The main goal of this project was to address the needs of youth workers & youth by equipping them with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to create educational activities based on cultural heritage. We aimed to support youth workers & youth in developing future competencies, particularly those connected with creativity and innovation. By adopting an inclusive approach, using innovative methods, tools, and technologies, the project was to provide opportunities for active, participatory engagement with cultural heritage. International collaboration aimed to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and experiences, helping to identify and share effective practices. The 3-step process—creating for, with, and by youth—was to ensure that all activities were youth-centered, promoting involvement and co-creation. The project aimed to achieve both soft outcomes, such as enhanced competencies and skills, and a hard outcome: CoolTourRoadMap & Backpack supporting development of future competencies. The project also aimed to strengthen and develop cultural heritage as an educational tool, making it more accessible and relevant; to increase the quality, innovation and recognition of youth work, and to encourage international cooperation
The idea to apply for this project arose from the need to explore new and engaging ways to connect young people with cultural heritage, as traditional approaches have not always resonated with them. Discussions with international partners, interviews with youth workers, and research confirmed that this challenge extended beyond local communities. Key issues identified included: a need to equip youth with future competencies through meaningful activities; a lack of creative, inclusive, innovative approaches to engaging young people in cultural heritage; limited opportunities for youth to shape their own cultural activities; insufficient recognition of youth's needs and interests; a general disinterest in cultural heritage, often seen as outdated. The project addressed these needs by empowering youth & youth workers through cultural heritage as an educational tool. An inclusive, creative, and participatory approach made cultural heritage more accessible and visible as a source of development, fostered international collaboration, and bridged tradition with modernity. The "for, with, and by youth" model ensured sustainable engagement, competencies development, and more inclusive, innovative ways of transferring cultural heritage.