A cross-generational mentorship and solidarity network
BirlikteBir.İz is a volunteer-driven initiative that connects university students in Turkey with experienced professionals across diverse industries.
We were born out of an urgent need to empower young people facing economic hardship, systemic barriers, and an unpredictable future. Our mission is to provide mentorship, guidance, and a collaborative community where students can thrive, rise above adversity, and create lasting change in their lives.
What started as a simple call for solidarity on Instagram — “Let’s see if we can bring together 15–20 people” — quickly grew into a movement. On April 4, 2025, we launched our first open call. Within 24 hours, the post reached more than 533,000 views and attracted over 200 mentor applications from highly respected professionals.
In just two weeks, we manually reviewed every application and successfully matched 340 mentor–mentee pairs — bringing together 680 people committed to building a brighter future, side by side.
The first cohort was completed in two months — and even before it ended, we launched our second one with 375 new matches.
Now, we are preparing our third cohort to leave an even deeper mark.
From the very beginning, we have welcomed registrations from 876 mentors and 1,153 students, representing 69 cities across Turkey and 17 countries in Europe. Among new applicants, 15% come from top-tier universities (ODTÜ, Boğaziçi, Bilgi, Bilkent, İTÜ), and 8% are currently living abroad.
This diversity proves one thing: unity is at the heart of BirlikteBir.İz.
We are intentional about bringing everyone together, across cities, backgrounds, and borders — because we believe our strength lies in connection.
BirlikteBir.İz roughly translates to: ‘Together, We Leave a Trace’
BirlikteBir.İz" is a nuanced name, rich with layered meaning in Turkish—emphasizing togetherness (birlikte), unity (biriz), and leaving a mark (iz).
It reflects our belief that true change doesn't require grand gestures — but consistent presence, collaboration, and cross-generational care.
To restore hope and belief in the future by enabling the cross-generational exchange of wisdom, inspiration, and resources — through volunteer-based mentorship. We envision a future where young people no longer feel alone — empowered to realize their full potential freely, and within their own homeland.