The Istanbul Parenting Summit, organized by the Istanbul Governorship, the Provincial Directorate of National Education, and Marmara University, was held at Ataşehir Ahmet Keleşoğlu Science High School with the participation of 700 parents.

The opening speeches were delivered by the Governor of Istanbul, Mr. Davut Gül, and the Provincial Director of National Education, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mücahit Yentür.

In his opening speech, the Dean of Marmara University Atatürk Faculty of Education, Prof. Dr. Seyfi Kenan, emphasized that children and adolescents are now exposed to such a variety of stimuli that they can no longer handle mentally, psychologically, or physically, and that while raising awareness in families, schools, and society on this issue, it is essential to first and foremost provide strong support to families. He underlined that we cannot simply step aside thinking, “I gave my child a room of their own and equipped it with a fully functional computer and devices, so now they are safe,” and questioned: “They are physically in their room, but are they really safe socially, emotionally, and mentally?” He drew attention to the family as the home where the sacred years of childhood are built, saying, “Why do I call them sacred childhood years? Because it is where we first acquire words, meanings, values, where we gain our core attitudes and approaches toward life, and no matter how old we get, we always go back to our family memories and take them as a point of reference — it is practically the foundation of our lives.”

The full-day program, held on Saturday, April 19, 2025, featured 18 workshop leaders and seminar speakers from the guidance and psychological counseling departments of various universities. Expert academics met with parents through lectures and various activities. From our faculty, Prof. Dr. Seval Erden Çınar gave a seminar, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gülçin Güven and Dr. Kamile Gamze Yaman led workshops.