What we appreciated, what we learned, and what we’re wondering as we plan what’s next

As we close out our Fall 2025 Action Hour cycle, we want to share a reflection on what this season gave us — and what it’s asking of us next.

At Scientists in Solidarity, we practice something called an After Action Review. It’s a simple but powerful habit used in organizing, movement-building, and democratic practice: we pause to ask what we appreciated, what we learned, and what we’re wondering about changing or strengthening next time.

We do this because learning is a form of power. Movements that can reflect, adapt, and evolve together are better equipped to meet shifting political realities and build toward long-term goals. These debriefs aren’t about perfection — they’re about building our strategic capacity together.

Here’s what emerged from our fall cycle.

💛 What We Appreciated

Across the cycle, one theme came through again and again: people appreciated how we build community in our spaces.

Participants named how meaningful it was to get involved with support — to find a community grounded in trust, partnership, and shared purpose. Folks show up to SIS spaces because they know what they’ll find: care, clarity, and a place to act together.

We appreciated:

• The hope people felt simply by finding each other

• The power of shared interest stories, hearing why others are here and what they care about

• Breakout rooms that created space for connection and mutual recognition

• The way Action Hours are becoming more leader-full, with new facilitators stepping into big roles

• Moments where long-time organizers could step back and watch others lead

We also want to name something clearly: the care and consistency of the container matters. People repeatedly appreciated the structured script, the clarity of the agenda, and the welcoming facilitation that makes it possible to take risks together. Continuity — even amid shifting political and personal circumstances — is something we’re proud of.

And we’re grateful for the mentors, partners, and movement elders who walk alongside us, reminding us we’re not doing this alone.

🎓 What We Learned

This cycle taught us a lot — both practically and politically.

We learned how much unseen labor goes into selecting, polishing, and preparing actions. We learned that the relational work isn’t secondary to the action — it is the action. Community-building is our core strategy for building long-term power.

We also named some deeper truths:

• What we’re doing together is practicing democracy

• We don’t need to downplay who we are — people come to SIS because we’re radical, values-forward, and clear that the status quo isn’t good enough

• Distributed leadership is a strength we’re actively growing

• Letting go of perfectionism makes room for more people to participate and lead

On a nuts-and-bolts level, we learned how much the top-of-the-hour structure shapes the entire experience — and how important script writing and action selection are as collective skills.

🤔 What We’re Wondering — and Longing For — Next

Alongside appreciation and learning, there’s a lot of productive longing pointing us forward.

We’re wondering:

• How can we strengthen recruitment so more people find their way into these spaces — including science-adjacent folks and science supporters who may not identify as scientists?

• What would it look like to collaborate more intentionally with other worker and community groups — librarians, museum workers, federal workers, housing organizers, and more?

• How might we better connect participants’ identities and interests as scientists to specific actions, so the buy-in runs deeper?

We’re also sitting with bigger strategic questions:

• If Action Hours are the welcome and orientation, what are we welcoming people into next?

• How do we close loops more deliberately — planning ahead and following up so people can see the arc of their participation?

• What would it take to build stronger returner pathways, local action circles, and leadership teams that share the load?

There’s a clear hunger for:

• More consistent recruitment

• More leaders at the table

• Better tracking and goal-setting

• Trainings that help people go deeper together

We see these longings as signs of a growing movement deciding what it’s becoming.

🔬 Why We Do After Action Reviews

We’ll end where we started: learning is how movements build power.

Organizations and movements with high strategic capacity don’t just react — they reflect, adapt, and move with intention. Psychological safety matters, yes. But so do concrete learning practices and leadership that invites reflection rather than rushing past it.

Our After Action Reviews are one way we practice that muscle together.

As we head into 2026, we’ll be using what we learned this fall to shape:

• New trainings

• Clearer pathways for deeper involvement

• Stronger coalitions

• And more ways to act together — locally and collectively

Thank you for being part of this cycle. Thank you for practicing democracy with us. And thank you for helping build a science-society relationship that works for EVERYONE.

We’re taking a break, and we’ll see you in 2026.

With gratitude,
Nic & the Scientists in Solidarity team