The project was developed to strengthen the professional capacity, collaboration culture and international coherence of YFU staff and volunteers across multiple countries, with the overarching aim of raising the quality of youth work and improving the support systems that accompany long‑term secondary school mobility. YFU operates in a complex international environment where staff and volunteers must navigate diverse cultural contexts, provide high‑quality support to young people and families, and ensure that organisational practices align with international standards. This created a clear need for systematic competence development, cross‑border cooperation and the exchange of reliable, practice‑based knowledge among YFU offices. One of the central objectives of the project was to foster the professional growth of YFU staff by creating an international learning space where participants could openly discuss the challenges they face in their day‑to‑day work. Instead of functioning as a traditional training or seminar, the project aimed to provide a practical, operational platform where staff collaborate, exchange solutions and jointly develop improved approaches. This included learning from partner organisations’ strengths in areas such as volunteer coordination, risk management, communication with host families and schools, and the structuring of student support services. Through this direct peer learning, the project sought to equip participants with tangible tools and methods they could immediately apply in their home organisations. Another key aim was to strengthen the wider YFU community and enhance the sense of belonging across international teams. Because successful youth mobility relies on unified support structures that extend beyond national borders, strong professional relationships are essential. The project aimed to build trust, improve communication and reinforce cooperation between colleagues who handle interconnected tasks on a daily basis. Bringing staff together from many countries served to humanise cross‑border collaboration, strengthen interpersonal ties and ensure smoother cooperation in the future. In addition to staff development, the project also aligned with YFU’s broader mission to encourage active participation in civil society by empowering young people and the volunteers who support them. YFU aims to contribute to young people’s personal, social and professional development, helping them build a strong foundation for growth. Supporting the development of volunteers—particularly volunteer support persons—is therefore essential. The project sought to enhance volunteers’ intercultural competence, confidence in using foreign languages, and awareness of their role in supporting students’ well‑being during their exchange experience. By offering opportunities for reciprocal learning through international mobility, the project helped volunteers deepen their understanding of intercultural learning and strengthen their ability to provide high‑quality support. Because the support network around the student is one of the most important elements of the mobility programme, the project placed strong emphasis on ensuring that volunteer support persons are culturally aware, sensitive and well-prepared. Their participation in international learning activities contributes to a volunteer community that is more professional, more motivated, and more committed to promoting mobility at local, national and international levels. In this way, the project supported the development of key competences such as multilingualism, personal and social development, and learning-to-learn skills—competences essential for both youth work and lifelong learning. A further objective was to promote mutual learning and alignment with international frameworks, particularly the International Basic Standards and Golden Guidelines. By comparing national practices and identifying common ground, the project aimed to strengthen coherence across the network and raise overall programme quality. Each country brought unique insights, and the project created the conditions for these practices to be shared, adapted and anchored in other contexts. Finally, the project sought to increase motivation, reduce feelings of isolation and inspire staff and volunteers by showing that colleagues in other countries face similar challenges. This recognition fosters resilience and encourages open communication about difficult topics. Participants were encouraged to arrive prepared, having reflected on their own work in advance, and to contribute actively throughout the workshop. Small-group work ensured that all participants had space to share, ask for advice and co-create solutions tailored to their real needs. In summary, the project aimed to: * strengthen the professional competences of YFU staff and volunteers; * enhance the quality and coherence of youth mobility support systems; * promote mutual learning aligned with international standards.