The YE is conceived as a transformative YE that responds to urgent needs in youth work by combining ecological awareness, mental health support, and civic engagement. Its overarching aim is to empower young people to reconnect with nature, strengthen their psychological resilience, and embrace active citizenship via sustainable and mindful practices. By embedding these priorities into youth work, the YE contributes directly to the development of inclusive, future-oriented, and socially responsible European communities. The first core objective is to promote mental health and emotional well-being among young people. In today’s fast-paced, digitally saturated world, young people are increasingly affected by anxiety, stress, and feelings of isolation. Youth workers often report that these challenges hinder participation in civic life and personal development. Our YE uses outdoor-based mindfulness as a practical youth work method to address this challenge. Via guided forest walks, meditation exercises, and reflective practices in natural settings, participants will learn how to manage stress, regulate emotions, and cultivate resilience. By integrating these techniques into NFE, the YE equips youth workers with innovative tools to support young people’s mental health, demonstrating how nature can serve as both a classroom and a source of healing. The second objective is to foster ecological responsibility and sustainable living habits. Young people will learn about climate change and environmental challenges and will actively practice eco-conscious behaviors throughout the YE. Examples include reducing waste by using reusable bottles, minimizing paper by relying on digital tools, and experiencing sustainable catering based on local, seasonal produce. Through hands-on activities like litter collection or tree planting, participants will engage in concrete environmental actions that build a sense of agency and responsibility. For youth workers, this YE models how to embed sustainability into every stage of a YE thereby strengthening the green dimension of youth work practice. A third objective is to strengthen social inclusion and empathy. Our consortium was deliberately formed to bring together organizations with expertise in working with marginalized groups, like young people with fewer opportunities. By engaging these participants in a safe, intercultural environment, the YE enables dialogue across different backgrounds and promotes equal participation. Activities based on role play, storytelling, and cooperative problem-solving will foster empathy and intercultural understanding, helping participants to break down stereotypes and build solidarity. For youth workers, the YE provides tested methods for inclusive facilitation, showing how mindfulness and outdoor learning can be adapted to diverse needs. Another central objective is to enhance young people’s active citizenship. By combining mindfulness with civic education, the YE aims to show that well-being and social participation are interconnected. Young people who feel balanced and supported are more likely to engage in democratic processes, volunteerism, and community initiatives. During the YE, workshops will explore the links between personal resilience and societal resilience, encouraging participants to see themselves as agents of positive change. Youth workers will gain practical examples of how to frame civic engagement as a duty and a holistic practice that integrates personal values, mental health, and environmental responsibility. The digital dimension of the YE also supports these objectives. Online preparation sessions, collaborative platforms, and post-YE virtual communities will help participants build digital competencies while reducing unnecessary travel and resource use. This strengthens youth work practice by providing scalable models of blended learning that combine the best of in-person and virtual methods, ensuring inclusivity for young people in rural or disadvantaged contexts. Finally, the YE seeks to create long-term impact by building capacity among youth workers and organizations. Each partner brings complementary expertise which will be shared and integrated during the YE. The methodologies tested in this YE will benefit the 25 direct participants and will also be disseminated via local workshops, online resources, and future collaborations, extending the impact to wider youth communities. In sum, the YE’s objectives are fourfold: 1 to promote mental health and resilience via outdoor-based mindfulness; 2 to foster ecological responsibility and sustainable practices; 3 to strengthen inclusion, empathy, and intercultural dialogue; and 4 to enhance active citizenship by linking personal well-being with democratic engagement. From the perspective of youth work practice, these objectives represent innovative, practical, and transferable approaches that address some of the most pressing challenges facing young people today.