In the past three years, the Ambitia Institute has been working more intensively in a rural environment, where we collaborate with young people from the areas of Šmarješke Toplice, Škocjan, Otočec, and other surrounding settlements. A number of these young people have become noticeably more active and, within the framework of our institute, are preparing to take on greater responsibility. This is especially true for a group of young people who have participated in several Erasmus+ projects and are either already active as youth leaders or are preparing for this role. Most of these young people were already involved in various workshops and a meeting with local decision-makers back in 2019. Now, after the pandemic, they are eager to become actively engaged in their local communities again. We discussed what they truly need in order to feel heard in their community and to be able to develop their talents and explore their interests together with their peers – especially in an environment that, apart from the local sports and firefighting associations, currently offers them very few opportunities. At the same time, they are aware that they lack a practical understanding of how decision-making works at the local level and that they have no direct contact with decision-makers. With the arrival of our institute in their local environment and through their participation in Erasmus+ international projects, they have become aware of the existence and importance of the youth sector. However, they still have little understanding of how youth centers in larger Slovenian towns function. As youth workers, we encouraged them to also consider what knowledge and opportunities *they* can offer to their community. Within this project, we set the following goals: 1. To carry out two preparatory workshops on the topic of active participation in the local community. One of the workshops was held in person and the other online. 2. To organize a meeting with key local decision-makers, including the mayors of the municipalities of Šmarješke Toplice and Škocjan, the principals of both primary schools, and the director of the local tourism institute. This took place in February 2025. 3. For rural youth to visit the MCC (Youth Center Celje), where they led workshops on active involvement in the local community and non-formal learning, and actively participated in their youth programs. This was carried out in November 2024. 4. For young people from MCC to visit the rural area, where local youth led activities focused on reforestation, trail restoration, well-being, and mental health. This took place in January 2024; however, due to weather conditions and increased interest in social inclusion, we adapted the theme accordingly. 5. To continue meetings and follow-up sessions on the topic of youth participation. Several meetings with young leaders were organized with the aim of helping them understand the principles of youth work.