Volunteering is about much more than daily tasks and responsibilities - it is also a journey of personal development, learning and self-discovery. 

As part of the European Solidarity Corps (ESC) programme, volunteers have the opportunity to participate in Mid-Term Evaluation (MTE) trainings organised by MOVIT, the Slovenian National Agency for Erasmus+ Youth and the European Solidarity Corps. These trainings provide a dedicated space for volunteers to reflect on the experiences they have gained so far, exchange ideas with fellow ESC participants and look ahead to the remainder of their projects and beyond.

Over the past months, three EUSA ESC volunteers – Aada, Dorina and Milena – each attended a different Mid-Term Evaluation, experiencing three unique formats while sharing the same objective: reflecting on their volunteering journey, celebrating personal growth and preparing for the future.

In April, Aada participated in the Mid-Term Evaluation held in Terme Catez, where volunteers from organisations across Slovenia gathered for four days of workshops, discussions and outdoor activities. The programme began with team-building exercises and a collaborative planning of the agenda, encouraging participants to actively shape the training. Throughout the week, volunteers reflected on the expectations and goals they had set before starting their ESC projects and compared them with their experiences halfway through the programme. 

The programme also explored intercultural communication through interactive activities, including a creative exercise in which groups built clay villages while following different sets of rules without speaking, illustrating the challenges and value of communication across cultures. Participants discussed reverse culture shock, reflected on the competences they had gained through the Youthpass process and exchanged ideas about personal projects they wished to develop during their remaining months of volunteering. The training concluded with sessions dedicated to future opportunities after the ESC, motivation, well-being and staying connected with fellow volunteers, complemented by informal activities such as hiking, cycling, visiting the local thermal pools and spending evenings together.

In June, Dorina attended a smaller Mid-Term Evaluation in Bela Krajina, located on the banks of the Kolpa River, which forms the natural border between Slovenia and Croatia. With only nine Mid-Term participants, alongside a group attending the On-Arrival Training, the programme offered a particularly welcoming and supportive atmosphere where everyone had the opportunity to get to know one another.

The training focused on reflecting on participants' volunteering journeys, sharing experiences and discussing future plans after the completion of their ESC projects. Teamwork was an important part of the programme, demonstrated through a challenge in which participants jointly prepared dinner for all 25 volunteers and trainers. Another memorable activity combined sport, adventure and cooperation, as the group cycled upstream along the Kolpa River before paddling back to the campsite in canoes. Evenings were reserved for informal socialising, playing cards and watching football together, creating a balance between structured reflection and relaxed moments that strengthened friendships among participants.

At the end of June and beginning of July, Milena joined one of the most distinctive Mid-Term Evaluation formats: a Hiking MTE through the picturesque landscapes of southwestern Slovenia. Together with a group of 13 participants, she walked more than 50 kilometres from Kozina to Ankaran, using the journey itself as a tool for reflection and personal development.

Along the route through the Kras and Istria regions, participants visited inspiring community initiatives, including Institut Pastirica, where they learned about projects dedicated to wild horses, nature education and communication, as well as Park Istra, a volunteering centre deeply connected with the local community. The long walks naturally created space for conversations about the challenges and successes of volunteering, future ambitions and personal development, with trainers facilitating discussions throughout the journey. 

The hiking format also highlighted the importance of solidarity in practice. Participants continuously adapted their pace to ensure nobody was left behind, supported one another throughout the route and even stopped to care for small animals they encountered along the way. After reaching Ankaran, the group celebrated the completion of their journey with a refreshing swim in the Adriatic Sea while watching the sunset - an appropriate ending to an unforgettable week of learning, reflection and connection.

Although each Mid-Term Evaluation followed a very different format, they all reflected the same core values of the European Solidarity Corps: learning through experience, solidarity, intercultural dialogue and personal development. Each programme offered volunteers the opportunity to pause, recognise how far they have come, identify the skills they have gained and prepare for the opportunities that lie ahead.

These trainings was supported by the National Agency of the EU Programmes and the Erasmus+: Youth and European Solidarity Corps. We would like to thank MOVIT, the Institute for the development of youth mobility, which coordinates ESC missions within their hosting organizations, for their dedication and the work they put in throughout the whole week to give our three volunteers such a memorable welcome to Slovenia.