TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Sinem Nazlı Demir
The training aimed to support the psychosocial development and reintegration of incarcerated boys aged 12–18 through non-formal education. It addressed the need for emotional expression, peer communication, and positive behavioral transformation in a highly vulnerable population. The activity aligned with the goals of Be Aware Association and the Turkish Ministry of Justice by providing alternative learning spaces that promote self-awareness, empathy, and social reintegration.
The target group consisted of boys aged 12–18 held in Maltepe Juvenile and Youth Prison in Istanbul, Turkey. All participants were from Turkey, mostly from disadvantaged socio-economic and cultural backgrounds. Since the activity was national and not international, it does not meet the TOY requirement of “international or intercultural activity."
We used non-formal learning methods such as storytelling circles, role-playing, art-based expression (drawing, collage), trust-building games, and group discussions. Topics included self-compassion, saying no, peer conflict resolution, and emotional literacy. Sessions were interactive, youth-centered, and reflective, aiming to foster emotional growth and peer support.
Over the course of the long-term engagement, we observed significant improvements in participants' emotional expression, peer communication, and motivation for schoolwork. The program was reported positively by prison staff and documented through reports, testimonies, and social media posts of the Be Aware Association. Feedback from both participants and institutional partners confirmed the effectiveness of the program.
I worked as a full-time trainer and coordinator, leading weekly sessions four times per week for more than a year. I was responsible for designing the training content, facilitating all sessions, coordinating with prison staff, and mentoring other volunteers. My role was central to both implementation and reflection processes of the program.
Sinem Nazlı Demir has been my student at the university and she proved herself to be a top notch, responsible, hard working, problem solving, creative student. She also took part in the "Return to Society" project as a full-time trainer and lesson coordinator throughout the project. She was one of the lead participants of the project and helped immensely for the project to succeed.