Mind Games, Digitalisation and Disaster Awareness Project Completed

The project “Mind Games, Digitalisation and Disaster Awareness: A Journey to the Future for Young People”, carried out with the aim of empowering young people affected by disasters, has been completed. Implemented with the support of the Ministry of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Türkiye, the project aimed to strengthen the post-disaster resilience of young people in Kilis affected by the February 6 earthquakes.

The project was implemented with a grant support of 910,000 TL over a period of 8 months, targeting young people between the ages of 14 and 29. Within the project, knowledge, skills, social participation and psychosocial support components were brought together in the same programme to contribute to young people’s personal development and post-disaster recovery processes.

Opening Meeting Was Held

The opening meeting of the project was held on 30.04.2025. The opening programme was attended by Deputy Governor Mr. Okan DAĞLI, Deputy Mayor Cihan Çağlar YAŞAR, many institution directors, representatives of stakeholder institutions and young people.

During the opening meeting, information was shared about the aim of the project, its target group, planned activities and the educational opportunities to be provided to young people. The programme emphasised the importance of supporting young people affected by the February 6 earthquakes, increasing their social participation, empowering them with digital skills and strengthening them psychosocially.

Activities Carried Out

Within the scope of the project, 149 young people received training in mind games, robotic coding and digital skills. These trainings supported young people in developing analytical thinking, problem-solving, technology literacy and digital competencies.

In addition, disaster awareness trainings and psychosocial support seminars were organised throughout the project. These activities aimed to raise young people’s awareness of disasters, help them recognise risks, strengthen their psychological resilience after disasters and better understand social support mechanisms.

As part of the social and cultural dimension of the project, cultural and social trips were organised to Göbeklitepe, Balıklıgöl and Halfeti, with a total of 178 participations. Through these activities, young people had the opportunity to discover the historical and cultural values of the region while strengthening their social interaction.

Education, Social Participation and Psychosocial Support Together

The project was designed not only as a training programme, but also as a multidimensional process supporting the empowerment of young people after disasters. While mind games and robotic coding trainings contributed to young people’s cognitive skills, digitalisation-themed activities supported access to technology and digital productivity.

Disaster awareness and psychosocial support sessions helped young people make sense of their experiences, act more consciously in the face of risks and strengthen their resilience. In this way, the project combined learning, socialisation, production and empowerment under the same framework.

Tournaments, Kahoot Activities and Closing Programme

During the closing phase of the project, tournaments and various activities were organised where young people could use the skills they had gained throughout the project. Through mind games and digital skills-based practices, participants reinforced what they had learned and experienced an enjoyable and interactive closing process.

In the closing programme, Kahoot activities were also organised to increase young people’s active participation. Participants had the opportunity to review what they had learned during the project in an enjoyable quiz environment. Gifts were presented to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place participants in the Kahoot activities.

This closing process made the knowledge and skills gained by young people throughout the project more visible, while also creating an enjoyable, motivating and participatory learning environment.

Measured Impact

At the end of the project, participant evaluations were collected and analysed in terms of age profile, satisfaction rate and average scores for programme components. According to the evaluation results, 60.8% of participants were aged 20-24, 25.8% were aged 25-29 and 13.3% were aged 14-19.

Overall satisfaction with the trainings was measured at 99.2%. The average scores for programme components ranged between 4.4 and 4.7 out of 5. These results showed that the project was considered highly useful, effective and meaningful by the young participants.

Qualitative feedback from participants also indicated that the programme was perceived as educational, inclusive, enjoyable and supportive of psychological resilience.

An Empowering Process for Young People

The “Mind Games, Digitalisation and Disaster Awareness” project aimed not only to help young people affected by disasters gain knowledge and skills, but also to support their social empowerment. Throughout the project, young people acquired new skills, came together through different activities and found spaces where they could express themselves more actively.

As KOZ-DER, we believe that supporting young people in post-disaster processes is not only a short-term need, but also an important element of long-term social resilience. This project became an important step in strengthening young people in Kilis in the fields of education, technology, social participation and psychosocial support.

Thank You

As KOZ-DER, we would like to thank the Ministry of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Türkiye for its support in implementing the project, Deputy Governor Mr. Okan DAĞLI, Deputy Mayor Cihan Çağlar YAŞAR, institution directors, stakeholders, all young people who participated in the activities and our team members who contributed to the organisation process.

The project “Mind Games, Digitalisation and Disaster Awareness: A Journey to the Future for Young People” was completed as an important initiative to strengthen the resilience, digital skills and social participation of young people affected by disasters in Kilis.