Since its beginnings, the Idrija Youth Centre has been committed to providing activities and a supportive environment that allows young people to be co-creators of the learning process and active shapers of their own lives. By ensuring the participation of young people, we create an environment in which they take responsibility for their own future and for the future of society. With the project "Let's co-operate and co-create," we aimed to build upon our established practices of ensuring youth participation and extend these opportunities further among the youth in the Municipality of Idrija—particularly by increasing the chances for decision-making among (unorganized) young people in rural local communities. A few years ago, we participated in preparing the Youth Strategy of the Municipality of Idrija 2022-2026, where, through consultations with young people, youth organizations, and decision-makers, we recognized the need for greater youth involvement in decision-making processes, both at the local level and beyond. Young people, especially those in rural areas, expressed that they feel excluded from decision-making processes on matters that directly affect them, are poorly informed about participation opportunities, and are unfamiliar with the functioning of local self-government, feeling unheard by local decision-makers. Through this project, we primarily aimed to inform young people about participation and the opportunities for participating, provide them with the chance to actually make decisions (at the local level) in addition to learning about participation, and raise their awareness of the rights, duties, and opportunities that are key to achieving autonomy and active participation in society, both locally and nationally. Through the experience of active engagement, we sought to bring democracy and the functioning of current political systems closer to young people, enabling them to acquire the skills necessary for democracy to function. Through various participatory activities (meetings with young people, meeting with the mayor, participatory budgeting, etc.), we gave young people the opportunity to identify and express their needs, ensuring these needs are heard and addressed through dialogue with decision-makers in the local environment. Based on the identified needs of young people (being heard, recognized, and gaining experience for personal development), we aimed to provide young people with a space where they can realize their ideas, gain experience in non-formal learning, take responsibility, and consciously develop personal skills, acquire employability competencies, and become aware of their impact on democratic processes. Additionally, they strengthen personal, social, civic, and digital competencies, which are also important for becoming active European citizens. Besides empowering young people, the project also empowered youth workers, who, through mentoring young people and cooperating with the local community, gained valuable contacts, knowledge, and experience in implementing participatory activities. By continuously involving young people in designing the Youth Center's program, we improved its quality and ensured its sustainability, as it better responds to the needs of young people. In doing so, we aimed to contribute to better recognition of the potential of the Youth Center as a place where young people can gain experience in taking responsibility and actively participating. The goals of the project were: - To give young people the opportunity to experience participation in democratic processes within the local community. - To engage at least 10 active young people who, based on their own ideas, will contribute to shaping the Youth Center's program and recognize their knowledge and learning goals. - To provide a broader group (50 young people) with the experience of participation within the context of the Youth Center and the local community. - To organize 9 events and activities for young people, through which they will actively participate. - To implement at least 3 small projects annually, organized by young people with the support of the Youth Center, based on the needs identified by the young people themselves. - To improve the level of youth participation, based on their current level of participation as assessed by them. - To enhance the responsiveness of local decision-makers by organizing a meeting between young people and them. - To strengthen the role of the Youth Center as a place where young people can turn to realize their initiatives. - To raise awareness among young people about EU values. - To strengthen young people's personal, professional, social, and digital competencies. - To increase the independence, initiative, and connectedness of young people with each other.