The Voices Across Borders project was initiated by Georgian and Estonian youngsters, including ourselves. We communicated with young people from Georgia and identified that they were motivated to show initiative but lacked knowledge on how and where to start. NGO YouthMatters created an opportunity for these young people to express their ideas and define what type of project they wanted to be involved in themselves. The main challenge addressed by both the coordinators and the young people was that youth participation and engagement vary significantly between regions in both Georgia and Estonia. This project aims to address this challenge by introducing young people from rural areas of Estonia and Georgia to opportunities for participation, such as local youth councils, community initiatives, youth centres, NGOs and international youth programmes. Through intercultural dialogue, hands-on experience and practical activities, participants will explore what kind of participation opportunities exist and how they can voice their ideas and contribute to these shared challenges. Overall, the project addresses the importance of practical skills, such as teamwork, leadership and problem-solving, all of which are essential for turning young people’s ideas in the participating countries into impactful actions. The project also addresses other highly relevant aspects within the European context, such as the growing need for intercultural communication skills by creating an international collaboration that brings together countries that are far away from each other: Georgia (Eastern Neighbour of EU), Estonia (Northern Europe). The direct needs are to gain confidence and ways to actively participate in their communities, to improve intercultural communication and understanding between youth from different countries and also to feel more confident in influenceing decisions that affect them and take meaningful action. Our Project has the following objectives: Raise awareness of youth participation in decision-making, ensuring that young people have a real voice and influence in shaping their communities. Developing the participants' practical skills so they can be more involved in their communities. Promoting international collaboration and intercultural dialogue, breaking down stereotypes, fostering understanding and enabling youth from Estonia and Georgia to learn from one another. Encouraging community engagement, inspiring young people to take initiative and implement innovative solutions to shared challenges. Promoting community development through youth engagement and also initiatives that outlive the project.