Following Atatürk guided by Türkan Saylan's light 33 Years of ÇYDD

We started on our journey 33 years ago with ‘contemporary education, contemporary individual, contemporary society’ on our minds.  #YolunÖzü (#Journey’sEssence) lead us to strive for a transparent Turkey, always committed to Ataturk principles and reforms, based on rule of law, truly secular, democratic, and making contemporary education available for all its citizens.  

FOLLOWING ATATÜRK GUIDED BY TÜRKAN SAYLAN’S LIGHT  33 YEARS OF ÇYDD

Association for the Support of Contemporary Living (ÇYDD) is celebrating its 33rd year on its journey to keep alive, safeguard and carry to the future the secular Republic of Turkey with its commitment to Ataturk principles and reforms.

Based on the achievements of the Republic of Turkey,  ÇYDD  has been supporting children and youth from all corners of the country by providing secular, democratic and rational, and scientific education. Since its founding, ÇYDD has been continuing with its mission to reach the contemporary individual and the contemporary society through contemporary education under the presidencies of Prof. Dr. Aysel Ekşi, Prof. Dr. Türkan Saylan, Prof. Dr. Aysel Çelikel, and since 2019, Prof. Dr. Ayşe Yüksel.

ÇYDD has been working to support all children to receive a contemporary education without discrimination since February 21, 1989, especially to support girls to benefit equally from the right to education.  We are fighting to preserve and carry on the fundamental qualities of secularism and rationalism on the road to reaching the contemporary.  

ÇYDD shouted out that the secular order would not be brought down when President Prof. Dr. Ayşe Yüksel first started the ‘Respect for Secularism Walk’ of the Republic and today ÇYDD  receives its strength to continue on its journey towards the contemporary with Prof. Dr. Türkan Saylan’s words, ‘The important thing is to protect Turkey, to protect our Republic and to protect the secular order’.

ÇYDD, together with thousands of students, volunteers, and supporters, never stops working to reach the contemporary society where democracy, freedom and equal opportunity prevail; where tolerance and love are possible.

Scholarship and Support for Education Projects

“Let’s Accomplish Together the Equality of Education’’ is the motto of ÇYDD and we increased the percentage of our scholarship students with our various projects.  Our middle school and high school students receiving scholarships increased by 21\% with our ‘I Have a Daughter in Anatolia’ project. Our ‘You Can Light a Candle Too’ project increased the number of university scholarship students by 23\%. We supported 23,349 students in all.  Our ‘Computers for our Students’ project provided 7000 devices for our students and gave them technological support during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Providing only scholarship support would not be sufficient. We are implementing our educational support projects by also preparing our students to acquire 21st-century skills based on the values of the Republic and secularism. We take into consideration the learning capabilities of our students in different age groups and develop support projects for our middle school, high school, and university students that will give them the experience they will need in their personal lives, their work lives and will help them realize their dreams.

‘We intend to be a part of the solution, not the problem’. We want our students to be strong individuals in the future and towards this goal ÇYDD keeps developing projects such as The Pebbles of Science, Coding, Young Starfish, Positive Adolescent Development (PERGEL), Summer Activities, Support from High School to University, Contemporary Language Center, There is a Fete in the Village, Starfish and Mentoring projects.

ÇYDD Will Not Give Up on the Achievements of the Republic!

We will never stop guarding the contemporary, secular and democratic values of our Republic so that all our citizens will live by contemporary standards and enjoy equal rights and we believe wholeheartedly that each step of our journey towards the contemporary will take us further.

On our journey for the past 33 years and in the future;

* We provided scholarship support for 91,008 female students and 38,435 university students giving education support to 130,000 students in total. We will continue to reach more students and support them to become innovative thinkers of the future who know the world and their country well and who have inquiring minds.

* We will look for more ways to support our students at our 120 branches, 5 representations, and 30 Contemporary Activity Centers.

* We will keep adding new support projects that will give more opportunities for our youth to become more cognizant and be able to shape the future with their knowledge and abilities.

* By safeguarding secularism, scientific education, the arts, and democracy we will always strive to reach Contemporary Turkey where every student will have equal education opportunities.

* ‘We will be a part of the solution and not the problem’ is our approach and we will be heard and we will be influential in defending women’s and children’s rights, we will create environmental awareness and we will work to bring equal educational opportunity and societal gender equality.

Today we are still safeguarding, developing, and broadening the principles of the Turkish Republic entrusted to us by the Great Atatürk. Starting with our enlightening and unforgettable President Prof. Dr. Türkan Saylan, we commemorate with respect and love all the friends of our association that have shared their hard work and love with us.

We will tirelessly follow Atatürk guided by Türkan Saylan's light.

To Many More 33 Years!