CABACAM:

http://cokamaclimerkez.comu.edu.tr/

The Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University ÇABAÇAM (Multi Purpose Early Childhood Education Centre) is an innovative model based on the active collaboration of multiple stakeholders, namely academic, regional and district administrative institutions and non governmental organisations. Since its initial opening as a model unit in the Faculty of Education of Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, in March, 2008, the centre has been under the sponsorship of ÇABA Association. With the support of this organization, and the cooperation of Kepez Municipality (district), Çanakkale, to date it has provided educational services to 120 children aged 4-6 and their families, and training for approximately 200 trainee teachers.

The project aims essentially to provide early childhood education services, particularly for disadvantaged and at risk children and their families through participatory community collaborative action. In addition, it offers trainee teachers the opportunity for valuable hands-on teaching experience, enabling them to better position theory within practice during training for their future career.

This multi-purpose community project was first realized between 2008-2012 as the ‘Prof. Dr. Suzan Erbas Multi Purpose Early Childhood Education Unit’ at the Education Faculty, and continued to serve the community from 2012-2015 as the ‘ÇABA Multi Purpose Early Childhood Education Unit’. The unit reopened as ‘ÇABAÇAM Multi Purpose Early Childhood Education Centre’ at the beginning of the 2015-2016 academic year. Also, newly established within this unit is the “Kozalak Toy Exchange Studio” whose goal is to channel educational materials, toys, stationary etc. towards schools in need.