Türkiye Design Council hosted the “Children and Design Education Workshop in Türkiye”

The “Children and Design Education Workshop in Türkiye” was held at Istanbul’s Kuzguncuk Pier with the goal of evaluating the condition of design education for kids in Türkiye present and talking about ways to further it.

The workshop focused on the opportunities and difficulties in the field of design education in Türkiye and evaluated how it fosters creativity, problem-solving, and critical thinking abilities. Pihla Meskanen from Finland-based Arkki International shared the core principles of the Finnish education model and Arkki schools’ global initiatives. In addition to highlighting the rising role of Arkki Türkiye in this regard, Pihla expressed appreciation for having the opportunity to introduce more children throughout the world to Arkki’s creative, architecture-based learning method and underlined the importance of creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving abilities in the future.

The significance of early design education and the necessity of creating conditions that are conducive to creativity was emphasised by Furkan Filiz, a board member of the Türkiye Design Council. He elaborated on the efforts of Türkiye Design Council – Arkki Türkiye in this field, emphasising their goal to expand design education and reach more children. He additionally pointed out the value of instructing learners how to think critically, generate ideas, and indicate information. To sustain this model in Türkiye, he pointed out the necessity of strengthening stakeholder collaborations and the educator ecosystem.

The workshop consisted of four sessions. Using a SWOT analysis, the first session evaluated the state of affairs in Turkey and pinpointed areas where design education needed to be improved. The second session covered ways to involve families and society in design education in order to increase awareness. Learning resources, spatial designs, and child-centered education methods were the main topics of the third session. The last session discussed sustainability and accessibility while assessing plans for the long-term growth of design education.

The workshop concluded with group presentations and feedback sharing. Feedback sharing and group presentations marked the end of the workshop. The outcomes will be considered as a roadmap for specific recommendations and the creation of innovative education policies. The participants underlined their commitment to collaborating to improve design education for kids in Türkiye.

More Information: turkiyetasarimvakfi.org/en/projects/14-arkki