STAGE 5
Q: How am I taking meaningful and sustainable action to
address the issue that I care about?
The REFLECT phase is an essential bridge between learning and meaningful action. In this stage, learners engage in thoughtful self-assessment, peer dialogue, and feedback from community stakeholders to deepen understanding, consider diverse perspectives, and refine their purpose. Reflection helps students connect their knowledge, values, and emotions to the real-world challenges they are addressing—building the self-awareness, empathy, and critical thinking needed for sustained impact. Reflection should happen along each step of the Empathy to Impact process, not just at the end. Informed and meaningful feedback and reflection throughout the process assures that student projects are iterative (responsive + sustainable) and not projects that are static or one-off.
REFLECT steps:
(Step 1) Embed Ongoing Reflective Practices:
Integrate journaling, discussion protocols, and formative self-assessments throughout the unit—not just at the end—to help students track their growth in empathy, skills, and project impact over time.(Step 2) Use Reflection to Reframe or Refocus Purpose:
Encourage students to revisit their initial inquiry questions or intentions based on new insights or challenges encountered. This supports adaptive thinking and ethical decision-making in their path toward impact.(Step 3) Involve Stakeholder and Peer Feedback:
Facilitate structured opportunities for learners to receive and reflect on feedback from peers, teachers, and community members or experts. Use tools like reflection rubrics or video responses to make reflection actionable and visible.