The Yunus Emre Institute Met with Charles Hart Middle School Students to Discover Turkey
For the Third Year in a Row, The Yunus Emre Institute Represented Turkey in the Embassy Adoption Program
The Yunus Emre Institute in Washington D.C. completed its third year of the Embassy Adoption Program at Charles Hart Middle School with Mr. Parucken’s 6th grade class on November 22nd, 2021. Mr. Parucken’s students traveled to Turkey in their own classroom to learn about the history and cultural traditions of the Turkish people. The Yunus Emre Institute has been a part of the Embassy Adoption Program since 2019 but this year the presentation emphasized a multi-sensory approach where students learned about Turkey, heard Turkish music, and tasted a delicious Turkish snack. This year was notable because His Excellency Hasan Murat Mercan was able to join Mr. Parucken’s class on their journey to Turkey.
The Embassy Adoption Program brings foreign cultures right to the classrooms of fifth and sixth-grade students around Washington D.C. Embassy representatives from around Washington D.C. meet with students to help them discover the customs of a different country beyond their borders. For one academic year, each class is partnered with a certain embassy where they will have multiple visits and opportunities to engage with a foreign culture. Over the course of the year, students will meet with the embassy representatives and staff to interact with the country that they have been matched up with. By the end of the school year, all of the students will participate in a capstone presentation to show their teachers and embassy representatives everything that they have learned about the country that they were paired with.
The Yunus Emre Institute opened the program with remarks by the Public Relations Director, Casey Kim, who welcomed them to Turkey with stamped passports. They then went on a cultural tour of the country with the Public Relations Assistant, Harper Clark, who discussed a variety of topics from Turkish history to Turkish food and some unique animals and holidays. The students had numerous questions throughout their tour of Turkey and enjoyed speaking with Ambassador Mercan after the presentation about his country. They then got their passports stamped to exit the country but not without a sweet treat, a bag of Turkish delight. This is not the last time seeing Mr. Parucken’s 6th grade class, however, because the Yunus Emre Institute will host another session later in the year to play jeopardy and learn about climate change in Turkey.
The Yunus Emre Foundation is a public foundation designed to educate the public about Turkey and its language, history, culture, and art. The Foundation makes such related information and documents available for use in the world. Facilitating cultural exchange between Turkey and other countries is a central objective of the Foundation. If you are interested in receiving more information, please email washingtondc@yee.org.tr.
