WHY? • What helps young people feel safe, calm and a sense of belonging in a world marked by increasing pressure, stress and emotional overload? • How can youth work respond when anxiety, tension and low self-esteem appear not only at an individual level, but also within group dynamics – in youth centres and school environments? • What can be done when young people struggle to express emotions safely, build trust or find their place in a group? Youth work is increasingly facing situations where conversation alone is not enough. Young people need experiences that help them slow down, regain a sense of presence, strengthen relationships and feel accepted within a group. This raises new questions for youth work practice. • What tools do youth workers have to create safe spaces not only for dialogue, but also for experiences that support emotional regulation and a sense of belonging? • How can youth work use existing resources – creativity, relationship and nature – to offer preventive and inclusive support before challenges turn into crises? This project seeks answers in approaches based on experience, participation and non-clinical support. They offer young people opportunities to strengthen well-being through creative expression, time in nature, relationships and shared group experiences. Such environments help young people feel safe, heard and accepted, while developing self-awareness, empathy and resilience. At the same time, these approaches allow youth work to act preventively by intentionally building supportive environments that strengthen young people’s internal resources and participation before difficulties escalate. NEEDS The relevance of these questions is confirmed by research and by the daily experience of partner organisations across Europe. Youth workers and educators increasingly observe high stress levels, emotional overload, anxiety, low self-esteem and a lack of belonging among young people. These challenges affect not only individuals but also group dynamics, relationships, motivation and participation in youth work and school settings. Many young people struggle to express emotions safely, trust others and feel included in groups. Youth workers are often the first adults young people turn to for support. However, partners agree that there is a lack of concrete, structured and regularly applicable tools for addressing these challenges at group level. Support is often based on intuition rather than on sustainable, structured approaches adapted to the realities of youth centres, schools and communities. Although creative and nature-based activities are already used in youth work, they are often fragmented and lack a shared methodology or clear well-being focus at group level. This highlights the need for approaches that provide structure while remaining flexible, human and responsive to young people’s needs. Arts on Prescription and Nature on Prescription (AoP & NoP) offer such a framework. They are based on the idea of purposefully engaging people in non-clinical, community-based art and nature activities to enhance well-being, reduce stress and foster belonging. Rooted in experience, participation and relationships, these approaches align closely with youth work values and non-formal learning methods. This international practice inspired the project and motivated partners to explore how AoP and NoP principles can be responsibly and sustainably adapted for youth work with groups. The project therefore responds to the need to explore, critically reflect on and adapt AoP and NoP to youth work practice, combining theoretical understanding with practical experience and reflection on safety, boundaries and responsibility when supporting young people’s well-being. AIM The aim of the project is to foster innovation and improve the quality of youth work by strengthening youth workers’ competences to consciously and structurally apply Arts on Prescription (AoP) and Nature on Prescription (NoP) approaches in work with youth groups, in order to enhance young people’s well-being, inclusion and active participation. OBJECTIVES O1: To gain an in-depth understanding of AoP and NoP concepts, their origins, logic and existing practices, and explore their potential in youth work. O2: To share experience and identify youth challenges that can be addressed through AoP and NoP approaches in group settings. O3: To create a safe and supportive learning environment for joint personal and professional reflection, peer support, inspiration and skill development. O4: To practically test AoP and NoP methods, experiencing their impact and building confidence and facilitation skills. O5: To plan and implement AoP and NoP activities as a structured practice in participants’ daily youth work, and assess their impact on young people. O6: To promote wider use of AoP and NoP in youth work by sharing experience and resources through a joint PADLET resource hub.