Stage 4: Reflecting

Closing out a project involves summarizing what has occurred and acknowledging what remains to be done. It might also include publicly presenting the results of the project to the broader community. 

Some steps to consider:

• Find time to debrief the project with partners. Ask: What worked? What didn’t?  Who was and wasn’t included? What would we do differently next time? 
• Be transparent and realistic with your project partners about what next steps you can commit to, if any. Make arrangements to stay in touch.
• Showing gratitude to those who worked with you—both individually and publicly—is an important part of the closing stage. You might hold a “ceremony” or event to mark the end of the project and share a meal, stories, and photos with your partners and the general public. 

How you tell your story has a real and lasting impact.  Learn more by reviewing an ethical storytelling pledge, here: https://ethicalstorytelling.com/pledge/

Among other things, ethical storytelling means representing community partners and participants in the way they want to be seen. Make sure any people in photos you want to share have provided fully informed consent when the photo was taken, and that the narratives around them are not exploitative.

Don’t skip personal reflection!  Read over your original proposal, planning materials, and activity log. In addition, try asking yourself:

• What skills did I practice in the course of this project? What skills do I want to improve?   
• If I had additional opportunities to contribute to peace, what would I propose? 
• What did you learn about yourself? What did you learn about others?
• Think ahead—what would you include if you were asked to present to your classmates or Projects for Peace applicants? 
• How will this project influence what I do next with my studies and/or career? 
• How might you describe the project on a resume or in a job interview? 

You might also ask your thought partners what they’ve observed about you throughout the project.

The steps for completing a Projects for Peace final reflection should include the following:

• Download the final reflection guidance and expense report template from this website, and review them carefully.
• Confirm the final reflection process with your campus liaison. What are the internal (university/college) processes and deadlines? 
• Draft and revise your narrative. Edit to remove any sensitive content and keep the tenets of ethical storytelling in mind.
• Double-check your expense report for accuracy.
• Select photos and ensure you have full consent to share them.
• Seek feedback from mentors and thought partners. 

Keep in mind that the final report is just two pages, so it won’t capture your full experience: be sure to organize and retain all your notes, photos, and materials.