Chemistry Students Bring Their Schools TRY 2 Million

Students at a vocational technical Anatolian high school in Izmir have transformed their education into earnings. Chemistry technology students have generated TRY 2 million for their school in one and a half years by producing cleaning and cosmetic products.

MOPAK Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School, located in Kemalpaşa district, has its Chemistry Technology 11th-grade students producing perfume, liquid hand soap, toilet cleaner, thickened laundry bleach and dish detergent, fabric softener, and stain remover in the school workshops. Students process perfume essences sourced externally in the school laboratory, then package the resulting materials, label them, and prepare them for distribution. By participating in the production process and earning pocket money, students are also making a significant contribution to the economy. Products manufactured by students have generated approximately TRY 2 million in turnover over a period of one and a half years, with the goal of reaching TRY 4 million. Ufuk Akış, the chemistry technology department head, stated that they currently make sales to official government institutions: "We carry out our work with students who are available after classes and on weekends. We are able to produce all liquid cleaning product categories. Production timelines vary depending on the volume of orders we receive. Students are involved in every aspect of production, and in this way, employment opportunities for students increase. At the same time, students both learn and earn money. Parents are also very satisfied with this production. The vast majority of 9th-grade students say they will choose the chemistry technology field."

"When They Graduate, They Become Ready-Made Chemists"

School Principal Hamit Dursun, stating that production continues at full capacity, said: "Our Ministry had launched an initiative to make vocational high schools' revolving funds more active. As a school, we began production in this direction. We started production in December and signed agreements with numerous public institutions. Our target was TRY 4 million in turnover. We have currently achieved the TRY 2 million portion. We aim to increase this figure to TRY 4 million by year-end. Students develop in practice the knowledge they learn in theory, and when they graduate from here, they become ready-made chemists."