The ChangeMakers’ Arena – Play Your Part project aimed to strengthen youth participation and European cooperation between municipalities by creating innovative spaces for dialogue, co-creation and active citizenship. Built upon the principles of the Erasmus+ Youth programme, the project placed young people at the centre of public action, using non-formal education, creativity, and digital tools to turn their ideas into concrete policy proposals. Coordinated by the Municipality of Paredes and implemented in partnership with the Municipality of Mealhada (Portugal) and the Ajuntament de Pedreguer (Spain), the project tested and scaled up a new model of Youth Participation Arenas. These dynamic spaces combined learning, discussion, and civic experimentation, encouraging young people to express their opinions, debate relevant topics, and co-create solutions for their communities. Throughout 15 months of implementation, the project organised 10 thematic Arenas across the three partner municipalities and two transnational events. The activities addressed issues such as European citizenship, inclusion, digital innovation, sustainability, mental health, equality, and participatory democracy. Using non-formal methods like storytelling, design thinking, creative challenges and debate games, the Arenas became laboratories of youth participation, enabling 737 young people (including 6 with fewer opportunities) to gain skills in communication, leadership, teamwork, and civic engagement. The project pursued the following main objectives: Promote active and structured youth participation, strengthening young people’s ability to influence local and European decision-making. Encourage constructive dialogue between young people and decision-makers, fostering shared responsibility and civic trust. Recognise non-formal education as a key tool for learning, inclusion and empowerment. Foster inter-municipal and European cooperation, creating a replicable model for local youth participation policies. Generate long-term policy impact, ensuring that the ideas produced during the project became concrete measures at local level. A major evolution during implementation was the transformation of the Global Exchange Arena into a transnational mobility to Madrid, involving young people from the three municipalities. This decision, taken jointly by the consortium, maintained the original goals of intercultural dialogue and European citizenship, while significantly increasing the project’s impact and providing participants with first-hand experiences of European cooperation and youth work practices. The project concluded with the European Citizenship Arena in Brussels, where young participants presented their proposals to European-level decision-makers, reinforcing the project’s visibility and European dimension. One of the most remarkable outcomes was the development and official approval of the Municipal Youth Strategy 2025–2030 – “Uma Ideia Jovem para Paredes” (A Young Idea for Paredes), directly inspired by the project’s results. This document, approved by both the Municipal Council and the Municipal Assembly, became the first municipal youth plan in Portugal entirely co-created with young people, proving the structural and sustainable legacy of the project. Ultimately, ChangeMakers’ Arena went far beyond a set of activities: it became a living example of how youth participation can shape real policies, empower communities, and bring Europe closer to its young citizens.