Sailing to the blue with the cooperation of TURMEPA and TUI Care Foundation

During the boat trip held in Fethiye Bay on October 18, the project students came together and shared the project achievements and the importance of the marine ecosystem.

The “TUI Junior Academy Turkey” education and awareness project, implemented by TURMEPA in cooperation with TUI Care Foundation, successfully completed its first year of training and reached 4,520 students and 536 teachers. Within the scope of the project carried out in Muğla, Antalya, Izmir and Aydın, the leading cities of our country in marine tourism, TURMEPA organized an educational tour with students and teachers from Fethiye project schools on October 18, in order to share the project trainings with the public and to emphasize the importance of the seas and marine tourism.

TURMEPA Deputy General Manager Mine Göknar and TUI Care Foundation Turkey Program Manager Şemsi Toprak shared the first year results of the project with guests and press members in Fethiye on October 18. Fethiye District Governor İsmail Hakkı Ertaş, Fethiye Deputy Mayor Güzide Özkaya, Fethiye District Director of National Education Faruk Kaya and TURMEPA Fethiye Branch President Şaban Arıkan, as well as 32 teachers and 18 students from the project schools attended the event. While the educational tour started from Fethiye Port and followed the Knight Island – Kızılada route, the students had the opportunity to experience the natural beauties of the region and the importance of protecting the seas.

TURMEPA Deputy General Manager Mine Göknar, who made the opening speech of the event, said, “In the first year of the TUI Junior Academy Turkey project, which we implemented with the aim of raising generations sensitive to the sea and the blue, we provided training to 4,520 students and 536 teachers from 124 schools in 7 districts in Antalya and Muğla, and our target audience deserved to receive a certificate.” won. With these trainings, we aim to increase students’ awareness by obtaining information on topics such as the importance of the seas, Sustainable Development Goals, sustainable tourism, climate change, plastic pollution and zero waste. In addition to training and workshops, we organized cultural trips and coastal cleaning events for them to reinforce what they have learned.

It is very meaningful for us to hold this event in Fethiye today. TURMEPA, as a 29-year-old association, has been carrying out training and waste collection activities in Muğla and Fethiye for 25 years. We have a 25-year bond with this region. Our main goal with this project is to explain these natural and cultural riches we have to our children in the best way possible. Our wish from the children is that, at the end of the training they receive through this project, each of them will become individuals who will protect our seas, our environment, our natural and cultural heritage. Because protecting the seas means protecting our breath and our future. I would like to thank our project supporter TUI Care Foundation.” he said.

TUI Care Foundation Turkey Program Manager Şemsi Toprak said in his speech: “As TUI Care Foundation, we support environmental awareness and awareness raising activities for children in many countries. I would like to congratulate and thank our project partner TURMEPA, with whom we cooperate in this field in Turkey, for the success they have achieved in the first year by putting great effort into the TUI Junior Academy Turkey project. We think that raising a generation that respects the environment is one of the most effective steps for a sustainable future. As TUI Care Foundation, we are trying to do our best. “We will continue to work to raise Eco Champions like our young brothers and sisters here with us.”