Hayal Gücü Merkezi-Imagination Center/Association; The Imagination Awards, which were first launched in 2022 to increase the visibility and support of individuals, institutions, and works created with imagination, curiosity, and skill, and transformed them into success stories, took place this year on January 20, 2024, at Sabancı Center with the main sponsorship of Akbank.

“We need children who question, discover, and create.”

The evening, attended by guests from the fields of education, civil society, business, and art, was presented by designer, artist, and educator Bager Akbay and the young members of the Imagination Center. Emre Alettin Keskin, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Imagination Center/Association, shared the excitement of the award ceremony in his speech. “Without a child’s curiosity, there is no learning in education… We contribute to children and young people following their curiosity and realizing their potentials by developing comprehensive and valuable programs and projects such as Curiosity Scholarships, From Child to Child Academy, Ask, Discover, Create Workshops, and Journey to Imagination. We need children who question, discover, and create, and we need places where children contribute. Imagination has given birth to civilizations in these lands, and with this power, we continue our journey of imagination, growing and developing more each year, and most importantly, touching the lives of more children. Last year, we rewarded the concepts of imagination, curiosity, and skill for the first time by pursuing one of our dreams. This year, we are excited to organize the second Imagination Awards. I sincerely congratulate the individuals and institutions who received awards at our ceremony sponsored by Akbank and thank all our sponsors for their support,” he concluded.

“Not for children, but with children!”

Hüseyin Sayın, the President of the Executive Board of the Imagination Awards, stated, “The Imagination Awards once again showed us how dreams established in every aspect of life inspire the future. All our category awards reflect the concrete expression of a dream, a project, and a success. With our understanding of not for children, but with children, we, as the Imagination Center/Association, organized the Imagination Awards for the first time last year when no institution or organization in Turkey had rewarded the concept of imagination. As in 2022, this year’s evaluation process took place with precision and impartiality, with the active participation of the Executive Board, Research Board, and Selection Committee, each consisting of 50% children and young people. In line with our philosophy of not for children and young people but with children and young people, we will continue to work wholeheartedly as the Imagination Center/Association. Congratulations to those who have been awarded for inspiring us with their dreams in every aspect of life. We will continue to transform the future together and reward dreams,” sharing his excitement.

The Imagination Awards winners in the category are as follows:

Courageous Imagination Award: Sadriye Görece

Childhood Imagination Award: Mete Gazoz

Transformative Imagination Award: Ayşe Tükrükçü

Provocative Imagination Award: İbrahim Betil

Inspiring Imagination Award: Fırat Neziroğlu

Persistent Imagination Award: Ufuk Koçak

Hopeful Imagination Award: Abdülhalim Demir

Respect Award: Göbeklitepe Excavation Team

Special Award for Institutions: Varuna Traveler

Sponsors of the 2nd Imagination Awards include Akbank as the Imagination Sponsor, Media Markt as the Inspiring Sponsor, and supporting sponsors such as Pod Kids, Nar Education, Public Communications Marketing Events: PCME, Event Sponsor İltek Technology, Communication Sponsor Vapp Works, Idecon Idea&Congress, biletinial, PurpleIdea, and Accommodation Sponsor Divan.

For thousands of years, dreams have given birth to civilizations in these lands. The Imagination Awards will continue to reward those who turn their dreams into power, make them visible, and guide the way for future generations for this very reason.

ABOUT THE IMAGINATION CENTER/ASSOCIATION:

Founded by young people and children, the Imagination Center/Association has become a structure where the same children are now members of the board of directors, bringing together children and adults, and working to create cultural change in education and learning. The Imagination Center aims to empower children, establish the ecosystem of child entrepreneurship, empower educators, develop curiosity and skills, empower institutions and individuals, produce curiosity products, and advocate for skills and imagination. With its learning model called “Ask, Discover, Create” and the motto “Curiosity and skills have given birth to civilizations in these lands,” it initiates the “Curiosity and Skill Movement” to create a society that is not afraid to take steps and is courageous.

Transformed into an association in 2020 with the participation of 14 adults and 35 children, the Imagination Center has actively promoted the understanding of curiosity and skills with a sense of responsibility and consciousness as a civil society organization since 2022. It has started organizing the Imagination Awards, which is a first in Turkey and the world.