With the “Listening: enhancing presence and dialogue in youth work” project we aimed to foster the quality of European youth work through enhancing skills and capacities of youth workers to listen effectively, actively and empathically in order to lead constructive conversations, receive and give feedback as well as stay present for the stories, feelings and emotions in daily work with young people. Participants explored the potential of listening to address the challenges of isolation and loneliness young people are facing by creating nurturing conversations, fostering a sense of belonging and strengthening feelings of empathy and connection in young people. The course also provided opportunities to youth workers to develop skills to empower young people to address their own loneliness, identify young people at risk of loneliness, and know resources and activities to both raise awareness of the value of social support and develop the personal abilities of young people to adapt and become more resilient. The skill of listening has been widely researched and its benefits proven. To be listened to and listen to others in a way that encompasses empathy, compassion and holding space for self and another create a foundation of bringing more trust, teamwork, creativity and belonging in young people. When young people do not feel valued, respected or feel like they belong, they are more vulnerable to experiencing isolation, loneliness, destructive behaviors or even joining radical movements. The skill of listening can effectively address the risks of loneliness in young people. Research shows that increased loneliness is linked to increased stress, depression, anxiety or addiction, therefore affects the wellbeing and mental health of youth. That makes a strong link of the project with the European Youth Goal #5: Mental Health and Wellbeing, namely: “to encourage the development of self-awareness and less competitive mindsets by fostering an appreciation for individual skills and strengths.” and “to focus on prevention measures that ensure young people are equipped with the knowledge and the skills required for better mental wellbeing.” “Listening: enhancing presence and dialogue in youth work” was a project exploring how listening is linked to youth work and how can we foster youth participation, decrease the risks of loneliness and co-create a meaningful social change by various listening practices. In more detail, the objectives of the project were: 1.) To support professional development of 24 youth workers by exploring how to use innovative listening-based tools and practices to enhance youth participation, foster dialogue and combat loneliness in young people in Europe 2.) To provide 24 youth workers with knowledge and competencies to support and empower young people by creating listening-based learning environments and improving their communication skills 3.) To increase inspiration and motivation of 24 youth workers to listen and engage in meaningful conversations with young people from all backgrounds and facilitate community-building based on trust, presence and awareness. 4.) To strengthen mutual support networks of organisations and foster quality improvements in European youth work by creating space to develop shared understanding how to bring more trust, support and cooperation in local solidarity work as well as opportunities for further cooperation and peer support.