Joining Mentoring under Construction Community

Last week, the European Wilderness Society, as a proud hosting organisation for European Solidarity Corps (ESC) volunteers, participated in the “Mentoring under Construction – Reflect • Assess • Grow” international community event in St. Pölten, Austria.
This event is hosted by the National Agency Austria (OeAD) and has been planned and coordinated together with the SALTO European Solidarity Corps.

Over several inspiring days, we met other mentors, coordinators and youth work professionals from across Europe to exchange experiences, strengthen mentoring competences, and explore new approaches to supporting ESC volunteers throughout their learning journeys.

The programme offered a rich mix of activities, including:

• Networking and community building
• Reflecting on our own mentoring practice through interactive “Walk & Talk” sessions
• Exploring the Mentoring Competence Framework and assessing mentoring practices
• Learning about reinforced mentorship and inclusive mentoring approaches
• Discovering Austrian best practice examples during a field visit and meetings with ESC organisations and their volunteers
• Sharing good practices and practical mentoring tools in Open Space sessions
• Developing learning and growth plans for future mentoring impact.

A big thank you to the organisers, facilitators, and all participants for the inspiring discussions, valuable exchanges, and new connections. We return with fresh ideas and renewed motivation to continue supporting our ESC volunteers in the best possible way.

The event reinforced the importance of high-quality mentoring in empowering young people, fostering inclusion, and creating meaningful volunteering experiences.

Eager to learn first hand experience from European Wilderness Society´s volunteers? Read our Wilderness Diary blog and dive into the world of international volunteering: Wilderness Diary.