Within the scope of the Erasmus+ Youth accreditation, the Associação Social Recreativa Juventude de Vila Fonche/Juventude implemented, in the first year of its strategic plan, two central activities: the Partnership Building Activity - PBA Juventude Vila Fonche and the Training Course “STEP IN - Supporting Training for Empowerment, Participation and Inclusion”. These initiatives represented a fundamental step in the implementation of the accreditation strategy, whose core purpose is to empower young people with fewer opportunities, particularly those from rural and marginalised areas, as well as to strengthen the capacity of organisations and youth workers who work directly with these groups. The PBA Juventude Vila Fonche took place from 13 to 18 March 2025 and aimed to consolidate and expand a network of strategic partnerships, bringing together organisations with similar experiences and challenges, but also organisations with little experience in international projects, particularly under the Erasmus+ Programme, giving them the opportunity to acquire and expand knowledge in this field. Participants were mainly youth workers and representatives of partner organisations, many of them with extensive experience in European projects, which enriched the exchange of practices and the construction of new collaborations. The main goal was to create sustainable partnerships for future Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps initiatives, with a focus on developing high-quality projects that promote inclusion and active participation of young people. The activity included moments of experience mapping, exchange of good practices, collaborative project design, and reflection on the role of young people as protagonists in decision-making processes and community development. The Training Course “STEP IN - Supporting Training for Empowerment, Participation and Inclusion”, held from 18 to 25 June 2025, focused on building the capacity of youth workers, volunteers, and partner organisations by offering practical tools, innovative methodologies, and opportunities for collaborative learning. Here too, participants were mainly people working directly with and for young people, particularly in rural and marginalised contexts. The course addressed the challenges of youth inclusion in rural contexts, explored the potential of the Erasmus+ Programme as a strategic resource for participation and community empowerment, and promoted the development of key competences of youth workers, following the ETS Competence Model for Youth Workers, such as the use of high-quality non-formal education methods, working with diversity, and fostering young people’s active participation. In addition, it reinforced the importance of intercultural learning, allowing participants to understand different European contexts and transfer good practices into their local realities. Across both activities, the first year of the accreditation sought to: - Strengthen organisations and youth workers to support young people with fewer opportunities at the local level by providing tools, support networks, and effective methodologies. - Promote inclusion and equal opportunities, ensuring that young people from rural areas have access to mobility, participation, and non-formal learning experiences. - Reinforce international partnerships that sustain the continuity and quality of Erasmus+ and ESC projects. The immediate impact of these activities was reflected in the strengthening of the international cooperation network of Associação Juventude de Vila Fonche, the increased motivation of youth workers to apply non-formal education methodologies in their daily work, and the active involvement of partners in defining future joint projects. In the medium term, these learnings are expected to result in greater participation of young people with fewer opportunities in local and international initiatives, as well as in the development of local action plans that contribute to more inclusive and participatory communities. Thus, the first year of the accreditation enabled Associação Juventude de Vila Fonche to lay the foundations of a solid international cooperation network, while promoting the capacity building of youth workers and reinforcing the visibility of young people as agents of change. These results directly address the needs identified in the accreditation application and align with the strategic objectives of the Erasmus+ Youth Programme and the EU Youth Strategy, contributing to the engagement, connection, and empowerment of young people and organisations in local, national, and European contexts.