The Health and Education Foundation (SEV) was incorporated in 1968 by graduates of the İzmir, Tarsus and Üsküdar American High Schools. Established with the aim of serving the developing Turkey foreseen by Atatürk, the Foundation’s goal is to sustain the superior quality of education offered by its institutions.

Trustees and Members of the Board work on a voluntary basis at SEV, which is managed jointly by a Board of Trustees consisting mostly of graduates of the SEV American Schools, and a Board of Directors elected by the Board of Trustees. Other duties in the Foundation are performed by a professional team working within a framework of roles and responsibilities.

The SEV Elementary Schools were founded by SEV in 1997, in order to expand its services in education based on its expertise in the field, following the enactment of the law regarding eight-year mandatory elementary education.