When we started working on the project “The Power of #TOGETHER – Young People and European Youth Villages,” each one of us on the project team brought with us a little piece of lived or witnessed motivation. Some of us grew up in villages, learning to organize without many resources. Others had already gone through the excitement of applying for the European Youth Village title in past years, or had walked alongside young people in that journey – as mentors or trainers. What brought us together was a strong belief: that rural young people need – and more importantly, deserve – to be supported in changing their communities. Not from a place of being seen as victims or “special cases,” but as equal partners in dialogue and decision-making. The European Youth Village program has shown us, over the years, what it means for a community to truly listen to its young people. But it also made us more aware of the barriers that still exist in rural areas of Romania. We’ve seen villages transformed by youth involvement, mayors starting to ask questions, and small community projects making big waves. But we’ve also seen places where young people don’t even know they have a voice. Where there’s no youth space at all – not even a spot to hang out with people your age. Where the first steps are the hardest, because there’s no guidance or support. In many villages, young people are asking “What can I do?” – but too often, no one gives them an answer. That’s why “The Power of #TOGETHER – Young People and European Youth Villages” was created – as a collective response to those very questions. We wanted to bring together everything we had learned from the European Youth Village program and build a clear, practical, and empathetic framework to support new generations of rural youth – to mobilize, grow, speak out, and create in villages, where most of the time, you have to start from scratch. We designed the project as a strategic, but deeply human intervention – meant to help those young people who want to get involved but don’t know where to begin. Beyond tools and activities, this project was a statement of trust: in young people, in local teams that can change villages, in the process of learning and building a youth ecosystem in places that have often been left behind. And most importantly, it was a reaffirmation of a shared belief: that “together” is more than a slogan. It’s a way of doing things – with patience, with support, and with purpose. We also wanted this project to help expand the impact of the European Youth Village program to new communities – villages where the idea of a “youth ecosystem” might still feel abstract, but where there are young people ready to make a difference. At the same time, we felt it was the right moment for the Alumni Network (RE-SET) to take on a more active role in the program’s governance – supporting new generations and helping shape its strategic direction. Through this project, “The Power of #TOGETHER – Young People and European Youth Villages,” we set out to achieve a few key goals: Strengthen the Alumni Network of the European Youth Villages (#RESET) and equip 20 young alumni with facilitation, mentoring, and promotion skills, so they can become ambassadors for the program and play a key role in the selection of new Youth Villages. Support 40 young people from at least 10 rural communities to grow their civic initiative, motivation, and skills to identify the challenges youth face in their villages and develop strategic action plans under the umbrella of the European Youth Village program. Encourage the active participation of 30 young people from the finalist communes for the European Youth Village 2025 title, equipping them with the tools they need to help build local youth ecosystems during the competition process. Create opportunities for learning and dialogue with local authorities for at least 100 rural youth from 6 communities, helping them shape a long-term vision for their villages. These goals gave us direction and purpose. Every time we achieved one of them, it meant something real: a young person better prepared to take an active role in their community, a local team more united, a more open and honest relationship between young people and authorities, or a rural community starting to see youth participation as something normal – not exceptional. And for us, the project team, that gave real meaning to every single activity we carried out.