The project “Not Just Passing Through” was initiated and implemented by the Lateral Thinking Foundation as part of its long-term strategy of educational activities based on non-formal learning methods, in which experience, reflection, and creative processes play a central role. For years, the organisation has worked with young people and adults, using art as a tool for developing competencies, building relationships, and deepening the understanding of social and cultural realities. This project was a natural continuation of these activities, transferring them into an international and mobility-based context. The main objective of the project was to create conditions for young people to experience Europe in a conscious and in-depth way - not as a tourist destination, but as a complex social, cultural, and historical environment. We assumed that mobility would become an educational tool enabling participants not only to visit new places, but above all to interpret them, understand them, and relate them to their own experiences and identity. An important objective was to strengthen the independence and agency of participants. The project was designed in such a way that young people were not merely recipients of planned activities, but their co-creators. Involving participants in planning the mobility, making organisational decisions, and managing selected aspects of the budget aimed to develop practical competencies such as planning, responsibility, cooperation, and decision-making in real-life situations. Another key area was the development of intercultural competencies and openness to diversity. Through direct contact with different cultures, languages, and ways of functioning in social space, participants had the opportunity to confront their assumptions with reality, fostering attitudes based on empathy, understanding, and respect for diversity. The project also aimed to strengthen participants’ sense of belonging to the European community and to increase their awareness of European values. We assumed that travelling across different countries, engaging with local cultural contexts, and observing how European societies function would help participants better understand the idea of community and their own place within it. A very important element of the project was the development of creative competencies and the ability to reflectively process experiences. The use of artistic tools – such as drawing, photography, visual note-taking, and spatial activities - allowed participants to develop personal and in-depth interpretations of their mobility experiences. Art functioned in the project as a language through which it was possible to capture what is difficult to express directly. The project also supported the development of language skills and communication in an international environment. Through everyday functioning in a foreign-language context, participants had the opportunity to practically use English and overcome communication barriers. Another important aspect was the development of conscious travel practices, including ecological and economic considerations. Participants gained knowledge and experience related to route planning, using public transport, and making responsible and sustainable decisions. The project had a process-based character - its aim was not only to achieve specific, measurable results, but above all to create conditions for an experience that could lead to lasting changes in participants’ ways of thinking and acting. We assumed that the most important outcomes would be long-term and visible in participants’ attitudes, choices, and activities even after the mobility had ended. In summary, the aim of the “Not Just Passing Through” project was to combine mobility, education, and creative practice into a coherent process that enables young people to develop competencies, deepen their awareness, and build a more conscious and responsible relationship with the world.