technologies industries to be a solution to global and local problems. While doing our job, we, as Vodafone Turkey, aim to create value for our stakeholders and develop impact-oriented products and services, programs, and projects. Accordingly, we value and prioritize sustainability significantly. With the 'Waste to Code' project, which we implemented two years ago, we are opening coding classes in schools using the economic income generated from the recycling of electronic waste collected with the help of our employees and stakeholders. With the 'ReWorld Open Innovation Program', which we also started last year, we sought inclusive and sustainable solutions to the e-waste problem with the youngsters. Moreover, we designed our "Green Planet" sustainability project, believing that 'as the twig is bent, so is the tree inclined'. We aimed to raise conscious individuals for our world and environment. Thus, we have implemented the "Green Planet" project to raise our children's environmental awareness and help them become competent in sustainability. We believe it is significant to raise our children's awareness about environmental problems at a young age and provide the training they will receive at the right time and in the best way. Raising eco-conscious individuals and generations that will gain sustainability awareness in the future is also crucial for our nation. Lately, we are seeing climate change's effects more and more both nationally and globally. 2020 has been a year with the hottest temperatures in Europe, fires in Australia and the USA, floods in South Asia, and various adverse effects of extreme weather conditions. Floods and forest fires, which have also influenced our country and each of us deeply, show that we need to increase the awareness of future generations in this regard. That is exactly what we want to achieve with our "Green Planet" project. Until today, we have left a good footprint by enhancing our children's digital skills with the coding training offered by the Coding Tomorrow project. Now, our goal is to merge and implement both projects while targeting the same audience to reach more children with advanced digital skills and sustainability awareness in a short time. We believe that at the end of the project, the children who have finished their training will be able to produce digital solutions for environmental problems. Thus, our children will have the opportunity to develop their own thoughts and solutions for the environment. By growing up with the awareness of protecting our planet, they will be able to become climate ambassadors in their close circles. We believe that gaining eco-consciousness at an early age is of great significance for our planet's future. We also think that a greener, more livable, more sustainable planet is only possible by working together. Thus, we invite everyone to be sensitive to environmental and sustainability issues."

Mr. Sezai Hazır, the Chair of Habitat Association, stated:

"We are regularly witnessing the effects of human-induced climate change. This increase in disasters is also harmful to many living creatures. As Habitat Association, we have been working to raise awareness and create solutions in this field for a long time. As institutions that value sustainability and conduct projects accordingly, we are delighted and proud to launch the "Green Planet" sustainability project, which will provide students aged 7-14 across Turkey with online training on climate change, recycling, electronic waste recycling, sustainability, and natural disasters. With this project, we aim to provide fundamental training and awareness to the 1000 students and, thereby, to the parents. With the idea marathons that will be organized within the project, we will also help children discover, develop, and implement their ideas in sustainability. Thus, we will take a significant step towards contributing to a more livable world. We should all remember that a more livable planet and future are no dreams!"

1,000 students will be reached via 50 trainers

With the "Green Planet" project, which was designed as part of the "Coding Tomorrow" project implemented in collaboration with Vodafone Turkey Foundation and Habitat Association, synchronous and asynchronous training will be organized to raise the awareness of students aged 7-14 across Turkey on climate change, recycling, electronic waste recycling, sustainability, and natural disasters. The project, supported by50 volunteer trainers, aims to reach 1,000 students. The project is expected to be completed in about six months with a 2-stage trainer and awareness training program.

Active learning approach for trainers Vodafone Volunteers, Habitat Volunteers, and trainers will join trainers' training. Training on climate change, recycling, electronic waste recycling, sustainability, and natural disasters will be prepared with an approach that uses fully active learning methods. Thus, participants will be able to gain knowledge and skills regarding content and strategies. They will also experience both event practices and training methods that trainers will use locally.

Online training for awareness

Awareness training will welcome children between 7-14 from different provinces of Turkey. Moreover, intriguing content will be prepared to help children join training well-prepared. After watching this video content, children will receive online training from volunteer trainers. Training will cover issues such as "What is the Environment?", "Sustainability and Climate Change", "Waste, Recycling, and Electronic Waste", and "Natural Disasters". Then, students will receive environmental awareness training, completing the training's online stage. Following the online training, students will continue the process with the Coding Tomorrow training. This training aims to help children strengthen the knowledge they have learned so far and create solutions to world problems. Children who complete their training will be able to watch the content titled "So what can I do now?" which will be shared on the online platform and will increase their awareness of sustainability and natural disasters.

The last stage: Kidathon

At the final stage of the "Green Planet" project, a competition named "kidathon" will be organized. The competition will be organized in two stages on climate change, electronic waste recycling, recycling, sustainability, and natural disasters. In this competition, students who received awareness training are expected to produce solutions to world problems. While a minimum of 150 students are expected to join the competition, the first three primary school teams and the first three secondary school teams will be selected and awarded by the jury.

Vodafone's environmental projects

With the "Waste to Code" project launched in 2019, Vodafone opens coding classes as part of the "Coding Tomorrow" project with the economic income generated by recycling electronic waste received from the homes of employees and business partners. Until today, the project's coding classes were opened in Mardin, Samsun, Adana, Gaziantep, Uşak, Bingöl, and Çanakkale with the participation of 22 corporate business partners.

Also, the "ReWorld Open Innovation Program" launched by Vodafone last year offered youngsters the opportunity to find inclusive and sustainable solutions for the e-waste problem. While 121 teams applied to the program, BÜYEM (Boğaziçi University Lifelong Learning Center) certified "Sustainability Leadership" training was provided to the participants after the pre-incubation and incubation processes. At the end of the process, youngsters received their certificates.