Gulenist competitions
Page created January 25, 2011 last updated June 8, 2013
by C.A.S.I.L.I.P.S. - Citizens Against Special Interest Lobbying in Public Schools CASILIPS on Twitter, Slideshare
A primary Gulenist strategy is to create competitions which are either exclusively or in large part attended by students from their own schools. Since most people are unaware that the schools and the competitions are run by the same international network, the awards help generate very positive publicity for the schools. Also, local educational institutions, foundations and government agencies can often be recruited into funding or otherwise sponsoring these competitions, providing further subsidies for the Gulen Movement. These local sponsors generally take the competitions at face value, assuming they have a worthwhile educational purpose for the entire community, while remaining oblivious to the underlying agenda. Students from Gulen schools around the world may have part or all of their travel expenses paid by these competitions, enhancing the attraction and prestige of these schools. (This list is not comprehensive; further additions will be made.)
United States
Amity Turkish Cultural Center Annual Art and Essay Contest
Jacksonville, Florida
http://www.atccenter.org/contest/2010/index.shtml
Apple Educational Services, Inc. Middle School Math Contest
New Jersey
http://www.appleeducation.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=69&Itemid=72
Dove Science Academy Annual 5th Grade Math Contest
Oklahoma
http://www.dsaokc.org/database/math_files/schedule.pdf
GENIUS Olympiad (Global Environmental Issues US)
Oswego, New York
http://geniusolympiad.org/
(More information on bias of this competition towards Gulen schools here.)
Istanbul Center Art and Essay Contest
Atlanta, Georgia
http://submission.artessay.org
(This competition appears to fulfill a somewhat different goal; most winners recently have not been from Gulen schools. The winners go on Gulenist Turkey trips; the contest may perform the function of recruiting individuals for these trips.)
ISWEEEP (International Sustainable World Energy Engineering Environment Project Olympiad)
Houston, Texas
http://isweeep.org
Organizer: Cosmos Foundation
Note competitions of same name in Turkey, Mongolia
(More information on bias of this competition towards Gulen schools here.)
MathMatters (Accord Institute)
Southwest United States
http://mathmatters.accordeducation.org/
Math Stars Competition for 4th and 5th graders
Sweetwater Branch Academy (FL), Triad Math and Science Academy (NC)
Mid-West Turkish Language Olympiad
Location: Illinois
No official website identified yet; referred to at these websites: http://www.tascweb.org/en/2012-midwest-turkish-language-olympiad/ and http://www.cmsaonline.net/turkish-language-olympiad-competition/
Milwaukee Regional Art Fair
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MilwaukeeRegionalArtFair
Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Operator: Wisconsin Career Academy
Milwaukee Regional Science and Engineering Fair (now defunct)
Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
http://www.mrsef.org (domain registration lapsed)
Operator: Wisconsin Career Academy
Southeast Turkish Olympiad
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
www.seturkisholympiad.org/
Turkish Olympiad (Southwest US)
Location: Texas
http://www.turkisholympiad.com/
Turkish Olympiad (for northeast US)
Location: New York
http://turkishcontest.com
Turkish Language and Performing Arts Contest (western US)
Location: California
Organizer: Turkish Language Institute
http://www.turkishlanguage.us/index.php/turkish-contest
Turkish Olympiad (mid-Atlantic region, US)
Location: Washington, D.C.
Organizers: ATFA (American Turkish Friendship Association), MAFTAA (Mid-Atlantic Federation of Turkic American Assocations)
http://turkisholympiad.us
Turkish Olympiads Canada
http://turkceolimpiyatlari.ca/
Outside United States
BOSEPO - Bosna-Sema Project Olympiad
Location: Bosnia-Herzegovina
http://www.bosepo.org
Burc Science and Engineering Fair
http://www.busef.org
E-BIKO International ICT Olympiad
Egitimde Bilisim Kulturu Olimpiyati
Location: Turkey
http://www.ebiko.org
DISTCO - Digital Storytelling Contest
http://www.distco.org/
DOESEF
Organizer: İzmir Özel Fatih Koleji (Izmir Private Fatih COllege)
Location: Izmir, Turkey
http://www.doesef.org
Dreamline (Düş Çizgisi)
Location: Turkey
http://www.duscizgisi.com
E-DREAM - Ulusal Bilgisayar Proje Olimpiyatı
National Computer Project Olympiad
http://www.e-dreamfatih.com/
Golden Climate Environmental Project Olympiad
Organizer: Kenya Light Academy
Location: Kenya
http://www.goldenclimate.com
Gulen Institute Youth Platform
http://gulenyouthplatform.org/
Horizon Maths Competition
Location: South Africa
http://www.hmc.org.za/
IMATO - Ilkogretimler Matematik-Turkce Olimpiyat
Primary School Mathematics-Turkish Olympiad
http://www.fatihkoleji.com/imato.asp?imato=genel
INEPO (International Environmental Project Olympiad)
Location: Turkey
http://www.inepo.com/
INESPO (International Environmental Scientific Project Olympiad)
Location: Netherlands
http://www.inespo.org
(More information on bias of this competition towards Gulen schools here.)
INFOMATRIX
Location: Romania
http://www.infomatrix.ro
INPO - Iraq National Project Olympiad
Organizer: Fezalar Educational Institutions
Location: Erbil, Iraq
http://www.fezalar.org/page.php?sid=8&id=35
International Turkish Olympiads
Location: Turkey
http://www.turkceolimpiyatlari.org
ISMO - Inter School Math(ematic) Olympiad
Location: Pakistan
http://www.ismo.pk
Organized by Pakturk schools / International Cag Educational Foundation
ISO - International Science Olympiad
Location: Nigeria (possibly other countries)
http://www.interso.net
Organized/sponsored by Nigerian Turkish Nile University, Nigerian Turkish International Colleges, Nizamiye Hospital, Surat Education Limited, etc
ISPO - Indonesia Project Science Olimpiad
Location: Indonesia
http://www.ispo.or.id
Organized by PASIAD
ISWEEEP Hong Kong
http://www.hkisweeep.org
Run by HKITEA - Hong Kong Innovative Technology and Education Association
ISWEEEP Mongolia
http://www.isweeep.mn
Run by Empathy Yurtants Co., which runs Gulen schools in Mongolia
ISWEEEP Turkey
http://isweeep.dogakoleji.com
Run by Doga Koleji, a group of Gulen schools inTurkey
IYIPO
International Young Inventors Project Olympiad
http://www.iyipo.ge
Organized by Caglar Education
Meridian Mathematics Competition (MMC)
Organizer: Meridian International Schools, Poland
http://mh.meridian.edu.pl/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=74:mmc-2012&Itemid=196&lang=en
PASIAD National Mathematics Competition
Indonesia
http://pribadibandungnews.wordpress.com/2010/02/20/final-round-of-pasiad-national-mathematics-competition-2010/
TASPO
Tajikistan Science Project Olympiads
Location: Tajikistan (in 2011, held at Dushanbe Economy High School, a Gulen school)
http://taspo.tj
USUBO - Fatih Universitesi Liselerarasi Ulusal Sosyal Bilimler Olimpiyati
(Fatih University High School National Social Sciences Olympics)
http://www.usubo.org
also USOBO http://www.usobo.org
YUNEPO - International Yunus Emre Love and Peace Call Project Olympics
Took place in 2008, 2009 but seems to be currently inactive.
Organizers: Eskisehir Samanyolu Educational Institution, Eskisehir National Education Management, Yunus Emre Culture, Art, Love and Peace Call Association
_________
The effectiveness of these competitions in enhancing the reputation of Gulen schools is evidenced by statements that appear in press articles and writings about the schools. For example, an April 2, 2011 article in the Maryland Gazette about Chesapeake Science Point (a Gulen charter school) stated that "its students have won honors in national and international math and science competitions," referring in part to a student who won a medal at INESPO in the Netherlands. Similarly, Prof. Helen Rose Ebaugh, in her book on the Gulen Movement, noted that "many high school students in Gulen-run schools were winning national and international science competitions" in a paragraph about the reputation of these schools in Turkey; Ebaugh made no mention of the fact that the competitions themselves were usually Gulenist.
The competitions also help Gulenists win favor with government officials as they seek to establish more schools. At a December 8, 2008 meeting of California's Advisory Commission on Charter Schools, Joseph Hurmali of Magnolia Public Schools spoke in favor of the petition for a statewide benefit charter allowing Magnolia to found 10 new Pacific Technology Schools without local school board authorization. Hurmali noted that "The schools' students have earned recognition in academic competitions countywide, statewide, nationally, and even internationally." It is highly unlikely that the Commission was aware of the background behind the "international" competitions. The charter was granted, and two of the schools are already operating.
When communicating with parents, Gulen school administrators depict Gulenist competitions as highly competitive. A brochure from the Nile Academy, a Gulen school in Toronto, Canada, advertises the school's awards by stating that "Genius Olympiad is very tough! From over 647 submitted projects, only 195 projects were accepted, but through later revisions in scientific research quality, the review board reduced that number down to 142! The chances of acceptance are very hard (about 30% or in 1 in 3 projects)!" Did GENIUS' selection process truly limit its criteria to "scientific research quality"? In 2011, the only winner from Canada at the GENIUS competition was a student from Nile Academy who happened to have a Turkish name. This same student was also the only finalist chosen from Canada for ISWEEEP in 2011. It stretches credulity to assert that this is coincidence, especially considering that multiple projects from Central Asia, the Balkans and Africa were awarded at both GENIUS and ISWEEEP. (By way of comparison, non-Gulenist competitions such as ISEF have far more projects from Canada than from these regions, as would be expected given that the overall level of science education is much higher in Canada.) Yet parents at the Nile Academy and other Gulen schools are likely deceived by such brochures and other Gulenist PR.