"<< Background >>We applied for this project because we need to take a step further and grow as organizations and youth workers, enrich ourselves with new experiences and methodologies, and expand our reach and cooperation at the European level.This project addressed various needs such as:- Low participation of young people in the local communities of each partner.-The need for new ways of working among the partners.-Lack of suitable tools to motivate young people to participate in activities and engage in the local community and at the EU level.-Lack of common methodologies that international partners can use for joint planning of youth mobilities.-Lack of spaces that attract young people.- Lack of awareness of the most relevant means to connect with young people.-Young people not understanding the benefits of youth projects, non-formal education (ENF), and tools like Youthpass, missing out on opportunities for their development.- Many young people who are not familiar with, understand, and trust the Erasmus+ program, especially in rural communities like ours.- Lack of young multipliers collaborating with entities and involving other young people, who do not respond to participation proposals.<< Objectives >>The main objective of the project was to empower young workers and associated organizations to promote active citizenship and participation among young people at the local, national, and European levels. Specifically, what we wanted to achieve was:- Create new tools and methodologies to empower workers and youth organizations and improve the quality and impact of our work with young people.- Involve, connect, and empower more youth, promote their active participation in the local community, in non-formal education activities, and subsequently in youth mobility projects in the EU.- Raise awareness about the possibilities and benefits of Erasmus+ Youth and motivate young people to take more initiative for their personal, social, and professional development.-Initiate local activities and participatory processes that would lead to mobilities in the EU in the future, where young people would be involved in all stages from idea creation and project planning to monitoring, with continuous support from youth workers.<< Implementation >>A1: Preparation Phase and Online Kick-Off Meetings (April-May 2022).A2: Research and Diagnostic Phase leading to Seminar 1 (June-October 2022):- Investigation of methods and tools for working with young people.- Diagnosis of the needs of young people.- Creation of groups of young multipliers.A3: Seminar 1 in Nea Moudania, Greece (November 3-7, 2022): Sharing the research results and exchanging ideas and best practices.A4: Testing Phase (November 2022-April 2023): Testing methods to engage young people in quality participation and non-formal education activities.A5: Seminar 2 in Brasov, Romania (April 20-24, 2023): Sharing the results of the testing phase, drawing conclusions, selecting the best practices for the guide.A6: Creation of the toolkit (May-Sept. 2023): Final editing, translation into national languages, and design for print and online distribution.A7: International Multiplication Event Online (September 20-21, 2023): Dissemination of the ""MAP for Youth Toolkit"" and new contacts for future projects.A8: Follow-up and Evaluation Phase, including the Transnational Final Evaluation Meeting (Ciudad Real, Spain, September 25-26, 2023).<< Results >>The main results we achieved were:- Creation of the “MAP for Youth Toolkit”: A guide with tools and methods for workers and youth entities from different countries to work together to promote youth participation and non-formal learning among young people in their local communities and in Europe. - Improved cooperation and quality of youth work in partner entities through this guide that helps us collaborate toward common goals not only at the European level but starting from local work with young people, adopting new approaches and perspectives in our work.- More opportunities for youth to engage in quality non-formal education activities, not just as participants in European mobility but also by participating in the planning and co-management of these mobilities alongside youth workers.- Increased number of engaged and empowered young people through participation in local and European non-formal education activities, where youth developed their sense of initiative and social commitment. - Increased awareness and confidence in Erasmus+ opportunities among rural youth, who lack sufficient information and examples in the local community."