The European Students’ Union (ESU) is the umbrella organisation of 44 National Unions of Students (NUS) from 40 countries. The aim of ESU is to represent and promote the educational, social, economic and cultural interests of students at the European level towards all relevant bodies and in particular the European Union, Bologna Follow Up Group, Council of Europe and UNESCO. Through its members, ESU represents almost 20 million students in Europe. Established in 1982, ESU has witnessed many internal and external changes through the years while continuously developing itself to what it is right now: a professional advocacy and capacity building organisation that is influential and recognised as an important stakeholder at the European and international level.
Two of ESU’s key goals are to “promote equal opportunities for ALL students” and “facilitate widened participation in higher education, particularly for students from marginalized groups and those lacking representation.” These principles lie at the heart of ESU’s decision to engage in this project. Driven by its mission to advance student rights, ensure quality education, and advocate for a more inclusive, accessible, and equitable higher education system across Europe, ESU recognizes the critical need for students to actively shape their learning experiences. Active engagement ensures that students have a meaningful voice in both their educational environment and the policies that influence them.
Arno Schrooyen, Vice-President
Arno is currently serving as the Vice President of the European Students’ Union (ESU) for the 2024/25 term. Prior to joining the ESU’s Executive Committee in 2023/24, he studied a bachelor’s degree in hotel management in Brussels and is now doing a master degree in administrative science. He started his student journey back in 2019 on the local level. Later joined the national union of French speaking students of Belgium. Last year he joined the European level, entering the executive committee of ESU focusing on work related to Social dimension, public responsibility, internationalisation and mobility.
Jeanne Cuny, Project Officer
Jeanne is coordinating projects related to student engagement, inclusion and diversity in Higher Education, the European Student Card and the Bologna Process. She is a young professional who previously worked in the European Commission (DG EAC). She has experience in European Higher Education Policies and Projects from both institutional and beneficiary sides. She holds a master’s degree in European and International Studies from the Institut d’Etudes Européennes of Paris 8 as well as a master’s degree in European Interdisciplinary Studies from the College of Europe.
Katariina Järve, Member Executive Committee
Katariina is 23 years old and she is coming from Estonia. Currently she is a master’s student studying International Relations and Region Studies. She has done her bachelor’s in Communications, Journalism and Economics. Before joining the Executive Committee of ESU she was the president of the Federation of Estonian Student Unions (EÜL) for 2 years and working in the student movement since elementary school. She is passionate about academic freedom, quality of education and social dimension of higher education.
Helena Saadeh, Communication Manager
Helena is handling the external communication which consists of the organization’s social media platforms and website. She is responsible for the SEO techniques and publishing/categorizing of the content. Helena creates and edits the graphics and videos for the campaigns and writes the scripts for interviews and podcasts. Concerning the internal communication, Helena is responsible for the flow of information regarding the communication within ESU, and the drafting of the internal and external newsletters. She is also responsible for training future interns and disseminating the projects and campaigns to the public.
To ensure that service-learning projects have a positive and lasting impact on all stakeholders: the community, the higher education institution, and the student, they should be evaluated regularly and thoughtfully. Ongoing evaluation helps identify what’s working well, what can be improved, and how the experience is contributing to shared goals. To support this process, we’ve provided a selection of tools and frameworks to help you plan and conduct evaluations. Please note that even though some resources refer to e-Service-Learning, they are also applicable in the face-to-face context
DESCRIPTION OF THE RESOURCE: Introduction and guidelines for the evaluation of Service-Learning community impact
DESCRIPTION OF THE RESOURCE: A Service-Learning impact measurement tool
DESCRIPTION OF THE RESOURCE: A Service-Learning projects quality assessment tool
Service-learning projects should be designed to respond to the real needs of the community. To ensure their relevance and impact, higher education institutions must actively collaborate with community partners, such as NGOs, local organisations and institutions that are directly engaged with the community’s most pressing challenges. Building and sustaining these partnerships requires mutual trust, clear communication, and shared goals. To support you in establishing collaborations with community partners, co-designing projects, and implementing them effectively, here is a a useful resource (please note that even though it refers to e-Service-Learning, it is also applicable in the face-to-face context).
DESCRIPTION OF THE RESOURCE: Manual for community partners involved or planning to be involved in the e-Service-Learning. However, this manual is also applicable in a traditional face-to-face setting.
More resources can be found in our Resource Library.
Capacity building is the first step to supporting the effective implementation of service-learning across the higher education institution. When teaching staff are equipped with the right knowledge, tools, and pedagogical strategies, they are better prepared to design relevant service-learning experiences and guide students through the process. Here is a helpful handbook (please note that even though it refers to e-Service-Learning, it is also applicable in the face-to-face context).
DESCRIPTION OF THE RESOURCE: A train-the-traniner set of guidelines for introducing e-Service-Learning. However, these guidelines are also applicable in a traditional face-to-face setting.
More resources can be found in our Resource Library.
Institutionalising service-learning is essential for its successful and sustainable implementation, moving beyond isolated efforts driven solely by individual enthusiasm. When support is provided at the institutional level, it becomes much easier to embed service-learning systematically into the curricula. However, this process must also take into account some contextual factors, such as the characteristics of the national higher education system and existing institutional policies and frameworks. To help you navigate these complexities, here are guidelines that can support institutional adoption and long-term implementation.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RESOURCE: Guidelines for institutionalisation of service-learning based on research
More resources can be found in our Resource Library.
Assessment is a key element of service-learning, particularly because, according to the EASLHE definition, the learning achieved through this methodology must be formally recognised through ECTS credits. However, this stage can be particularly sensitive, as traditional assessment methods often do not fully capture students’ learning in a service-learning context. To support you in developing fair assessment strategies, here is a set of tools and examples to help you plan and implement appropriate assessment methods.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RESOURCE: Guidelines for trainers and universities for adopting the methodology and tools
More resources can be found in our Resource Library.
Reflection is a crucial component of the service-learning process, as it enables students to connect their community service experiences with the learning outcomes of the course. Reflection can take many forms: written, oral, creative, or digital, depending on the goals of the service-learning project, the way it has been integrated into the curriculum and your students’ needs. To support the design of meaningful reflection activities, here is a useful template that can help structure this important part of the Service-Learning experience.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RESOURCE: A Service-Learning project reflection template
More tools and templates can be found in our Resource Library.
Once everything is planned and the service-learning elements are integrated into your curriculum, students should be thoroughly informed about each step of the process and the expectations they are expected to meet. After addressing any questions or concerns, it’s time for the community partners to take an active role in the implementation. At this stage, clear and consistent communication is essential, along with careful documentation of the students’ activities, progress, and contributions. To find inspiration check out the projects and practices showcased by the European Association for Service Learning in Higher Education (EASLHE):
DESCRIPTION OF THE RESOURCES: An overview of EASLHE’s (European Association for Service Learning in Higher Education) projects, with a map-based visualisation tool.
More resources, such as such as journalling tool is available to help students regularly reflect on their experiences and learning while the community service is in progress can be found in our Resource Library.
If you want to implement the service-learning methodology in your teaching practice, it’s important to consider your institutional context, the learning outcomes outlined in your curriculum, your students’ aspirations, and the needs of your community. To support you in this process, here is a useful resource that will help you understand the basic principles of service-learning, identify key stakeholders, and design meaningful, impactful experiences for both students and the community.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RESOURCE: A guide for embedding Service-Learning elements into the curriculum and recommendations for higher education institutions
More resources, such as such as guidelines, handbooks, and templates can be found in our Resource Library
