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Come and join us! Let’s celebrate these two important holidays together.

To celebrate the National Sovereignty and Children’s Day , we planned for music, dance and children’s fun activities

Children are the foundation of our society, investing in our children is investing in our future! The planned activities will foster community and belonging while teaching the children our culture and traditions.

To celebrate 'Ramazan Bayramı' we planned a special lunch featuring Turkish foods catered by local Turkish caterers and restaurants. 

ETAC celebration will be at the Palo Alto Art Center on April 14, 2024 starting at 10:30am!

 
AGENDA
11:00 am Opening Ceremony - Alara & Emre
 
"23 Nisan" Poem by Devin    

Children’s Choir - Sema Oktay  
“23 Nisan Kutlu Olsun!” by Sanem with piano 
“El Ele Verelim” by Zeynep, Eda, Sema Oktay with piano
“Sanki Her Tarafta Var Bir Düğün” by Baha with piano 
“Pırıl Pırıl Mavi Gök” by Choir
“Arkadaşım Eşşek” by Defne D with violin 
“Neler Oluyor Hayatta” solo by Aria

Children’s Theatre - Soner Çakı 
Play called “Renkler Ülkesi”
Arkın, Arya, Aden, Aylin, Armin, Alara, Cemre, Deniz, Defne, Deniz, Lina, Muaz, Nisanur, Poyraz, Tutku
Music by Aydın Bırık & Hatice Çakı

Guitar Performance 
Eren “Herşeyi Yak”  
Demir " Hele Bi Gel" 
Selin "Bana Ellerini Ver"
Kaan “İzmir Marşı”  
 
Closing with Marching band parade 

          12:30 pm Ramazan Bayramı LUNCH at the Sculpture Garden   

Fun Art Projects with merhabakids: Painting Plates, Making Bracelets 
Creating family & friends memories: Photo Booth  
Face Painting 
Kids Games 

Limited space available, please register now!

Registration is required.

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Sema Oktay -  Children's Choir

ETAC Children's Choir was founded by Sema Oktay in 2021. Among the most important elements that bind every society together are music, choirs, and children.

The choir unites American-Turkish children and the parents who bring them to work every day with excitement. It consists of 30 kids between the ages of 5-11 who meet twice a week for lessons. Every year, they perform at national and social events.

Sema Oktay’s career as a music teacher spans 35 years. She taught music in private schools in North Carolina, California, USA & Istanbul, Turkey. Besides coaching children's choirs, she played violin and piano in various orchestras and groups.

 

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Soner Çakı - Children's Theatre

He was born in Muğla in 1983.  He completed his undergraduate education at Muğla University, Department of Sociology, and his master's degree at the same university with his thesis titled "Changing States of Art and Street Theater in the Age of Consumption". He is one of the founding actors of Muğla Duvar Sahnesi (MDS) and Ankara Yol Atölye.

He took part in many plays with MDS and Yol Atölye, participated in dramaturgy studies, took part in children's plays, storytelling, short films and documentaries, and worked as an instructor and director. His stories, poems and essays have been published in various magazines.

 

MerhabaKids

 

merhabakids

Living abroad and want your child to learn Turkish? We are happy to support you on your journey!

At merhabakids, we understand that learning a new language can be challenging, but we believe that it should also be enjoyable. That's why we have created a program that allows children to expand their vocabulary and improve their Turkish language skills through age-appropriate topics and engaging activities such as drawing, storytelling, and singing. By learning Turkish, children will feel comfortable in any Turkish-speaking environment and will see the beauty of the language.

So why wait? Join us at merhabakids and give your child the gift of language today!

We invite your child to a free trial lesson! Just contact us at contact@merhabakids.org.

 

 

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Alara Ekin Tezisci - MC

With a strong foundation built at the American Collegiate Institute Izmir, she then went on to graduate from the Sabanci University's Industrial Engineering program.  Their professional journey has included five years of experience as a project manager, tackling challenges at both Vodafone and Mercedes Benz.  While new to the Bay Area, she has already found a sense of belonging and are eager to connect with this dynamic community.


Our Beloved Sponsors

Platinum

Murat Karslıoğlu

Berna Kara

Seval & Serdar Aksu  

Gold

Akünal & Barcelo Team

Ceren & Gökhan / Nara Tile

Silver

Atiye Bayman

Esin & İsmail Haritaoğlu 

Tuğba & And Özbay

Kutay Üstüner

 

Friends of ETAC

Vicdan Baştopçu

 

We're so grateful for your generous support! Your donation helps us strengthen our community and continue our important work.

Thank you!


ETAC is building for the future by raising funds for these essential efforts:

  • Children’s Club – The Global Story Hour and activities, Library for all ages and other programs’ expansion & maintenance.
  • ETAC – Resource & Referral Hotline 1(925)999 INFO – [1(925)999-4636] Manning & maintenance.
  • TAPD (Turkish American Professionals Directory) – Outreach expansion.