Project vision – to help youth workers acquire new skills and build self-confidence, expand the variety of methods they use, and promote international cooperation. This project focuses primarily on practical learning through improvisation, experiential activities, and the use of digital tools to enhance participants’ ability to act in uncertainty, expand their comfort zones, and maintain mental flexibility when accepting differing opinions. We hope that, during the project, participants will not only improve the quality of their work with youth but will also return and engage in active knowledge sharing with colleagues and local communities. The goals of the project are: - To expand the competencies and skills of youth workers in working with young people by using innovative combinations of methods such as improvisational theater, experiential learning, reflection, and the integration of digital badges. Practical training will help participants not only better understand the needs of young people but also offer new, inspiring ways of working. - To strengthen the self-confidence of youth workers. Through improvisation techniques, participants will learn to work in conditions of uncertainty, quickly adapt, and make decisions while staying true to their core values. - To promote the use of digital badges as a tool for non-formal education and recognition of competencies. Participants will be introduced to the “City of Learning” platform and encouraged to implement this innovation in their organizations, applying it in youth work to enhance its quality. Relevance of the project for youth work: - Strengthening the creativity of youth workers: encouraging authentic self-expression, courage, and the ability to create and adapt original ideas. In youth work, situations often arise where it is necessary not only to present information creatively but also to respond to the ideas, suggestions, or spontaneous questions of young people. Creativity allows youth workers to design engaging activities that interest young people of various ages and needs, while also boosting their self-expression. - Enhancing the ability to act in uncertainty. Youth workers often face situations where planned decisions fail, or plans need to be quickly adjusted during the course of an activity. The ability to respond spontaneously while maintaining a values-based approach helps not only to solve emerging problems but also to create a safe environment for youth. - Developing critical thinking. Critical thinking is one of the most important skills in today's world. For youth workers, it helps promote questioning among young people, analyzing social phenomena, and forming their own opinions. This is especially important in developing conscious, active citizens. Additionally, critical thinking skills can help youth workers make the right decisions, base their actions on logic, remain impartial, and maintain emotional resilience during critical situations. - Expanding the variety of non-formal education methods: sharing experiences and seeking innovative ways of working with youth. Using various methods helps attract different young people and adapt to their needs. The search for new methods and the exchange of ideas enables the creation of inclusive activities that strengthen youth motivation to learn and grow. - Creating opportunities for international cooperation: the project will help establish long-term connections between youth organizations in different countries and encourage the sharing of knowledge, ideas, and best practices. International cooperation broadens the perspective of youth workers, offering opportunities to gain new experiences and share innovative solutions. Young people also have the opportunity to participate in intercultural activities, which helps develop their social and cultural skills. - Introducing the concept of digital badges and experimenting with the technology live. Digital badges offer the chance to recognize and document young people's achievements gained through non-formal means. This tool motivates young people to learn, allows them to showcase their acquired competencies, and creates further opportunities for their development. Based on the experience of the Vilnius Antakalnis Youth Center, volunteers using digital badges at the center claim that it is one of the reasons why they effectively accept and carry out tasks and offer ideas for their events.