The project titled "Initiative to Improve the School's Reputation through the Development of the School Community," conducted by "Umid" Support to Social Development Public Union ("Umid" SSD PU) in collaboration with T-NETWORK, an educators' experience and communication platform, funded by the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan and supported technically by the Baku City Education Department, has reached successful completion.
As an outcome of the initial project activities, secondary school No. 280 after M. Mehdiyev in Hovsan settlement, Surakhani district, Baku, and secondary school No. 262 in Turkan settlement, Khazar district, established 2 School Development Councils (SDCs), each comprising 11 members, with a gender breakdown provided for each school (School No. 280: 9 women, 2 men; School No. 262: 5 women, 6 men). These SDC members underwent evaluation through sessions covering 8 diverse topics ("Community Mobilization," "Needs Assessment," "Project Proposal Writing," "Leadership and Teamwork," "Community Fund and Community Contribution," "Effective Presentation" in target schools). A series of 16 training sessions were conducted, involving 35 participants (24 women, 11 men), alongside 33 round table discussions that engaged 327 individuals (213 women, 114 men). The round tables delved into topics such as community mobilization, leadership and teamwork, needs identification, project proposal preparation, conflict resolution, effective presentation, among others. Additionally, written surveys were administered to assess the participants' knowledge on these subjects, revealing a commendable 87% proficiency level among SDC members in the evaluated topics based on the survey results analysis.
Following the suggestion of School Development Council (SDC) members, a collaborative effort involving students, parents, and community members led to the successful implementation of four projects ("One nation, two states - Azerbaijan-Turkey" charity auction, repair of the school area's water junction, preparation of a book on "Historical Monuments of Turkan Settlement," and hosting the event "You are such a peak"), alongside the execution of two additional projects (procuring national dance costumes for the school and constructing a radio station on the premises) at Secondary School No. 280 in Hovsan settlement.
Under the "One nation, two states - Azerbaijan-Turkey" charity auction project, students from the art association organized a painting exhibition. Notably, the "Repair of the school area's water junction" project not only facilitated necessary repairs but also saw Turkan Agro LLC generously donating 50 olive trees to the school located in Turkan settlement. The "Historical Monuments of Turkan Settlement" book project resulted in the production and printing of 40 copies of the book. Moreover, within the scope of the "You are such a peak" initiative, 8 national dance costumes and a projector were obtained for future events. Additionally, 12 national dance costumes were crafted for school events through the "Making national dance costumes for school" project. Furthermore, a radio station established through the "Establishment of a Radio Station in the School" project disseminates daily school news, historical events, and announcements to students. Notably, the radio station was inaugurated during the 2022-2023 graduation ceremony.
The project impacted 3,500 students from the two targeted schools and benefitted 2,500 community members, including parents, entrepreneurs, and others. This collaborative effort notably strengthened community-school ties, elevating the school's role as a pivotal influence within the community.
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