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United Voices Student Spotlight Team: Empathy Wave

  • editorial team
  • Oct 3
  • 2 min read

Meet Team Empathy Wave from Sınav Collage in Ankara, Turkey! Almila and Elif believe that the key to true belonging is empathy—the ability to understand, connect, and support one another. Through their activity “Hearts United, Empathy Ignited”, they are turning classrooms into safe spaces where students reflect, role-play, and take action to spread kindness. Their mission goes beyond their own school—by sharing this empathy lesson with nearby schools, they are proving that small actions can create big waves of change.


Students: Almila Yılmaz (13) & Elif Su Alkan (13)

School: Sınav Collage, Ankara, Turkey

Coordinator: Okan ÜLKER

Assistant Coordinators: Recep ÇELİKEL & Neslişah BETTENCOURT

Country: Turkey


Activity Title: “Hearts United, Empathy Ignited”

Objectives

  • To raise awareness of empathy and help students become more self-aware.

  • To encourage understanding, kindness, and mutual respect among peers.

  • To inspire a culture of love and acceptance in schools, valuing people as they are.


Format

A 40-minute interactive lesson plan on empathy:

  • Discussion & Reflection: What does empathy mean in everyday school life?

  • Activities: Students share personal experiences of when they felt understood, or when they showed empathy to someone else.

  • Role-Play: Groups act out scenarios where empathy makes a difference, e.g., helping a new student, supporting a classmate, or resolving conflict.

  • Takeaway Action: Each student commits to one concrete act of empathy for the week.


This lesson will first be delivered in their own school, and then extended to other nearby schools, amplifying the ripple effect of empathy.


Target Group

Secondary school students (ages 12–15). Teachers may also observe or join to model empathy in practice.


Connection to the Theme

This activity embodies the theme “Beyond Inclusion: Building Everyday Belonging” by highlighting empathy as the foundation of belonging. When students learn to understand and support one another, they naturally create a safe and inclusive environment where everyone feels valued.


Empathy is the bridge between inclusion and belonging—it transforms tolerance into genuine connection.

Submission Handles


 
 
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