Our project sparks a cultural renewal in youth work. It responds to the urgent need to bring back the “village” — a living community that guides young people through the thresholds of life into adulthood. In contemporary Western societies, these communal rites of passage have largely disappeared: many young people grow up without mature guides, while youth workers themselves are expected to mentor others without having experienced their own initiatory thresholds. Through a 7-day residential training in wild nature, youth workers from five countries will live as a temporary village and journey through the universal initiation cycle — separation, liminality and return. They will engage in eco- and soul-centric practices, wilderness solos, council circles, creative rituals and reflective mentoring, supported by an inclusive and intercultural approach. In this way, they will awaken as elders in becoming: not defined by age, but by depth, integrity, and the capacity to hold transformative spaces for youth. Once initiated, they will carry sparks of this Common Fire back to their communities — creating inclusive rites of passage, nature-based workshops and community rituals especially for young people with fewer opportunities, including those in rural and marginalised areas. These practices will offer youth real thresholds into responsible adulthood, where their gifts are witnessed and celebrated by a community. The project will restore belonging and social cohesion, expand youth work into rural areas, and weave a European Living Village — a vibrant network of youth workers united by courage, care and the will to nurture the next generation. Through buddy trios, synchronous nature-based rituals, and a co-created digital Living Library, this village will sustain long-term growth, exchange and innovation, ensuring that the spark of the Common Fire continues to illuminate youth work across Europe.