Live music, folk dancing performances, cultural events, fortune telling, and more. Enjoy authentic Turkish cuisine. Join us on October 3rd from 11am-7pm on District Pier for the free Turkish Festival at The Wharf. This year’s festival theme is Turkaegean: Coast of Happiness.

Organized by American Turkish Association of Washington DC – ATADC.

Turkish-American Television is a proud media sponsor of the Turkish Festival at The Wharf!

For more information please visit https://www.turkishfestival.org

Video location: The Wharf Torch, “Branch Twist Fire Sculpture”, located at the end of Recreation Pier.

TATV Staff Picks 2020 Young Producers Recognitions

TATV staff selected videos with outstanding production quality and positive universal messages. The young producers were among the finalists and semi-finalists of the 2020 Teens Dream Video Competition. 

Outstanding video productions are:

“Food Equity Through Kindness” by José Pablo Álvarez Preinfalk, Costa Rica

“Clean Water and Sanitation” by Dilara Nur Kahraman, Antalya, Turkey

“Quality Education” by Ecem Bahar, Izmir, Turkey

“Clean Schools for a Clean Planet” by Isabella Shady, Madelyn Stochaj, Haley Jansons, Mass., U.S.

“Reducing Plastic Pollution in Oceans” by Sumya Abida, N.Y., U.S.

‘Gender Equality – We Will Not Be Tamed” by Jibeh Fatty, N.Y., U.S.

2020 TATV Staff Picks are showcased at https://vimeo.com/showcase/8398251

TATV Staff Picked 2020 Teens Dream Young Producers

Fairfax, Va., April 24, 2021 — Turkish American TV (TATV) staff selected fresh video productions from Teens Dream Collaborative 2020 Annual Video Competition, which provided teens a forum to share their solutions to problems facing humanity. Teens shared their dreams of change in areas ranging from plastic pollution to responsible consumption. 

Over 150 teens globally submitted short videos related to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The Global Co Lab Network and its collaborator this year, the Smithsonian Institution, selected 10 videos and awarded $500 grants to each teen changemaker. The Global Co Lab Network and Smithsonian honored additional 10 videos with certificates of recognition.

TATV staff selected videos with outstanding production quality and positive universal messages. The young producers were among the finalists and semi-finalists of the 2020 Teens Dream Video Competition. 

Outstanding video productions are:

“Food Equity Through Kindness” by José Pablo Álvarez Preinfalk, Costa Rica

“Clean Water and Sanitation” by Dilara Nur Kahraman, Antalya, Turkey

“Quality Education” by Ecem Bahar, Izmir, Turkey

“Clean Schools for a Clean Planet” by Isabella Shady, Madelyn Stochaj, Haley Jansons, Mass., U.S.

“Reducing Plastic Pollution in Oceans” by Sumya Abida, N.Y., U.S.

‘Gender Equality – We Will Not Be Tamed” by Jibeh Fatty, N.Y., U.S.

2020 TATV Staff Picks are showcased at https://vimeo.com/showcase/8398251

Talking to the young producers in a meet and greet session, Özge Övün-Sert, TATV program host, said, “I am impressed with your visions for the future of the world we live in… You have the opinion about the issues and offer solutions to overcome these problems. This gives me a big hope for the future.”

Madelyn Stochaj from Massachusetts expressed her Teens Dream Challenge experience as “an amazing opportunity.” She was happy for being recognized for the work she has been doing.

“It has been super educational. It is definitely something new but it is really cool,” she said.

Teens Dream, a project of the Global Co Lab Network, partners with organizations across the world to educate, inspire, connect, and helps teens act on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. TATV is a partner and a sponsor of Teens Dream Collaborative.

TATV congratulates all the teens who shared their uplifting dreams by submitting a video to the Teens Dream Collaborative 2020 Annual Competition. 

Contact: info@turkishamericantv.org

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Turkish American TV (TATV), the award winning voice of the Turkish-American community, was founded in September 2005 with the mission of delivering educational, engaging, and entertaining programs on art, culture, lifestyles, music, dance, health, wellbeing, science, and technology.

TATV’s staff picks are video productions specifically selected by TATV staff for their outstanding video productions and positive universal messages. These are the staff-picked young producers who were among the semi-finalists of the 2019 Teens Dream Video Competition:
Deniz Çöçelli – Istanbul, Turkey
Mehmet Deler – Kastamonu, Turkey
Marina Dixon, Emma Flaherty and Haley Wong – Madison, CT, USA
Gülçin Eroğlu, Elif Sıla Erdem, Elif Kumlu, Gülşah Bal, and Yağmur Uğur – Kayseri, Turkey
Kaitlyn Joyce – Lakewood, CA, USA
Teia Torrent Requena – Girona, Catalonia, Spain

Cansu Ozyurek, violinist, received a bachelor’s degree in violin performance from Dokuz Eylul State Conservatory in Turkey and also a bachelor’s degree from Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. She lives in L.A., and performs with Santa Monica Symphony and Culver City Symphony. Cansu’s biggest dream is to audition for Broadway and be a part of one of the Broadway musicals.

Coached by Dr. Osman Kıvrak, musician in residence at the American University in Washington D.C., the young musicians have been meeting to practice via Zoom meetings since November 2019.

This is the first of the series “Young Musicians” produced by the dedicated volunteers of the Turkish-American Television (TATV), which is the longest running community television platform of the Turkish-American community in the U.S.

Find below what our young musicians said about their online experience.

Alptuğ H. Kaynar, Piano (Pittsburgh, Philadelphia)

“I really enjoyed the two months I spent working with Dr. Kıvrak. Every piece and practice session brought some new joy and difficulty with it. The process was one that I was wholly unfamiliar with, namely the concept of making recordings that would end up being synced on a computer, but the end product is something that I am proud of. I am glad I participated, as the whole process was a very fun and informative one, in which I learned a lot about the more technological side of music and recording. Finally, I would like to extend my thanks to everyone involved in this production for making this possible.”

Andrew Kıvrak, Viola (Maryland)

“The experience I had with Turkish American TV was exciting and enjoyable. One of the difficulties rehearsing on Zoom was that I had to use a metronome to sync up with my partner. The recording took a lot of tries to get both parts exactly in sync but it was satisfying when it finally worked. Being able to play music with another person, especially during the pandemic, was very rewarding. Thank you to everyone who made this happen.”

CONTACT                 LINDA STAHELI

NON PROFIT           Global Co Lab Network PHONE        202-415-7175

EMAIL                       lstaheli@globalcolab.net

WEBSITE                https://www.globalcolab.net/

Amazon Supports Eco Teen Action Network Plastics Hub: Reusable Takeout Container Project at National Landing

Arlington, VA, February 8, 2021

For the past two years, a group of teens from the Eco Teen Action Network’s Plastics Hub has researched, developed and pitched a proposal to implement a reusable takeout container program at National Landing, where Amazon’s second headquarters is located in Arlington, Virginia. Thanks to a $25,000 start up grant from Amazon, the teens are one step closer to their goal. “Amazon is thrilled to support the work of the Eco Teen Action Network as they work to improve their community,” said Brooke Oberwetter, Amazon’s head of external affairs in the region. “Sustainability is a high priority at Amazon, and we look forward to seeing the impact this project will have in our new home at National Landing.”

The Eco Teen Action Network is a virtual network of teens, local and global, created by Arlington NGO Global Co Lab Network or “Co Lab” in partnership with the Smithsonian Conservation Commons and Earth Optimism. The project will be managed for the Co Lab by Lara Ilao, Founder of Plastic Tree and a mentor with the teen-led Plastics Hub.

“Plastic has invaded every corner of the planet. It is estimated that humans may be consuming anywhere from 39,000 to 52,000 microplastics particles a year. This comes from the vast amounts of single use plastics discarded each year that make their way into our waterways and natural environment,” Plastics Hub teen ambassador Kayla Peale, a Senior at Yorktown High School in Arlington, presented to Amazon last spring. “The EcoTeens’ goal is to work locally to reduce the number of single use plastics thrown away, specifically takeout containers, by implementing a Reusable Takeout container system right here in Arlington.” added Krithika Laygala, another Ambassador with the Plastic Hub and a Senior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. Representing the next generation who will feel the effects of plastic pollution for years to come, the EcoTeens are pushing for local circular economic solutions such as the Reusable Takeout pilot.

The Eco Teen Action Network was launched in April 2019 at National Landing with support from real estate company JBG Smith. The Plastics Hub, focused on United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #12: Responsible Consumption and Production, includes DMV teen members from across the region – Krithika Layagala, Kayla Peale, Ellie Cowan, Sydney Rico, Annabel Williams, Ryan Kim, Ebba Cha, Sarah Bigley, Ashley Cheung, Emma Mathew, Lexi Olsen, Akila Islam, Marin Peale, Michelle Zavala, Addie Martin, and Katie Bernhart, most from Northern VA and DC high schools. This Hub is one of ten Global Co Lab SDG Hubs led by teens focused on action around the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Other teen led SDG Hubs address mental health, gender equality, hunger, climate change, quality education, wildlife conservation, racial justice, arts for the SDGs, Spanish speakers for the SDGs.

Meet the teen activists, and learn more about their current initiatives, including the Reusable Takeout pilot, here. You can also support our teens who are selling SDG themed masks that support the SDG Hubs. The teens are still working to raise an additional $50,000 to meet their goal and are currently in the implementation phase. If individuals would like to support the teen changemakers and this program, they can donate here.

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TATV is a proud media partner and supporter of  Global Co Lab Network.

Carey: Teamwork makes it a dream work

by Yonca Poyraz-Doğan

As the red fox sculpture reached its first anniversary in Middleburg, revisiting the adventure of its creation with its sculptor Gökşin Carey shows how clay came to life and became the six-foot bronze mascot of the town.

Long-time TATV personality and sculptor Carey had presented the red fox to the town of historic Middleburg, a charming Southern Virginia town.

The artists in Middleburg had unveiled the sculpture in front of the Middleburg Community Center on Dec. 7, 2019, during its annual Christmas festival.

Carey enjoyed working on the red fox with artists, and said: “Teamwork makes it a dream work.”

Watch now to revisit the journey, and find Carey’s online sculpting classes at sculptinghorses.com.

by Yonca Poyraz-Doğan

Gül Ok, a registered nurse (RN), BSN, from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, chose to receive the COVID-19 vaccine after she read the studies. She has had no side effects and told us about her frontline experience.

“This is a new world. After the vaccine, hopefully, we won’t be scared to go out anymore,” she said adding that reading the studies helped her to make a decision. 

“I want to get protected, so I can protect others”

“First of all, I want to get protected, so I can protect others. I didn’t want to catch COVID and give it to my patients, my family or friends,” she said adding a piece of advice. “Keep wearing your mask on. Keep your social distance.”

A busy health care professional, she is also a mother of a 4-year-old boy. How does she handle it all?

“I don’t think about work at home. We stay mostly indoors. Watch TV and listen to music. Trying to stay positive and hope for the best.”

Ok told us about her life changing experience about 17 years ago in Turkey when she had a major surgery. Having a really caring nurse by her bedside in the hospital, she decided to do something rewarding: “I want to be that nurse!” she said. 

For more about her story, watch our interview.

THE TEENS DREAM ANNUAL VIDEO COMPETITION
Teens Dream, a global video contest for teens focused on their dreams as they relate to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. ANY TEEN GLOBALLY CAN WIN A GRANT OF $500! Upload your 2 min or less Dream Video as it relates to one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by January 18, 2021! https://teensdreamcolab.org/videocompetition

The winners of the 2019 Teens Dream Video Competition are:
Ceren Nur Polat – Şanlıurfa, Turkey
Claire Cohen – Orange County, California, USA
Gülçin Eroğlu, Elif Sıla Erdem, Elif Kumlu, Gülşah Bal, and Yağmur Uğur – Kayseri, Turkey
Kristina Smolianinova – Abu Dhabi, UAE
Laia Martinoy Batlle – Catalonia, Spain
Magalí Brunner – Girona, Catalonia, Spain
Muweera Joseph – Uganda
Ryan Song – Auburn, Washington, USA
Samuel Parker Celico – Denver Colorado, USA

The Young Cultural Ambassadors Program (YCAP) is an initiative of the American Turkish Association of Washington DC (ATA-DC) to engage youth who are interested in building bridges between societies. TATV welcomed 2019 YCAP participants in our Fairfax Public Access Studios. Are you a high-schooler and curious about YCAP? Would like to learn how you could get involved? Hear them directly from youth who participated in the 2019 YCAP. You will appreciate and celebrate diversity through volunteerism and become the future’s informed and concerned global citizens! For more information, please visit https://atadc.org/ycap/