Youth Services Center

GSM - Youth Services Centre, was founded in 1985 in Ankara. To contribute to the personal, social, and cultural development of young people, and to support their active participation in social and economic life. GSM was established as a non-profit organization in 1985 because the articles about the fundamental rights and freedoms in the constitution were quite inhibitory after the 1980 military coup. During the European Union accession process, the amendments in the Turkish Constitution made way for establishing more open-minded organizations. Besides, GSM has continued its works under the title of the association since 2010. GSM considers young people as the primary resource and the most active part of society. GSM believes that the active participation of young people in social life contributes to the continuation and the development of social infrastructure. GSM makes an effort for the development of youth work and youth policies with a right-based approach so that young people can become individuals who look to the future with high hopes. GSM deals with its all programs, projects, and activities within the framework of the basic principles of global education and youth work with a pedagogical approach. It is at the forefront of the studies on the mental, emotional, spiritual, personal, social, and cultural development of young people. GSM has coordinated big-budget projects. - ‘’Transforming Lifes Through Learning by Civil Society Dialogue-IV (TR.15-09/010) - ‘’Together - Enhancing Youth and CSOs political Culture and Democratic Participation’’ by Civil Society Dialogue-III (TR.01-01/153) - Your rights, youth rights (IPA/) granted by the European Union Sivil Düşün Programme. GSM works under five main areas; VOLUNTEERING: GSM is an active participant of the International Voluntary Service movement and an implementor of European Solidarity Corps Programs. YOUTH WORKS: Defined as social, cultural, and educational studies that are aimed to create a learning environment designed to enable young people to discover and realize their potential. GSM carries out its all programs, projects, and activities with a pedagogical approach within the framework of the basic principles of Youth Work. And it contributes to the development of youth works with the youth and education programs that GSM organizes. YOUTH POLICIES: National Youth Policy can be summarized as the government's commitment to enhancing the living standards of the young people and making opportunities for them and implementing these commitments. GSM makes efforts to improve civil society dialogues for the development of Youth Policies and takes part in the related platforms. YOUTH INFORMATION: GSM helps young people to learn their problems and needs, and also makes it easier for them to find solutions. GSM tries to reach young people. As many as possible using effective and appropriate ways; creative and innovator strategies, methods, and tools for the needs of different groups; and it serves as a “Youth Information Center.” GLOBAL EDUCATION: GSM-Youth Services Centre is Turkey National Coordinator of the Council of Europe North-South Center, the Global Education Network. Youth Services Centre (GSM) is an experienced youth organization and has been accredited since 2011 for EVS coordinating, hosting and sending organization. Besides the EVS projects, GSM is also very active in capacity building activities for young people and youth NGOs. For the last five years, GSM organized; Seven EVS hosting projects, five YE, three TC. Besides these, GSM is very active in the IPA program and its funding opportunities for big-budget projects on policymaking, active participation, and civil society dialogue. For the coming year, GSM has applied several project applications to Erasmus+ program under KA1 and KA2 and other EU program. We focused; - the active participation of young people in decision-making processes, - intercultural dialogue among young people, - youth policy and youth work development and public sector - civil society cooperation.