ABE Teachers Gathered for the End-of-Year Evaluation Meeting

We came together to recognize our achievements and set new goals for the future.

On June 19, 2025, the ABE End-of-Year Evaluation Meeting was held online with the participation of around 30 individuals, including project team members and ABE teachers. This special gathering provided an opportunity to reflect on the activities conducted throughout the 2024–2025 academic year, share inspiring practices, and shape plans for the upcoming term.

Agenda: Achievements, Plans, and

Inspiring Exchanges

At the opening of the meeting, the project team shared updates on recent developments and presented upcoming plans for the summer period. Key highlights included:

Inspection and updates of lab kits
Adaptation of new ABE content to the Turkish context
Development of new dissemination materials
Improvement of assessment and evaluation tools
Support for teachers involved in TÜBİTAK 4004 project

These initiatives aim to provide teachers with more effective and inclusive tools for their classroom practices.

Voices from the Classroom: Teacher Practices

as a Source of Inspiration

One of the most impactful parts of the meeting was the sharing of classroom experiences and dissemination efforts by ABE teachers. Participants presented examples from the field, such as:

School-based laboratory activities
Content adaptations for different age groups
Project-based learning implementations
Community outreach and dissemination of ABE Program

These experiences once again highlighted the ABE teacher community’s commitment to collaborative learning and professional solidarity.

Impact Across 16 Provinces: Reaching 12,000

Students in 5 Years

The meeting also featured compelling data showcasing the tangible impact of the ABE Türkiye Program:

110 teachers actively contributed to the Program
Approximately 12,000 students directly engaged with ABE implementations
The Program has been successfully implemented in 16 provinces: Adana, Afyon, Ankara, Antalya, Bursa, Denizli, Istanbul, Izmir, Kars, Kayseri, Kırklareli, Kırşehir, Kocaeli, Manisa, Nevşehir, and Sakarya

These figures reflect the Program’s growing influence in enhancing biotechnology awareness and promoting science literacy across Türkiye. By being implemented with equal enthusiasm in diverse regions, ABE is evolving into a sustainable and inclusive model for science education.

Teachers Described ABE Through

Creative Analogies

In one of the meeting’s most creative moments, the teachers were asked to describe their ABE experience through analogies. Their responses offered sincere and vivid insights into the Program’s meaning for them:

“ABE is like a magnifying glass focused on scientific curiosity—it gathers, sharpens, and amplifies knowledge.”

“It's a journey where we notice something new every time. We walk the same path, but always see a different detail.”

“Like a complex new tech gadget—challenging at first, but eventually you say, ‘Wow!’”

“A time machine. Doing experiments now with our students that we couldn’t do as kids feels like healing our own childhoods.”

“Like looking at the sky—ABE brings hope, positivity, and awareness in the busy rhythm of school life.”

“Like an exploration in a rainforest—we know some things, but there’s so much more to discover.”

“I see ABE as a beehive. It may look chaotic from the outside, but inside there’s discipline, collaboration, and purpose.”

“Like pointing out shapes in the clouds to students who can’t see them—it creates awareness and perspective.”

“I compare ABE to learning how to ride a bike. Think of the excitement a child feels when getting their first bike—that’s what ABE brought back for me after all these years.”

Looking Ahead

This meeting once again demonstrated the teachers’ strong commitment to the Program and their shared excitement for co-creating meaningful learning experiences. ABE Türkiye remains dedicated to empowering teachers’ scientific and pedagogical capacities, strengthening the learning community, and advancing biotechnology literacy across the country.