Rumeysa Çevlik was born and raised in Osmaniye’s Kadirli district. After her wedding, she did not give up on her dream of becoming a teacher and was accepted into Selçuk University’s Preschool Teaching program. Rumeysa Teacher, who defines her passion to her profession as infinite,  began her career in Mardin. After one and a half years, she returned to her village in Osmaniye to work there.

When she first arrived at Kadirli Karasuyu Primary School, where she has since served for eight years, she observed that the school did not provide a suitable learning environment for the kids and that the other teachers were not happy to be there. Driven by the desire to give these children the best, she began transforming every aspect of the school as part of her “Doğadaki Sınıf” project. First, she stopped using plastic, paper, and unrecyclable materials that are often used in preschool and instead, created an eco-friendly class. She aimed to raise environmental awareness in preschool kids by banning the use of single-use plastics and decorative materials as well as minimizing paper use.

Then, when the pandemic set in, she decided to create an Outdoor Classroom. The class had zero associated costs as all materials were gathered from the village, nature, and unused products at homes. She found clothing sponsors to ensure the class was not disrupted by cold weather. She gave children the opportunity to learn by experience.

Rumeysa states that all of her work draws inspiration from children’s curiosity and dreams. She began to seek for sponsors for the construction of a tree house after the children became enamored by one they discovered in a book. She struggled for a long time to find the necessary support but kept trying, as the kids were enthusiastic for a tree house. Eventually, she was able to build one with the help of parents of the students and the local government, and this tree house was eventually converted into a library. Teacher Rumeysa hopes that this tree house, which provides students a patio for breakfasts and shelter from the cold, will introduce new books to inspire the future dreams of her students.

Transforming every classroom and empty space in her building, Rumeysa converted vacant classrooms in the primary and middle school building to Math, Space and Science, and Atatürk Music, Arts and Sports Classrooms. She also organized a children’s concert in her city, which has limited access to cultural activities, and invited all village schools.

Turning every opportunity and space into an innovative learning medium, Rumeysa improves school attendance rates and allows children to explore their curiosity to the fullest with her work. Furthermore, she encourages her colleagues to implement her learning mediums and curriculum in their schools and provides guidance to them.

Involving the parents in these efforts, Rumeysa Çevlik continues to make a difference in her students’ lives by transforming learning mediums with simple and natural solutions to provide quality pre-school education.