The primary motivation for implementing the project "Core values in youth work: building skills for empowerment and inclusion" was to directly counteract the systemic educational gaps, high rates of early school leaving, and the persistent risk of social exclusion affecting millions of young Europeans. Through localized need-assessment research conducted across our consortium, we identified a critical operational gap: our network’s youth workers and volunteers frequently lacked the specialized competences and modern methodologies required to engage increasingly diverse and vulnerable youth populations—specifically ethnic minorities, refugees, displaced youth, NEET individuals, and marginalized rural youth. Traditional educational and youth-engagement models were no longer sufficient. Therefore, we set out to execute a targeted training framework designed to enhance the quality of youth work and align it directly with the 8th European Youth Goal: Quality Learning. Overarching Project Aim The overall aim of the project was to enhance the skills, knowledge, and professional attitudes of 40 youth workers from a 10-country consortium (Romania, Georgia, Ukraine, the Netherlands, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Italy, Greece, and Azerbaijan). By equipping them with innovative non-formal education (NFE) methodologies, the project sought to improve their institutional capacity to design, facilitate, and replicate highly inclusive learning experiences that foster teamwork, cultural empathy, and personal empowerment among young people with fewer opportunities. Specific Project Objectives To realize this overarching aim, the project pursued four core, interconnected objectives: Deepening Comprehension of Non-Formal Education Frameworks: To ensure participants mastered the practical implementation of NFE principles. This involved introducing them to creative reflection methodologies (such as structured journaling, mind mapping, and drawing tools) alongside modern digital platforms (including Padlet, Miro, and the Youthpass framework) to modernize their daily youth work practices. Upgrading Activity Design and Facilitation Competences: To build the professional capacity of youth workers to confidently plan, execute, and evaluate goal-oriented educational workflows. The focus was on mastering strategic planning metrics (such as SMART objectives), managing complex group dynamics, ensuring psychological safety, and facilitating meaningful reflection cycles. Fostering Intercultural Dialogue and Sensitivity: To integrate high levels of cultural awareness directly into regional youth services. The project aimed to provide youth workers with structured tools to address cultural and linguistic barriers, safely navigate diverse perspectives, and design cross-border or local activities that promote active tolerance and mutual respect. Empowering Target Groups with Fewer Opportunities: To provide concrete, adaptable strategies tailored to the unique socio-economic realities of marginalized youth. The goal was to train youth workers to build safe, accessible, and motivating community environments that prevent early school leaving and foster the critical transversal skills (such as financial literacy, teamwork, and communication) necessary for social inclusion and future employability.