Life Zone accreditation overall objectives are to: ENGAGE: Developing Young People's Initiative and Entrepreneurial Skills CONNECT: Erasmus+ Youth Community Building - Raise Quality, Networking, Training EMPOWER: Increase Youth Work Visibility Through Digital and Media Trainings In the first accredited year we have applied to implement 2 projects: 1. Mobility for young people, international youth exchange (YE) "Money Wise" for young people aged 13 to 17 years; 2. Mobility for youth workers, a training course (TC) "Mediathon". The YE is in line with the objective of engaging young people, and developing their initiative and entrepreneurial skills; and the TC with the empowering youth workers by increasing youth work visibility through our media learning programme, but also connecting for raising quality, networking and training. "Money Wise" was an international youth exchange related to a financial literacy among young people 13 - 16 years old from 5 youth organisations in Erasmus+ Programme countries. The main objectives included: 1. Setting financial goals and budgeting basics - Introducing the basics of setting realistic financial goals for short- and long-term objectives. - Engaging in hands-on budgeting exercises to manage hypothetical and real-life incomes and expenses. - Raising awareness about the difference between essential expenses (needs) and optional spending (wants). - Providing tools for monitoring spending and creating simple, practical budgets. 2. Smart spending and saving - Encouraging youth to make smart spending choices by exploring the importance of saving and prioritising needs. - Introducing value of savings and investments for future financial stability. - Introducing fun challenges and games to reinforce concepts of saving, spending wisely, and avoiding unnecessary expenses. 3. Financial awareness and consumer rights - Raising awareness about financial traps and how to avoid them, including the risks of debt and high-interest credit. - Discussing consumer rights and responsibilities in different countries. 4. Healthy financial attitudes and self-control - Promoting the development of healthy attitudes towards money and financial independence now and in the future. - Discussing the psychological aspects of spending and how emotions can influence financial decisions. - Exploring ways to practice self-control in spending to develop conscientious financial habits. The training course "Mediathon" was an international training course for the communication managers, leaders, and other key members of youth NGOs from Erasmus+ Programme countries. The main objectives were: 1. Increasing visibility of youth work: equip youth NGO leaders and communication managers with effective strategies to increase the visibility of their organisations' work and impact. - introduce a working scenario how to develop a sustainable communication, outreach and dissemination plan for their organisations. - introduce digital and AI tools for tracking and enhancing online visibility. 2. Developing media and communication skills: provide participants with practical skills in media relations, content creation, and storytelling to strengthen their communication efforts. - train participants in writing partnership proposals, press releases, content for their channels and managing media relations. - conduct workshops on social media management and effective posting strategies. - enhance skills in visual storytelling, using images and videos to engage audiences. 3. Exploring dissemination techniques through learning about the best practices: introduce a range of dissemination options for project results to maximise reach and engagement. - educate participants on different EU platforms and media channels for sharing project outcomes. - support participants in identifying their target audiences for dissemination. - provide case studies of successful dissemination strategies from other youth NGOs. 4. Fostering collaboration: create a space for like-minded professionals to connect, share best practices, and exchange ideas on media and communication in youth work across Programme countries. - organise group discussions and networking sessions with local, national and international organisations during the training. - establish communication channels for post-course collaboration and support. - facilitate the formation of partnerships for joint visibility and media projects. 5. Sustaining impact through mentorship: establish a mentorship programme to support participants over the following year, ensuring the sustained application of skills and motivation to complete their communication goals. - match each participant with a mentor for personalised guidance and support. - set regular check-ins to assess progress and provide feedback on communication eff