Arzu Kılıç: A Journey in Alternative Education

I am Arzu Kılıç, born in Istanbul in 1979. My education journey began in 1992 at Ayşe Ege Girls’ Vocational High School, Department of Child Development and Education. After graduating in 1995, I was admitted to Gazi University Preschool Teaching Department; however, due to family reasons, I completed my undergraduate studies at Anadolu University.

I started my professional life while I was still a student and gained long years of practical experience in the field. I worked at a kindergarten in Nişantaşı, attended hundreds of seminars, and continuously improved myself. I got married in 1997 and became a mother in 1998. Later, I gained administrative experience by working as a principal in a private kindergarten.

The Birth of İpekböceği Kindergarten

In 2001, I opened İpekböceği Kindergarten in Fatih, a lifelong dream of mine. At that time, I realized how limiting the use of ready-made educational sets was in children’s learning process. Questions like: “Why should learning be limited to books? Why shouldn’t children learn concepts, nature, and life by touching, feeling, and exploring?” guided me on a different journey.

Guided by these questions, I removed the standard learning sets and replaced them with natural experiences and play-based learning. I researched alternative education models and developed my own educational philosophy.

The Development of the Discovery Curriculum

The pandemic turned into an opportunity for me as someone who loves creating. I organized online teacher workshops inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach and reached hundreds of teachers. Later, I conducted “Reggio Emilia Applied Teacher Workshops” in various cities of Turkey.

These experiences inspired me to develop a flexible and inclusive curriculum suitable for Turkey’s cultural context. In 2023, we launched the Discovery Curriculum at the Haliç Congress Center. Today, it is successfully implemented in 13 schools with more than 100 teachers across Turkey.

Who Are We?

As İpekböceği Kindergarten, we are a team that:

• Nurtures children’s curiosity, creativity, and self-confidence,

• Believes education should not only happen in classrooms but also in life and nature,

• Supports every child’s individual learning process through alternative approaches,

• Values building strong bonds between families, children, and teachers,

• Aims to transform early childhood education in Turkey by collaborating with educators across regions.

A Learning Community for Children

We are not just a school. İpekböceği Kindergarten is a learning community where children can freely wonder, explore, and see learning as a natural part of life.