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Turkey, Istanbul
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Clubs are offered during the day and after school to help students realize their full potential. Primary Clubs are offered for one period each week; Secondary Clubs are offered for two periods per week for Grades 8 to 12, and four periods per week for Grades 6 and 7. Examples of clubs include Math Olympiad, Model United Nations (MUN), Code Monkey, TechQuickie, World Cinema, and Chess. These activities foster collaboration, problem solving, and opportunities to compete, connect with peers, and apply academic interests beyond the classroom.
Arts and creative clubs are available for students to express themselves and collaborate on projects. Examples include Ballet, Ceramics, Sculpture, Guitar/Piano, Violin, Modern Turkish Dance, Movie Making, and Film Club. Sewing and Crochet are also offered, alongside additional visual arts and performance opportunities. Primary Clubs run one period per week; Secondary Clubs run two periods per week for Grades 8–12, and four periods per week for Grades 6–7.
World Cinema and Manga/Anime provide cross-cultural exposure and language awareness. Modern Turkish Dance celebrates Turkish culture through movement. These clubs are part of the MEF IS student life program.
Social and hobby clubs encourage peer interaction and personal interests beyond academics. Examples include Lego, Movie Making, Film Club, Chess, Board Games, Sewing, Crochet, Flow Yoga, Running/Fitness, and World Cinema. Primary Clubs run one period per week and Secondary Clubs run two periods per week for Grades 8–12, and four periods per week for Grades 6–7. These offerings are subject to change and availability.
MEF IS has an established record of service learning projects. Students participate in service activities including tree planting at the MEF IS Forest, volunteering at a local dog sanctuary, and helping at a retirement home, along with charity work and fundraisers. Dedicated community service is expected of every high school student, and the IB Diploma Programme CAS requirement covers creativity, activity, and service. The CAS framework aims to develop skills, collaboration, and ethical awareness while engaging with global issues.
The MEF IS Student Council is a decision-making body that promotes collaboration and action and initiatives that raise awareness of local and global issues. The Primary School Student Council includes Grades 2–5 representatives elected by the student body and is led by the school counselor. The Secondary School Council comprises officers from both the Middle and High School, including a Middle School President and a High School President and Vice President, with roles such as secretary and treasurer. Officers meet weekly and representatives meet monthly to plan activities, including a Talent Show, a School Dance, Spirit Days, and cross-grade events.
MEF IS emphasizes physical and mental well-being through a broad athletics program. In the Secondary school, offerings include football, basketball, volleyball, swimming, cross country, and table tennis. Sports seasons run Fall: Football and Table Tennis; Winter: Basketball; Spring: Volleyball; Year-round: Swimming and Cross Country. The school is a member of local leagues with other international schools, providing opportunities for games and tournaments in Istanbul and Ankara.
MEF International School Istanbul provides education for ages 3 to 18, offering IB Primary Years Programme, IB Diploma Programme, and Cambridge Secondary with IGCSE. The nine-acre campus is in Ortaköy, shared with MEF National School. The Early Childhood Center serves Preschool to Kindergarten separately; the Primary School occupies the lower floors and the Secondary School the upper floors. Facilities include a Whole School library, a dedicated reading library, fully wired computer labs and science laboratories, MEF Tech with a makerspace, iMac Lab, Lego Robotics, Greenbox Studio, plus wireless infrastructure and smartboards. Sports facilities comprise two outdoor pitches, a tennis court, a 25m heated pool with stadium seating, an indoor gym, a dance studio and playgrounds. The program features a broad co-curricular offering, including Math Olympiad, MUN and Code Monkey; Arts studios and music spaces; service-learning and a Student Council. IB DP includes CAS, EE and TOK as core components today.
