We implemented our two youth exchanges. KOLOSIJEK was a youth exchange designed to encourage a spirit of exploration and to celebrate the richness of traditions and customs from different cultures. The goal was to understand cultural diversity and uniqueness on a deeper level than just dance or singing – although we also had the opportunity to experience those as well. We wanted to inspire participants to share their own cultural specificities, anecdotes, legends, rituals, and traditions that have been passed down through generations and have sometimes even saved lives – such as traditional knowledge of healing wounds and treating illnesses, or symbolic markings on the body, like tattoos that are also part of Croatian heritage. We connected with both female and male role models, reflected on the importance of culture for the collective (society), and critically examined which parts of our own culture we still live today – and whether we live them at all. Through interactive workshops, immersive experiences, and digital storytelling, young people had the opportunity to dive deep into the essence of their own heritage while simultaneously discovering the beauty of others. The project was not only about preserving the past; it was about fostering connections, building bridges, and creating a global community united by a shared appreciation of cultural heritage. By engaging in meaningful dialogue, collaborative projects, and hands-on activities, participants gained a deeper understanding of their identity and developed empathy, tolerance, and respect for the diverse world around them. The second implemented youth exchange was PALETTE OF EMOTIONS. Our goal was to improve young people’s mental health and emotional well-being through education, support, and mutual exchange of experiences with peers from other countries. The project aimed to empower young people with tools and knowledge necessary for managing stress, increasing resilience, and recognizing internal and external resources to better cope with the challenges of adolescence. We also promoted healthy ways of expressing emotions through creative methods. All our projects were designed, implemented, and evaluated by our participants, and the purpose of this exchange, which was entirely created and carried out by young people from Estonia, Finland, Czechia, Romania, and Croatia (Osijek-Baranja County), was to raise awareness about the importance of mental health among young people and to encourage open communication about emotional and psychological challenges – something we considered crucial based on the feedback we received from working directly with youth in the field. In May 2025, we carried out our third activity, PDA Explore 2 Escape Lab, as part of the capacity-building activities for partner organizations. This PDA was intended for representatives of organizations working in the field of youth, most of which were accredited under the Erasmus+ Programme and were long-term partners we had already collaborated with. The training brought together youth workers and professionals with the goal of developing practical skills for using escape room methodology as an innovative tool in non-formal education. The focus was on strengthening competences for designing and facilitating escape room activities in both indoor and outdoor settings, as a means to encourage teamwork, creativity, critical thinking, and youth engagement. Through the activities, participants had the opportunity to work on (1) developing educational escape room experiences based on play and challenge, (2) improving facilitation and group dynamics skills, (3) connecting experiential learning methods with topics relevant to the personal and social development of young people, and (4) strengthening cooperation among organizations. Activities were conducted through practical workshops, small group work, experiential learning, and planning the transfer of acquired knowledge to the local context. The program also included dissemination obligations for participants after the completion of the training, with the aim of spreading the results and increasing the project’s impact in local communities and among partner organizations. Based on this experience, we also planned future activities with our long-term partners.