The project respond to a real situation that we were seeing in our daily work with young people. As project manager from the Romanian organisation, and being involved in the preparation and follow-up of both activities together with the host organisation and the team leaders, state the project started from what we were hearing directly from young people and from what we were observing in our communities: many teenagers were feeling more and more disconnected from nature, less motivated to care about environmental issues, and at the same time more affected by stress, insecurity, anxiety, and emotional pressure in their everyday lives. We worked with young people aged 13/14 to 17 because this is a stage in life when attitudes, habits, and self-confidence are still being shaped. We felt that if we could reach them at this moment, we could support their learning and their personal development in a lasting way. In Romania, many of the young people came from rural communities with fewer local opportunities for non-formal education, mobility, and participation. Through our partner in Georgia, we were also in contact with young people who faced different but comparable realities, including social, cultural, and geographical barriers. We believed that bringing together young people from these two environments would help them widen their perspective, compare realities, and understand that environmental responsibility and mental well-being are not isolated issues, but shared concerns across borders. We wanted this project because we felt there was a real need to connect two topics that are often treated separately: environmental sustainability and mental well-being. Our expectation was that, through the two youth exchanges in Băile Felix and Kobuleti, participants would gain practical knowledge, useful skills, and a stronger sense of initiative. We wanted them to understand better the link between a healthy environment and a healthy mind; to learn through workshops, outdoor activities, teamwork, intercultural exchange, and community-based actions; and to return home with more confidence to speak up, organise activities, and promote positive habits in their own communities. We also expected them to improve their communication, teamwork, leadership, and intercultural competences, because the project was designed in a way that required them to cooperate closely with peers from another country and to take active roles during the activities. We also wanted to strengthen the cooperation between our organisations and improve the quality of our youth work. We expected the project to help us create a stronger partnership, improve our coordination as organisers, and build more experience in implementing international activities that are inclusive, meaningful, and relevant to young people’s real needs. In simple words, we wanted Green Minds to be a project that would help young people grow, feel heard, connect with others, and become more aware, more active, and more responsible both towards themselves and towards the world around them. The aim of "Green Minds" was to address the growing "nature deficit" among youth, which affects both environmental consciousness and mental health. We wanted to empower participants to see sustainability not just as a duty, but as a tool for personal well-being. Objectives Increase awareness among youth about the connection between environmental sustainability and mental health. Foster environmental responsibility by engaging participants in hands-on eco-friendly activities such as recycling initiatives, tree planting, and sustainability workshops. Promote mental well-being through activities like mindfulness exercises, nature walks, and group discussions on stress management and mental health support. Develop leadership and teamwork skills by organizing intercultural activities where participants collaborate on sustainability and mental health projects. Create a platform for intercultural dialogue, allowing participants from different backgrounds to share their experiences and learn from each other’s cultural approaches to environmental and mental health issues. Encourage long-term engagement by supporting participants to implement follow-up actions in their home communities, ensuring the project’s impact continues beyond the immediate experience.