Innovation Center
The Hisar Innovation Center is planned to be the hub for teaching and learning with STEAM, Sustainability and Entrepreneurship focused programs which have common and outreaching goals of improving K-12 education, including professional development, community interactions, and broader impacts. With all aspects, the Center intends to boost the existing quality of education at Hisar School which is positioned as a national and international leader in the field of education.
The Oslo Manual defines innovation as “the implementation of a new or significantly improved product (good or service) or process; a new marketing method; or a new organizational method in business practices, workplace organization, or external relations.” Considering the delicate balances within the educational community, it would be appropriate to deprioritize values such as “commercial success” and “marketing” and instead focus on reform and innovation for education and learning. Accordingly, the Innovation Center aims for the renewal process to be an infinite cycle within the culture of Hisar School, striving to reach better standards, and to create, protect, and develop quality standards wherever and whenever the concepts of learning and education arise.
The Innovation Center has set its communication network to include all components: Hisar School staff, Hisar Education Foundation, Hisar School students, Hisar School parents, and the Hisar School Technology and Innovation Advisory Board to achieve this general goal. However, it plans to evaluate the new communication opportunities that each new day brings as areas for development. Thus, it sees beyond the traditional view of the school process as a combination of students, teachers, and institutions, envisioning it as a model where the ever-changing world is simulated daily. For this model, the goal is to function as an experience center where the disadvantages of the real world are minimized, allowing students to quickly transition between alternatives, discover themselves without loss, and thus, embark on life as individuals ready to create the world of tomorrow.
The American author and renowned expert on learning organizations and systems thinking, Peter Senge, provides a solution for one of the biggest obstacles to mass development and change with his quote, “People don’t resist change. They resist being changed.” As the Innovation Center, one of our primary goals is not only to support change and development but also to create awareness that ensures every member of the school community feels the need for change and development.
Steam
At Hisar School, the experiential learning model enables students to internalize academic knowledge through hands-on exploration and discovery while fostering curiosity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
Sustainability
We support our students in developing their creative and critical thinking skills, enabling them to design and implement innovative projects aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals.
Entrepreneurship
Hisar’s foremost priority is to prepare students for their future careers by fostering their creative thinking and problem-solving skills. To this end, the Center seeks to establish collaborations and joint initiatives between Hisar School and the business community, universities, incubation centers, the cultural sector, society, and community-based entrepreneurs.
Teachers from K-12 voluntarily engage in activities related to the Innovation Center’s work areas. They contribute to Hisar School’s leadership role in the education world by working on a broad spectrum of tasks, including project development, organizing events, creating tools and teaching materials, and policy formulation.
At the Innovation Center, our dedicated volunteer teachers continuously enhance their skills in various fields where technology and innovation play a role, from entrepreneurship to natural disasters. This focus on development leads to the initiation of numerous projects for students and the school, transforming the school’s significance in students’ lives. By bridging the gap between the school, the business world, and universities, our teachers ensure that our students graduate as well-equipped and future-ready individuals.
Members | |
Utku ÖZTEKİN | Coordinator |
Betül VURAL | Member – Media and Communication |
Dilara VARDAR | Member – Entrepreneurship Ecosystem |
Duygu ERDOĞAN | Member – STEAM Education |
Nihan ŞEHSUVAROĞLU | Member – Sustainability Policies |
Nick KORESSEL | Member – Sustainability Policies |
Onur Akbudak | Member- IT & Technology |
Özge AYDEMİR | Member – Sustainability Policies, Student Committee, Center Projects |
Sedat YALÇIN | Member – STEAM Education |
Tolga ELDURMAZ | Member – Earthquake and Natural Disaster Studies |
Tolga YAMATMA | Member – STEAM Education |
Tuğba UCUZCU | Member – Sustainability Policies |
The Hisar School Innovation Center Student Committee empowers students to become changemakers in sustainability and innovation. By fostering creative and critical thinking skills, the committee supports students in developing and implementing projects aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Committee members actively participate in sustainability initiatives, represent Hisar School in various events, and collaborate on projects related to clean water consumption, energy efficiency, recycling, and food waste prevention. Open to middle and high school students, the committee provides a dynamic space for young innovators to shape the future with impactful solutions.
| Middle School Committee Members | High School Committee Members |
| Alisa Levi ’29 | Ada Erken ’27 |
| Aylin Mutafyan ’29 | Birce Gülibrahimoğlu ’27 |
| Ayşe Tatlı ’29 | Defne Koca ’28 |
| Defne Tümer ’29 | Defne Uzun ’27 |
| Defne Yırcalı ’30 | Ecem Işıldar ’27 |
| Deren Işıldar ’29 | Ekin Yıldız ’27 |
| Emir Kerem Seymen ’29 | Ela Sağat ’27 |
| Emre Nahmias ’29 | İdil Tunaoğlu ’27 |
| Eylül Akın ’29 | Irmak Gökdere ’28 |
| Işık Arca Erdoğan ’29 | Kaan Koca ’28 |
| Mayla Kosif ’29 | Lara Çalışkan ’27 |
| Mia Aben ’30 | Lidya Braunştayn ’27 |
| Nicole Kalomiti ’29 | Lize Sim Yılmaz ’27 |
| Ömer Betil Erol ’29 | Mehmet Selim Melik ’27 |
| Şadiye Derin Ulusoy ’29 | Ömer Erdoğan ’28 |
| Tuan Akyüz ’29 | Sara Braunştayn ’27 |
| Yaemin Demirkol ’29 | Selin Kızıltan ’27 |
| Zeynep Özcan ’30 |
The Hisar School Innovation Center Student Committee is a platform for students who aspire to make a difference in the fields of sustainability and innovation. We support our students in developing their creative and critical thinking skills, enabling them to design and implement innovative projects aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals.
Mission and Vision
As the Innovation Center Student Committee, our mission is to raise awareness of sustainability, expand sustainable practices within Hisar school, and maximize our potential. Our vision is to empower future leaders to contribute to their communities with innovative perspectives aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals.
Committee Structure and Operations
Student Committee consists of students who are committed to sustainability efforts. Members actively participate in sustainable projects and represent Hisar school at various events both within and outside the school. Through weekly meetings and project group collaborations, our members manage processes efficiently while also gaining opportunities to present their innovative ideas on national and international platforms.
Focus Areas and Projects
Student Committee organizes events in environmental, social, and governance-related sustainability areas both within and outside the school. Committee members engage in:
- Monitoring clean water consumption and raising awareness,
- Energy efficiency and responsible consumption initiatives,
- Recycling and circular economy projects,
- Food waste prevention and community service projects, among others.
Communication and Awareness Efforts
Student Committee aims to create awareness by managing internal and external communication processes. The committee collaborates with Hisar school’ social media accounts, organizes events, and informs the school community about sustainability-related initiatives.
Who Can Apply?
Student Committee is open to all high school and middle school students. Students interested in joining can participate in the application process at the beginning of each academic year. Candidates are evaluated based on criteria such as creativity, teamwork, and interest in sustainability.
Would you like to be part of the journey to make the world a more sustainable place? Join us at the Hisar school Innovation Center Student Committee and shape the future with innovative projects!
At Hisar School, we aim to engage with parents who are national and international leaders in the fields of technology and innovation. This collaboration allows us to stay updated on current trends, bring innovations from the business world into education, support internal projects within the school, and create networking opportunities to contribute to the development of projects.
Our school is committed to continuous transformation and development to meet today’s and tomorrow’s needs. This commitment is supported by the vision provided by our Technology and Innovation Advisory Board, which acts as a compass guiding us towards the future. This guidance enables us to nurture students who are well-prepared to create the future. The core goals and responsibilities of the committee are as follows:
- Review educational objectives and outcomes to ensure Hisar students are well-prepared for future technologies and the world.
- Renew, implement, and integrate STE(A)M and related curriculum programs to encourage creativity across all disciplines by embracing interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary, and transdisciplinary approaches, which are essential features of the K-12 structure.
- Provide innovative technology and infrastructure solutions for areas needing improvement at Hisar School.
- Propose methods to increase students’ awareness of the social and public policy impacts of technology and support the integration of social innovation principles into lesson content.
- Instill the fundamental principles of entrepreneurship and intellectual property rights in Hisar students, mentoring them through the design process, prototype creation, and business model development to bring their ideas to life.
- Facilitate best practices initiatives by connecting Hisar School with experts from different educational institutions, universities, the business world, and the public sector to promote ongoing and future STE(A)M projects.
- Support the development of Hisar School’s STE(A)M strategy and action plan.,
Through these efforts, Hisar School successfully exemplifies how to manage educational processes with methods that are ahead of their time, fostering an environment where students can understand and internalize current technology and innovation.
COMMITTEE MEMBERS | |
Onur Koç | Chair |
Alphan Manas | Member |
İpek Erduran | Member |
Mahir Badem | Member |
Selman Ölmez | Member |
Sinan Uzan | Member |
Temel Güzeloğlu | Member |
Utku Öztekin | Member |
Scope and Process:
- Club students receive training on how to prepare a checklist for conducting a YOTA analysis.
- Students develop a YOTA checklist that covers the entire school.
- Using the checklist they created, students carry out a YOTA inspection on campus and then compile the findings into a report and deliver a presentation to the Executive Committee.
- Once the required trainings are completed, the Emergency Management Student Committee will continue its work through preventive activities (e.g., peer education, awareness-raising, identifying gaps) and by taking on defined responsibilities during disaster response processes.