A guide to reflection and learning throughout your solidarity project

Dear solidarity project learner aka “the inspiring changemaker" :),

Welcome to your solidarity project learning reflection path!

You probably know this by now, but taking part in a solidarity project is a powerful experience. You contribute to creating change in your community, work with others for a shared cause, and discover what solidarity truly means in practice. Many important moments happen almost daily: small decisions, teamwork successes, and challenges that help you grow. Reflection helps you pause and make sense of these moments - to see how your actions and emotions connect to your learning, your values, and the impact you’re creating together.

In the European Solidarity Corps, learning happens through experience, action and cooperation. There are no exams, tests or grades. Instead, (regular) reflection helps you notice how you are learning by doing: how your ideas develop, how you cooperate with others, what motivates and keeps you going, and what changes you are part of. It’s not an evaluation; it is an invitation to be aware, to give meaning to your experience, and to see yourself as an active and engaged citizen.

This guide supports you throughout your solidarity project journey. In each phase, you will find questions and creative methods to help you explore what you are learning and feeling. Reflection can happen in many ways: writing, drawing, voice notes, photography, storytelling, group conversations. Whatever form you choose, the goal is the same: to make your learning visible and meaningful.

We encourage you to keep one notebook or learning folder (on your phone or computer) for your reflections. This could be a journal, a collection of drawings, a digital diary, a collection of voice or video recordings, or even a shared group blog. Over time, it will become a record of your personal and collective growth, showing how your sense of solidarity, teamwork, and citizenship has evolved.

As you move through your project, your needs will change. Some days you may want structure, other days creativity; sometimes you may need to process emotions, and other times you may want to understand your contribution or your role in the community. This guide offers different pathways so you can choose what supports you best in each moment. It follows the natural stages of a solidarity project , helping you recognise not only what you achieved, but also what you learned and who you became through the process.

You can use the following steps to decide what fits best at any given moment.

The 'before', 'during' and 'after' icons show you when is the best time to use this method. For example, if you are looking for methods to support you during preparation, you can use the methods marked with 'before'.

The 'ongoing' icon tells you that this method can be used throughout the project, and also multiple times during your project.

These three icons show you if the method is suitable to be used on your own, with a peer or in a bigger group.

If you see this icon next to a method, it means the method needs to be facilitated, perhaps by a mentor or a coordinator.

These six icons show you what you might need for a method: such as colours, pen and paper, a camera to take photos or other digital tools, music or being in the nature.

And finally, this icon shows you how much time you might need for a certain method.