Kocaeli Science High School

Kocaeli Fen Lisesi is a secondary education institution located in the İzmit district of Kocaeli province, providing education to talented students in the fields of natural sciences and mathematics. The institution operates under the authority of the Ministry of National Education with the status of a science high school.^【1】

The institution was established in 1991 in the village of Tütünçiftlik, under the district of Körfez, under the name "Kocaeli-Körfez Fen Lisesi." In its first year, it admitted 96 students through a pre-registration system. Mustafa Çoban served as the founding principal, Necmettin Demirtaş as deputy principal, and Mehmet Ali Çelik as deputy principal responsible for the boarding facility. In 2009, the school relocated to a new campus in the Alikahya neighborhood of İzmit district and was renamed "Kocaeli-İzmit Körfez Fen Lisesi." In 2013, its name was officially changed to "Kocaeli Fen Lisesi" to reflect its representation of the entire province.^【2】

Kocaeli Fen Lisesi is a public state school under the authority of the Ministry of National Education. The school utilizes a fiber-optic internet infrastructure as part of the Fatih Project. Its vision is to cultivate confident, ethically grounded, entrepreneurial individuals who internalize learning as a behavior and can lead technological advancements. Its mission is to provide an environment conducive to the development of individuals who embrace the Atatürkist thought system and possess modern, democratic leadership qualities.^【3】

School hours run from 09:00 to 16:10. English is taught as the first foreign language. The curriculum includes STEM initiatives, with specialized instruction in robotics programming and software development delivered by expert educators. Additionally, under a cooperation protocol with Kocaeli University (KOÜ), various scientific projects and visits are conducted.

Student admissions are conducted centrally based on the Secondary Education Transition System (LGS) scores. The annual quota is 120 students, distributed across four classes of 30 students each. The school’s minimum admission score is recorded at 478.66 and the maximum at 500.00.^【4】

The campus consists of the main building, boarding facilities, a dining hall, a sports hall, and staff housing. The main building comprises five floors including the basement and ground floor. It houses a 105-seat conference hall, a music workshop, a shared FKB laboratory, physics, chemistry and biology laboratories, an information technology laboratory, a robotics programming and software workshop, a library, and a mathematics room. The campus also includes a sports hall with a seating capacity of 450 and a usable area of 800 square meters, as well as an outdoor basketball court. Additionally, there is a five-story staff housing building with ten apartments on the campus.^【5】

A wide range of sports activities are offered to students, including football, futsal, korfbol, volleyball, basketball, orienteering, chess, billiards, fencing, bowling, and archery. Scientifically, the school organizes science fairs annually in collaboration with TÜBİTAK, and participates in TÜBİTAK Mathematics Olympiad Team activities and the Kangaroo Mathematics Competition. Career days, student workshops, and science festivals are also organized.^【6】

The institution participates in national and international projects such as TÜBİTAK, Teknofest, Erasmus, and e-Twinning. STEM education and robotics projects are prioritized within these initiatives. Additionally, Model United Nations (MUN) events, Global Entrepreneurship programs, and mathematics competitions form part of the school’s international and academic activities.^【7】