EUSA volunteers, Heloise, Jennifer, Marta, and Emanuele, actively participated in the European Solidarity Corps Camp organized by ZPTM Brežice from November 21 to 23 at the Mladinski center in Brežice.

The camp brought together ESC volunteers from various projects across Slovenia with the key goals of fostering connections and discussing themes like self-compassion, digital competencies, and freedom of speech.

The first day commenced with team-building and icebreaker activities, including a 'speed dating' session where participants shared their thoughts and stories, facilitating mutual understanding and connection. Then the ESC Camp featured a workshop on self-compassion, combining group discussions and guided meditation to delve into the topic. The session concluded with a task: writing a letter to oneself, to be received a year later, aiming for self-reflection and deeper understanding of emotions. The day finished with a discussion on freedom of speech, which was a preparation for recording a podcast during the following days of ESC Camp.

The second day began with a workshop about the digital world we live in and understanding how young people today connect with technology. The participants discussed the use of social media, gaming and the internet and how it has evolved into being such a big part of the lives of the youth of today. The workshop was then paused to allow the camp participants to attend a press conference held at the Mladinski Centre which discussed the youth centers programme, introducing their volunteers and their projects.

In the afternoon, the volunteers met again to discuss freedom of speech and answer the questions relating to their opinion on freedom of speech and their experience in their countries. The volunteers then had the opportunity to record their answers to these questions for the purpose of creating a podcast. Before the end of the day, the volunteers took a walking tour around Brezice to see the local area. 

The final day began with a meeting after breakfast to discuss the camp experience for the participants and debrief their feelings about the workshops. The volunteers then continued their discussion about freedom of speech, this time answering different questions to record for the podcast. The day finished with the volunteers heading to a local pizza restaurant to enjoy spending some time together before heading home. 

This ESC camp provided a chance to make new friendships, learn about other ESC volunteer experiences and delve into important topics. The EUSA volunteers expressed their enjoyment of the experience as a fantastic opportunity to make new friendships, understand other ESC volunteer experiences and acquire fresh skills and insights and they look forward to the rest of their ESC experience.