29th International Solidarity Service-Learning Conference

In the context of the Conference, on Friday, the Solidarity Youth Meeting was held, which brought together high school and university students from Buenos Aires and Córdoba, as well as from Poland, Uganda and Germany.
During the meeting, they reflected and exchanged about the experiences they carry out in their communities and elaborated a document whose conclusions were read at the end of the Conference.
You can read the conclusions here:

PRELIMINARY WORK – SOLIDARITY YOUTH MEETING.

28th International Solidarity Service-Learning Conference

TRANSFORMING REALITIES together.

“Sharing Experiences to Serve a More Participatory, Fraternal and Supportive Culture”

Message from young people to educators – August 2025

We, as young representatives from various state and private educational institutions, have come together at this Solidarity Youth Meeting, as part of this Solidarity Service-Learning Conference, to make our voices heard by this audience and all educators.

We would like to share our reflections on a previous activity we conducted and the agreements we reached this afternoon. Based on our experience participating in service-learning projects and as students within the education system, we will share some considerations regarding the relationship between service-learning, student leadership, and solidarity in our school life.

Given the situation in many of our schools, where learning activities are not always linked to reality and our participation is often limited by a lack of institutional opportunities to get involved and express ourselves, we aim to explore new ways of learning and participating.

We believe that the institutions and other spaces are places where we can learn and participate, and that we must be agents of our own learning and growth. As young people, it is inspiring to participate in solidarity-based projects, which teach us to be good citizens and colleagues and to work as a team. Perhaps with better organization and more active listening to class delegates and representatives, larger projects could be carried out involving active learning and student participation.

When we know what we learn is useful to others, it’s easier to get actively involved. As students, we believe that whenever we have the opportunity, we can engage in projects with genuine commitment.

Dear educators, today we would like to ask you to help us repeat service initiatives, like the ones many of us have done at some point, working together with other social or local organizations and applying our knowledge to reality, thereby establishing this way of learning.

In light of all this, we ask our teachers, school authorities, and the educational communities we belong to:

• That you actively listen to our ideas and support concrete proposals that integrate learning with solidarity-based activities;
• That you provide more opportunities for practical activities, such as access to laboratories, research spaces;
• That you ensure solidarity-based and service activities are directly connected to different subjects and learning areas;
• That better communication and frequent meetings between the school authorities and student representatives be promoted;
• That we be able to participate in setting the rules of coexistence.

In turn, we, the young people present, commit ourselves to:

• Generate real and sustainable change, seeking viable and practical solutions and alternatives;
• Assume the role of active listening and participation in those projects proposed to us, especially in decision-making processes;
• Get involved in our education, asking questions, thinking about ideas, and working together to learn;
• Make an effort to learn how to help and listen to others to the best of our ability;
• Encourage other classmates to join in, actively participate in coordinating initiatives, and propose new ideas. The more we are, the more we can achieve;
• Continue to research and participate in solidarity-based initiatives, both at school and beyond its walls. Also, discuss the issues and different realities in various spheres to sustain this service-learning path.

Buenos Aires, 23rd August 2025.

Students who read:

Benjamin Alicino – Macnab Bernal

Julieta Abal y Morena Peyrou- Pellegrini

Alma Ostorero – IP Virgen Niña

Felicitas Bidart – Santo Tomas de Aquino

Amarantha Castro – San José de la Palabra de Dios