2018 - 2024
S. S. İzmir Eğitim Kooperatifi
(İzmir Education Cooperative)
About Us
The İzmir Education Cooperative, known by its Turkish acronym IZEK, was founded in 2018 by a group of educators, civil society professionals, and education volunteers in İzmir, Turkey. Its primary mission has been to establish a collaborative platform for local educators, enabling them to work together on workshops and other educational activities tailored to various age groups, while also meeting their shared professional needs. Additionally, IZEK has aimed to build networks with local governments and other civil society organisations in İzmir to effectively address the educational needs of individuals across all age groups within the local community.
Since its establishment, IZEK has operated as a non-profit social cooperative, with a commercial enterprise to sustain and enhance its efforts.
Over the years, IZEK has expanded its portfolio to encompass a wide range of projects, including:
Establishing a kindergarten for Turkish and refugee children with special needs
Capacity-building programmes for women's cooperatives
Educational, cultural, and artistic initiatives that promote community engagement and creative expression
Digital skills development for civil society organisations and K-12 schools
Vocational training and cooperative education for refugee women
Erasmus+ European youth non-formal education programmes
Collaborative youth projects with German partners
IZEK now offers a wide array of educational and consultancy services both within and beyond Izmir, collaborating with various organisations.
Our Values
At IZEK, we firmly believe in the power of collaboration between individuals and institutions to effectively meet local needs. Our vision is to create a harmonious ecosystem where local governments, public institutions, NGOs, grassroots initiatives, and international organisations unite to develop transparent, equitable, and sustainable models.
Our Core Values
Inclusive Collaboration: We champion the idea that diverse stakeholders must unite to create impactful solutions.
Transparency and Fairness: Our approach is rooted in openness and impartiality, ensuring all voices are heard and respected.
Sustainability: We strive for long-term, resilient solutions that stand the test of time.
Innovation: We encourage novel, avant-garde approaches to tackle complex local challenges.
Our Approach
İZEK adopts a holistic approach, acknowledging the interconnectedness of social challenges.
We believe in the power of incremental change and focus on:
Holistic Problem-Solving: We view local issues through a systems lens, understanding that challenges are often interlinked and require comprehensive solutions.
Small, Impactful Steps: We advocate for and implement small, manageable interventions that can lead to significant, lasting change over time.
Thematic Partnerships: We foster collaborations centred around specific themes, addressing targeted issues effectively while considering their broader context.
Adaptive Learning: We continuously evaluate and adjust our strategies, embracing constructive criticism to refine our approach and improve outcomes.
Knowledge Exchange: We prioritise the sharing of insights, best practices, and lessons learned across our network, fostering a culture of open communication and collective growth.
Inter-organisational Synergy: We facilitate the transfer of knowledge and experiences between institutions, leveraging diverse perspectives to enhance our collective impact.