“Learn, connect, lead” is a leadership and incubation programme for rural youth initiative groups, organised under the umbrella of the European Youth Village. Through this project, we aim to explore what motivates rural young people to remain active in their communities by conducting qualitative research with 200 young people and 20 decision-makers. We will develop a three-stage leadership programme in which 20 young people take part in mobilities, online sessions, and mentoring, forming at least 10 initiative groups. These groups will elaborate local action plans, and 5 of them will turn into applications for the European Youth Village 2027 title. In parallel, we will create spaces for connection and peer-learning between young people, mayors, and EYV alumni, and we will test a new methodology with two tracks – Title Track and Community Builder Track – for the selection of future European Youth Villages.