The “Political Literacy: Back to the Basics” project was born out of the need to strengthen political awareness, active citizenship, and democratic participation among young Europeans and professionals working in the youth sector. The aim was to create a space for learning, reflection, and capacity-building around democratic values, human rights, and participation mechanisms, within a European context increasingly marked by disinformation, political apathy, and distrust in institutions. Following non-formal education methodologies and intercultural exchange, we sought to respond to a current and cross-cutting challenge: bringing young people closer to politics and citizenship by equipping them with the skills, tools, and motivation to engage critically, knowledgeably, and responsibly in public life. Throughout the activities, we promoted political literacy as an essential instrument for social inclusion and civic empowerment: on the one hand, we sought to enable young people, particularly those with fewer opportunities, to better understand political processes and the impact their decisions can have on their communities; and, on the other, to support youth workers in developing new approaches, methodologies, and educational practices capable of making political topics accessible and appealing. Thus, the project had a dual dimension: formative and transformative. Our main goal was to enhance participants’ political and civic awareness by strengthening critical thinking, autonomy, responsibility, and social commitment. In addition, we aimed to foster transnational cooperation and interculturality, valuing dialogue, empathy, and mutual understanding among young people and professionals from different countries, and to promote the core European values of equality, freedom, democracy, solidarity, and respect for human rights, seen as central pillars of educational action. The structure of the initiative revolved around two main and complementary activities: the youth exchange “Youth in Action: Decoding Politics” and the training course for youth professionals “Youth Empowerment through Political Literacy.” During the youth exchange, young people from different countries were invited to reflect on the role of information, communication, and the media in shaping public opinion, to debate current political and social challenges and issues, and to explore creative forms of civic expression and participation. In turn, during the training course for youth workers and educators, participants explored and acquired practical skills on how to address political literacy with youth groups through non-formal methodologies, group dynamics, simulations, and debates. The sharing of good practices was encouraged, as well as the creation of transnational cooperation networks among partners and professionals. Through these activities, we aimed to strengthen and contribute to the European Youth Goals, namely “Connecting EU with Youth,” “Equality of All Genders,” “Information & Constructive Dialogue,” and “Space and Participation for All,” as they helped create the conditions for young people to recognise themselves as active participants in a common European project, confident in their ability to positively influence the collective future. This initiative, more than a mere sequence of activities, represented a continuous and collaborative learning process in which participants developed key competences from European reference frameworks, such as Youthpass, particularly media literacy, civic competence, critical thinking, cultural awareness, and the ability to cooperate in multicultural contexts. It promoted a transversal approach to inclusion, diversity, and sustainability, ensuring the balanced participation of all, regardless of their different profiles, genders, and socio-economic backgrounds. Ultimately, “Political Literacy: Back to the Basics” contributed to building a more participatory, inclusive, and democratic Europe, where every young person recognises themselves as an active and informed citizen. By empowering youth workers and engaging young people in meaningful experiences of dialogue and cooperation, the project reinforced Palavras Infinitas’ commitment to promoting diversity, equity, and social cohesion, leaving as its legacy a stronger network of people and organisations dedicated to transforming political participation into a tool for inclusion, development, and collective transformation.