What we want to achieve Through Creating Waves we want young people who stutter (YPWS) to experience youth work as a space where they are fully accepted and can grow in confidence, creativity, and intercultural understanding. Many YPWS face daily pressure to “speak fluently,” which can lead to anxiety, discrimination, and isolation—especially during the key life stage of 18–30. By bringing them together in an international Youth Exchange, we create the conditions for learning and personal development that typical formal education or therapy settings rarely provide. Objectives from a youth-work perspective -Build a European peer network. Strengthen a supportive community of YPWS across Europe, reducing isolation and fostering friendships that continue after the exchange. -Provide a safe, inclusive environment. Create a setting where speech differences are fully accepted so participants can communicate freely, explore creativity, and take initiative without fear of judgement. -Develop competences through non-formal learning. Use creative methods—arts, storytelling, movie-making, outdoor activities—to boost self-confidence, communication skills, teamwork, and leadership. -Promote intercultural learning. Offer rich opportunities for language practice and cultural exchange by living and working together with peers from Northern, Western, Southern, and Eastern Europe. -Encourage civic engagement and follow-up. Inspire participants to stay active in their national stuttering organisations, start new projects, and share what they have learned, creating a ripple effect in their local communities. -Increase awareness of Erasmus+ opportunities. Introduce participants and partner organisations to the wider Erasmus+ network so they can use this experience as a springboard for future youth initiatives. In short, Creating Waves uses the tools of non-formal youth work—participation, creativity, and intercultural dialogue—to help young people who stutter discover that their voices, exactly as they are, can create lasting impact in their own lives and in society.