The project “outh Workers as Bridge Builders in Decision-Making” is implemented because youth work is increasingly taking place in a context where young people feel invited to participate, but not truly empowered to influence decisions. Across Europe, trust in democratic institutions among young people is declining, while feelings of disconnection from politics and public decision-making are growing. Recent European surveys show that in countries such as Italy, Greece, Spain and Bulgaria, a significant share of young people believe their voice does not matter in political processes, even though they care deeply about social justice, climate, equality and their future. From youth work practice, we see this contradiction clearly: motivation is present, but understanding, access and guidance are often missing. We believe that youth participation does not fail because young people are passive, but because the bridge between young people and decision-making spaces is weak or absent. Youth workers are at the centre of this challenge. In their daily work, they are expected to explain complex systems, facilitate dialogue on sensitive topics and support young people in moving from opinions to action. At the same time, many youth workers report feeling insecure when dealing with democratic structures, policy-related topics or polarised discussions. The project is based on a strong belief that quality youth work can only empower young people if youth workers themselves feel confident, competent and supported. As one youth worker said during the preparation phase, “young people don’t need more motivation speeches, they need someone who can walk with them through the system.” This belief shapes the entire project approach. From the perspective of youth work practice, the project aims to strengthen youth workers as bridge builders between young people and decision-making processes. It focuses on practical competence development, non-formal education methods and reflective practice, rather than abstract knowledge. By bringing together youth workers from different European contexts, the project also responds to the reality that democratic participation looks different across countries, and that learning from these differences strengthens youth work as a whole. The objectives of the project are: • to strengthen youth workers’ understanding of decision-making processes and democratic structures at local, national and European level • to equip youth workers with non-formal education methods to explain complex social and political topics in an accessible way • to improve facilitation skills for leading inclusive and respectful dialogue on sensitive and diverse viewpoints • to develop youth workers’ capacity to support young people in transforming opinions into concrete ideas, proposals or actions • to enhance critical thinking and media literacy approaches within youth work practice • to build confidence among youth workers in engaging young people with policy-related and civic topics • to encourage participatory, youth-led approaches in decision-making and community involvement • to strengthen European cooperation and exchange of good practices among youth workers By implementing this project, we want to achieve a shift in how youth work addresses participation and democracy. Youth workers will not only gain tools and methods, but also a clearer professional identity as facilitators of participation and dialogue. Organisations will strengthen the quality and relevance of their youth work, while young people reached through these youth workers will experience participation as something understandable, meaningful and achievable. “Youth Workers as Bridge Builders” is built on the belief that democracy is learned through practice, not theory, and that youth work is one of the most powerful spaces where this learning can happen. Through this project, we aim to strengthen that space and ensure that young people across Europe are not only invited to speak, but supported to be heard and to act.