Within the scope of the Science Cafe meetings conducted by the Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University (MAKÜ) Science Communication Coordination, a meaningful event titled “Minik Yüreklerde İstiklal Ruhu” was organized.
In the event held with the participation of Faculty of Education faculty member Dr. Öğr. Üyesi Abdullah Tanta, it was aimed to create awareness of the flag, homeland, and national values in preschool-aged children on the occasion of the 105th anniversary of the acceptance of the İstiklal Marşı. At the same time, the meaning of the İstiklal Marşı was introduced with an explanation suitable for the children's age level.
A sincere conversation was held with students in the 3–5 age group at the event organized at the MAKÜ Kindergarten. During the conversation, love for the homeland was explained through visuals of the map of Turkey and hearts, while short information about Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and Mehmet Akif Ersoy was shared in a way that children could understand.
To increase the interest of the students in the event, a story about love for the flag and homeland was told. An interactive environment was created by including questions that the children were curious about throughout the program.
One of the highlights of the program was a student who knew the İstiklal Marşı by heart and recited it with all its verses. The performance of the little student added color to the event.
At the end of the event, the Mehmet Akif Ersoy Hasbihal Corner located in the MAKÜ Rectorate building was visited with the students. During the visit, the children experienced a different experience aimed at raising awareness about national values by asking questions to Mehmet Akif Ersoy's artificial intelligence application.
The organized event was considered an important meeting in terms of contributing to the development of national consciousness and love for the homeland at a young age.
