The project carried out by Kastamonu University to raise awareness of volunteering among young people and increase social awareness has been successfully completed. 

The project "We are Volunteers, Raising Young People with Social Sensitivity," coordinated by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Erol Tekin, a faculty member in the Department of International Trade and Logistics at our university's Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, and supported within the framework of the Ministry of Youth and Sports' "We are Volunteers Support Call," was completed with events held over a week. 

Our students taking the "Volunteer Studies" course came together with various public institutions and non-governmental organizations under the leadership of our university to participate in field-based volunteer activities. In this context, students visited AFAD Kastamonu Provincial Directorate, the Association for Solidarity of Individuals with Disabilities and Their Families, and the Yeşilay Kastamonu Branch, where they organized events themed around disaster awareness, social inclusion, and healthy living. 

The project's first event took place on December 20, 2025, at Mutlu Kafe, a venue where activities for individuals with special needs are regularly held. While 53 students participated in the event, individuals with special needs, their families, volunteers from different associations, and tailors operating in Kastamonu also took part in the program. At the end of the pillow-making event, held under the theme "Hand in Hand with Love," 500 pillows were sewn, becoming a symbol for individuals with special needs. 

In the second phase of the project, a visit was made to the AFAD Kastamonu Provincial Directorate on December 24, 2025. In the program attended by 48 students, AFAD experts gave an informative presentation on disaster awareness. Then AFAD vehicles were introduced; students experienced setting up and taking down an AFAD tent, applying what they had learned.

The final event of the project took place on December 27, 2025, with the participation of 48 students at the Yeşilay YEDAM Gastronomy Workshop. The lentil soup, çiftlik kebab, salad, and bal badem dessert prepared by the students as part of the workshop were offered to the clients through YEDAM staff. 

As part of the week-long project, three events were held: a disaster training session, a sewing workshop, and a gastronomy workshop, with over 150 people actively participating in the events. Additionally, 12 new social responsibility projects were presented to Kastamonu University's Social Office by the students participating in the project, laying the groundwork for future studies that can be implemented. 

Project Coordinator Assoc. Prof. Dr. Erol Tekin thanked the Kastamonu Provincial Directorate of Youth and Sports, especially our Rector Prof. Dr. Ahmet Hamdi Topal, for their support during the project process. 

Commenting on the issue, our Rector, Prof. Dr. Ahmet Hamdi Topal, emphasized that universities are not only institutions that produce academic knowledge, and used the following expressions:

“We place great importance on our students' development of a sense of social responsibility, in addition to their academic growth. The "Raising Volunteer Youth for Social Sensitivity" project has contributed to our students' internalization of empathy, solidarity, and volunteerism by engaging them actively in the field. I congratulate all our academics, students, and partner institutions, especially our coordinator, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Erol Tekin, for their efforts in this meaningful project.

Our Rector also stated that the supported projects aim to generate common benefits for society, and thanked the Minister of Youth and Sports, Dr. Osman Aşkın Bak, for their contributions.