This resource is designed to help mentors and students engage deeply with their civic activities, whether as volunteers, activists, or community collaborators. By reflecting thoughtfully on various stages of engagement (before, during, and after), advisers may guide students toward meaningful, transformative experiences that also foster critical self-awareness. These questions will encourage introspection, deepen learning, and help students connect their academic and personal goals with their civic values and broader societal change.

Pre-Engagement Reflection: Identifying Interests, Motivations, and Boundaries

1.     What do you want to learn about the communities you’re engaging with?
Where could you explore this knowledge? Who might you want to meet or learn from?

2.     Which issues spark your passion?
What challenges or causes energize you most?

3.     What is your ideal time commitment to civic engagement?
Would you prefer to volunteer regularly (e.g., weekly, weekends) or on an as-needed basis?

4.     Where have you felt the greatest sense of belonging?
What factors contributed to this feeling, and how might this influence your approach to community involvement?

5.     Which aspect of civic activity resonates most with you?
a. Making an immediate, tangible difference (direct service)?
b. Advocating for change (activism/solidarity)?
c. Seeking to understand the systemic causes of issues (systems thinking/issue mapping)?
d. A combination of these?

6.     When do you feel most energized?
What activities or environments fuel your enthusiasm, and how might these be applied to your volunteer work?

7.     What communities or identity groups do you belong to?
How might these identities shape your civic engagement?

8.     How do your identities influence the type of civic work you are drawn to?
Consider how your experiences, privileges, and challenges affect your perspective and goals.

9.     What power dynamics exist in your chosen issue area?
How might these dynamics influence your role or approach to making a difference?

10. What role suits you best, given your identities, talents, and time constraints?
Do you see yourself as a leader, a team member, or someone focusing on personal habit changes related to the issue?

11. How will you navigate transportation and logistics?
Consider how you will get to your site and what transportation options are available.

Before You Begin: Setting Expectations, Communication, and Understanding Your Role

1.     How will you prioritize your commitments?
What criteria will you use to decide where to devote your time and energy?

2.     How will you communicate if unexpected changes arise?
What strategies will help you manage potential schedule conflicts or adjust your commitments with partners?

3.     What do you imagine your community partner(s) to be like?
Consider your assumptions—how might they be challenged or validated through your interactions?

4.     What personal biases or perceptions might you need to check?
Reflect on any preconceived ideas you have about your community partner and how these might affect your work together.

5.     Why are you needed in this space?
What value can you bring to your community engagement, and what unique perspective or skill set do you offer?

6.     What fears or anxieties do you have about community work?
What concerns might arise, and how can you address them before starting?

7.     What boundaries do you need to establish?
Consider your comfort with sharing personal information (e.g., phone number, personal history), and set clear boundaries to maintain professional and personal safety.

8.     What do you hope to gain from this experience?
What skills, knowledge, or personal growth do you expect to achieve?

9.     What would “making a difference” look like in your context?
What outcomes or changes are you hoping for, both for yourself and for your community?

10.How will you define success?
a. For yourself?
b. For your partner organization or community?

During Engagement: Reflecting on Progress, Challenges, and Learning

1.     Who have you met this week, and what did you learn about them?
What connections have you made, and how do these relationships shape your understanding of the community?

2.     What did you observe about the community, the issue, or the people you’re working with?
What insights have emerged as you engage more deeply?

3.     What new knowledge have you gained about your community or the issues you care about?
How have your assumptions or expectations shifted?

4.     What have you learned about yourself during this experience?
What strengths or challenges have you discovered in your approach to civic engagement?

5.     What made you feel comfortable or uncomfortable?
What factors contributed to these feelings, and what can you do to work through them?

6.     Did you feel like an outsider at your site?
What was the experience of being an “outsider” versus an “insider”? How might this shape your role in the future?

7.     What surprised you about your experience or the community?
What unexpected lessons or moments have stood out to you?

8.     What strengths (yours or others’) did you capitalize on this week?
How did you or others contribute to the success of your activities?

9.     What do you still need to learn, and how will you do so?
Identify gaps in your knowledge or skills, and consider ways to continue growing.

10.How did you care for yourself?
What steps did you take to ensure you maintain well-being during this experience?

11.Are you motivated to return next week?
What factors will influence your ongoing engagement, and what strategies can you use to maintain motivation?

12.What are the resources being used in your community work, and what is missing?
Reflect on what’s available to you and what may need to be sourced externally.

13.What new questions or insights have emerged for you this week?
How have your reflections helped you approach the issue differently?

14.What new skills have you gained, and how do they align with your goals?
Think about any technical, interpersonal, or academic skills you’re developing through this work.

15.How does what you’re learning relate to your long-term aspirations?
How might this experience connect with your personal, academic, or professional goals?

16.Have any of your initial perceptions or biases been challenged or affirmed?
Reflect on how your views have evolved and what this means for your ongoing engagement.

17.Have you experienced burnout or discouragement? How have you coped?
What strategies have worked for you, and who might you reach out to for support?

18.What other people or groups are addressing this issue, and how do their efforts align with yours?
Identify overlaps or differences in approach with others working on similar problems.

19.What trends are you noticing related to your issue?
What patterns or shifts are you observing, and what is being done to address them?

20.How do policies or structures affect the issue you’re working on?
Consider how systemic factors influence the issue and how you might advocate for change.

21.What values underpin the policies that shape the issue you’re addressing?
What values drive these structures, and how might you work to shift them?

22.What additional resources might you need to succeed in your work?
Identify gaps or opportunities for resource-sharing that could enhance your impact.

23.Have you formed any mentor relationships that are guiding your experience?
What insights or advice have you received from mentors, and how has this shaped your work?

Post-Engagement Reflection: Evaluating Impact, Learning, and Future Directions

1.     How has your perception of the community or the issue changed?
What insights or perspectives have evolved during your time of engagement?

2.     What have you discovered about the community you worked with?
What did you learn that you didn’t expect?

3.     What have you learned about your own values? Have they shifted?
Consider how your personal values have been influenced by your engagement.

4.     What challenges did you face, and why?
Reflect on the most difficult aspects of the experience and how you might address them moving forward.

5.     Was your engagement personally sustainable?
Was the time and energy you committed manageable, and how can you adjust your future approach?

6.     Describe a meaningful relationship you built during this experience.
What impact has this relationship had on your personal or professional growth?

7.     What is the most important lesson you’ve learned, and how might it influence your future work?
What key takeaway from this experience will stay with you?

8.     Did you learn a new skill or clarify an interest during this work?
Consider what tangible skills or realizations have emerged.

9.     What follow-up is needed to address any ongoing challenges or goals?
How might you continue to engage or improve after your initial commitment ends?

10.If you had a “do over,” what would you do differently?
Reflect on any changes you would make in your approach.

11.Describe a person who made a lasting impression on you, positive or negative.
Who shaped your experience, and how has that relationship impacted you?

12.Because of this experience, I know more about…
Complete the sentence with a key insight or discovery.

13.Because of this experience, I can…
Reflect on new skills or capabilities you’ve gained.

14.Because of this experience, I will…
How has this experience shaped your future actions or commitments?

15.Because of this experience, I am…
How has your identity or worldview shifted through your engagement?

These questions aim to help student advisers and mentors facilitate deep, intentional reflections with students. By integrating them into your classroom discussions, assignments, or community engagement projects, you can support students in developing a more nuanced understanding of their role in civic life.