Atatürk University recognizes that true sustainability extends beyond campus boundaries. It actively promotes “water-conscious use” in the broader community—encompassing local neighborhoods, schools, rural areas, and municipal partners—by implementing education, awareness campaigns, and participatory water-saving initiatives, in collaboration with stakeholders.
1. Existing Community-Focused Water Awareness Projects
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“Su ve Suyun Önemi” (Water and Its Importance, 2024)
Organized by TDM (Toplumsal Duyarlılık Merkezi), this project targets not just students but the surrounding community. It hosts presentations and awareness workshops in schools and public settings, distributing educational materials and publishing a results report. tdm.atauni.edu.tr
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“Çocuklardan Başlayalım” (Let’s Start from Children)
This project engages both students and teachers in presentations on water pollution and drought, implemented at the Faculty of Tourism’s outreach units. The initiative brings water topics into local schools, emphasizing community-wide responsibility. tdm.atauni.edu.tr
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“Sürdürülebilir Su Kullanımı” (Sustainable Water Usage)
Listed among TDP / TDM project titles visible in the public TDM project catalog (e.g. in the “Proje İşlemleri / Projeler” pages) as an explicit water-themed social responsibility project. tdm.atauni.edu.tr
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“Su Kirliği ve Su Tasarrufu” (Water Pollution and Water Saving)
A water-themed TDM project categorized under the TDP portfolio. It has a public results report and disseminates awareness in community settings. tdm.atauni.edu.tr
These initiatives show that the university uses its social responsibility platform to extend water-conscious messaging beyond campus walls.
2. Mechanisms & Strategies for Community Behavior Change
To ensure that these programs have lasting impact, the university implements or should explicitly highlight the following mechanisms:
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Interactive Workshops & Public Seminars
Organize town-hall style workshops in nearby municipalities, village centers, and school auditoriums, covering topics like household water conservation, greywater reuse, rainwater harvesting, leak detection, and smart irrigation. -
Educational Materials & Campaigns
Distribute brochures, posters, infographics, social media content, and short videos tailored to local community contexts that encourage water-saving habits (e.g. “turn off tap while brushing,” “use buckets vs hose,” etc.)
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Community Demonstration Projects
Set up showcase rainwater harvesting units, demonstration greywater systems, or water-saving gardens in public spaces (schools, community centers) for members of the public to observe and learn.
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School Partnerships & Curricular Integration
Integrate water-conservation modules into local school curricula via partnerships, including student project bazaars, water audit clubs, and school-based “water-saving pledges.”
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Volunteer & Citizen Science Programs
Mobilize university students and staff as outreach volunteers to perform water audits for households, install simple low-cost fixtures, or run “water champions” across neighborhoods.
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Media & Public Communication
Use local radio, newspapers, municipal bulletins, and social media to share water-saving tips, highlight community success stories, and link to university water initiatives. -
Monitoring & Feedback Loop
Collect feedback and monitoring data from community participants (e.g. reduction in household water bills, behavior change surveys) to refine messaging and report impact.
3. Institutional Support & Scaling
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TDP / TDM Structural Capacity
The TDM / TDP infrastructure provides administrative and financial support for student/community interface projects, facilitating wider rollout of water-themed community projects. tdm.atauni.edu.tr -
Project Recognition and Incentives
Water projects in TDP categories are eligible for evaluation, awards, and public recognition, encouraging more students and faculty to propose community-facing water projects. tdm.atauni.edu.tr -
Academic & Research Linkages
Faculty and departments can embed community partnership elements in grant proposals, ensuring that water awareness promotion is an expected output of research projects. -
Symposia & Public Events
Atatürk University organizes international and national symposiums (e.g. Bio-Climatic Change Symposium) in which water security and climate topics are discussed, serving as public forums for community and governmental interaction. Atatürk Üniversitesi
