Touching a Child’s Life: A Community-Based Social Responsibility Project Reaching 3,841 Students

As part of the “Touching a Child’s Life” Community-Based Social Responsibility Project, carried out by the Department of Public Health Nursing within the Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences at Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University, the outcomes of the project activities were presented at a program held at the Nazım Hikmet Conference Hall on June 10, 2026.

With the active participation of fourth-year nursing students, the project reached a total of 3,841 primary and secondary school students across 10 schools in Bandırma. In addition, 269 special education students were included in the project. Throughout the project, health screenings were conducted, and educational sessions on various health-related topics were provided to the students.

At the opening of the program, Prof. Dr. Latife Utaş Akhan, Head of the Department of Nursing, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nurcan Akgül Gündoğdu, Head of the Department of Public Health Nursing, addressed the participants. Following the opening remarks, Research Assistant Dr. Büşra Dağcı Günal delivered a presentation on the activities carried out throughout the project and the outcomes achieved. The importance of these activities for community health was highlighted, with contributions from Lecturer Fehim Göze and the fourth-year nursing students involved in the project.

The project aimed both to raise children’s awareness of health and assess their health needs, and to enable nursing students to enhance their professional knowledge and skills by actively participating in community-based practices.

By reaching 3,841 students, along with 269 special education students, the “Touching a Child’s Life” project was successfully completed as a comprehensive social responsibility initiative that demonstrated university–community collaboration and reflected the preventive, health-promoting, and educational roles of nursing in community settings.