ISTANBUL MARMARA EDUCATION FOUNDATION (İMEV)
A good future can only be possible with a well-educated society. With this mission, Istanbul Marmara Education Foundation (İMEV) has been fulfilling the true meaning of the "foundation" concept for twenty-eight years, serving our society alongside Marmara College and Maltepe University, which are located in Marmara Education Village.
The foundation of society is education, and the indispensable element of education is values. For centuries, our society, living together in these lands based on the principles of tolerance, solidarity, and sharing, has established values rooted in its traditions. Our Foundation is determined to carry these values into the future. İMEV strives to continue the foundation tradition and renew and reorganize it according to the needs of our society, offering suitable spaces where these principles and values will thrive.
The doors of these spaces are open to everyone and for sharing with everyone. İMEV, particularly focused on cooperation opportunities with the youth, the future of our country, organizes many events to emphasize the importance of learning how to learn and to contribute to this goal. İMEV also takes responsibility as a stakeholder in various events.
Founded by Hüseyin Şimşek in 1996, İMEV has gained recognition in many fields through its activities over the past two decades. The most significant feature of these activities is that they have gained continuity and rooted establishment.
Our Foundation President, Hüseyin Şimşek, started the foundation's work with this mission on November 1, 1996. Shortly afterward, in 1997, he achieved one of his biggest goals by establishing Maltepe University.
Among the projects and activities carried out by İMEV in the field of education, the Adult Literacy Campaign, which started in 2001, continues with the same enthusiasm as the first day. With the courses held so far, 16,127 participants have received literacy certificates, and 2,592 participants have earned primary school diplomas. The majority of the participants are women between the ages of 16 and 75. Among the youth who learned to read and write in these courses, there are those who have completed open primary and high school education and even entered university. İMEV also offers vocational skills courses such as ceramics, tile, sculpture, and handicrafts, enabling participants to benefit from professional training programs.
If we share a few stories about our participants: Hatice Gülsu, a 47-year-old mother of a martyr, shared her experience, saying, "I couldn't read my son's ID, I couldn't read his letters. I couldn't even read the gravestone I visit every day, that's why I came to the literacy course." Another participant, 53-year-old Sahure Barutçu, said, "I am very angry at the ignorance that made us ignorant."
İMEV's collaboration with the Faculty of Human and Social Sciences initiated "Philosophy Talks" in 2001, starting the tradition of philosophy's interaction with society in Istanbul. "Family School," another meaningful tradition of Foundation-University collaboration, started in 2002 and is ongoing. İMEV also supported "Philosophy and Psychology for Philosophy Teachers" training programs in 2001 and 2002. The Foundation and University have practically merged in their passion for education.
İMEV also supports the work of the SOYAÇ (Street Children Education and Research Center) in our university, providing education to illiterate children living on the streets.
İMEV organizes "Adaptation Panels to Urban Life" in partnership with the Faculty of Human and Social Sciences to support citizens who migrate to the big city, helping them integrate through education and culture, improving the education level of the surrounding population, and enhancing their quality of life.
Through the Social Service Applications course with the Faculty of Education, our students open preparatory courses in Turkish, Mathematics, Geometry, English, Science, and Social Studies for students who cannot afford paid courses due to economic reasons in local primary, secondary, and high schools.
Under the Social Awareness Program, İMEV and the Faculty of Human and Social Sciences' Psychology Department students provide social skills training to 4-year-old children and their mothers who did not receive preschool education.
İMEV supports successful students facing socio-economic difficulties or those who have lost their families in natural disasters by offering scholarships for education, accommodation, meals, and other needs. İMEV organizes various events to run and sustain the "Be a Hope for a Student's Future" project.
In the field of health, İMEV carries out projects in collaboration with Maltepe University Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, conducting health screenings in areas with a high concentration of impoverished citizens, and holds informational meetings to find solutions to general health issues. With the slogan "Saving Lives Is In Your Blood," the Foundation organizes biannual blood donation campaigns and other charitable activities, including tree planting, book, stationery, toy, and clothing campaigns.
With Marmara College Radio TV Journalism Vocational High School students, İMEV continues the "Life Is Unstoppable" project, organizes a Wheelchair Campaign, offers first aid courses annually to volunteers, provides search and rescue training, and organizes science days, book signing events, educational congresses, sports events, exhibitions, theater plays, and book fairs, offering support to teachers, students, and families in every sense.
The Founder of the Foundation, Hüseyin Şimşek, expresses the purpose of the foundation as follows:
"Sharing the resources we have with those in need, without expecting anything in return, and continuing this tradition is a humanitarian duty. I consider having turned this duty into a profession a fortunate opportunity."
Since the beginning of humanity, people have sought immortality, and looking at works of art is enough to witness this search. Another form of immortality in foundations is that there are no names, people, or signatures... What matters here is the immortal feeling of sharing and the mutual joy felt through it.
I strive to make the most of this opportunity and work relentlessly with my team to reach more people and share more."
İMEV runs many projects simultaneously, but they all converge on one point: Raising healthy generations... Here, the emphasis on health is not just about preserving life physically; it is about nurturing individuals who look to the future with hope, are beneficial to themselves and their social environment, and contribute to the surrounding environment, achieving success.
To many more years...