Evaluation of Volunteer Practices of Student Mentors in Supporting Orphans and Children without Parental Care Using the Photovoice Method

The article presents a procedure for assessing the volunteer practices of student mentors based on the participatory approach. The focus of the students’ practices is on supporting orphans and children without parental care through mentoring. In the project, students developed and conducted events for orphans, a specialized thematic shift, and a regional festival involving delegations from 8 regional institutions. The article analyzes the concepts of social practice, theoretical approaches to project assessment, and provides an overview of the Photovoice method. The novelty of the study lies in evaluating the impact of volunteer practices of student mentors on their professional and personal development. The assessment was carried out using the Photovoice method. The use of this method allowed the researchers to obtain high-quality information presented in the form of photographic images and cases containing students’ evaluative judgments. The results of the study can be used to motivate students by revealing how volunteer practices influence the formation of professional and social competencies, as well as the personal development of students.

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