“TLTA Academy” seminars continue unabatedly as organized under the Turkish Language Training for Adults (TLTA) Component of the Turkey Resilience Project in Response to the Syria Crisis (TRP) implemented jointly with the Directorate General of Lifelong Learning (DGLL) of the Ministry of National Education with funding from the European Union (EU).

The TLTA Academy was launched online on 10 August 2020 with more than 100 participants including directors, coordinators and trainers of the Public Education Centres hosting the Turkish language courses under the project. Covering a range of topics from the blended learning model to transformative learning forms, from the significance of cultural transfer in language training to the role of distance-learning during COVID-19 pandemic, the talks are held with the participation of subject-matter experts. The agenda of the Academy involves building knowledge for participants through presentations by experts, and discussion of various ideas and solution proposals on various matters in the education world as well as principles of working with refugees and refugee women, latest situation with regards to the COVID-19 in Turkey and the linkages between socio-economic development, education and pandemic, through questions and answers.

The Turkish Language Training for Adults Component started in March 2019. Using the Blended Learning Model developed by the UNDP, Ministry of National Education and Anadolu University as a first in Turkey and reaching out more people compared to the similar models in the world, the project is implemented jointly with the Public Education Centres in 10 provinces to teach the Turkish language to Syrians. To date, more than 40,000 Syrians with 71% being women have completed the courses at A1, A2 and B1 levels. In addition to the delivery of language courses, 318 Turkish language trainers have been trained on the Blended Learning Model, and 53 Public Education Centres in 10 provinces have been renovated.

In addition to the A1, A2 and B1 levels, by its online infrastructure built in the context of Blended Learning Model, the project is also delivering its B2 level Turkish language courses for Syrians during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The project expands its efforts on increasing the technical capacity and knowledge of the practitioners of the blended learning modality through TLTA Academy on both learning discourse shaped around the pandemic as well as updates on the COVID-19 and protective measures, principles of working with refugees, how COVID-19 affected women and the linkage between socio-economic development, education and pandemic.