The aim of Holding the Space is to strengthen the quality, confidence, and adaptability of youth work practice by supporting emerging youth workers and facilitators to better handle real-life group situations — especially when activities do not go according to plan. Across Europe, youth workers are often well-equipped with methods and tools, yet report feeling underprepared when faced with unexpected group dynamics, fluctuating motivation, emotional tension, or low engagement. In these moments, facilitation quality depends less on having “the right method” and more on the youth worker’s presence, self-trust, and ability to adapt responsibly. This project responds directly to that gap. From a youth work practice perspective, the project aims to shift the focus from accumulating more tools toward strengthening the facilitator themselves as the key resource in non-formal education. The project has the following core objectives: 1. To strengthen facilitator confidence and presence Support youth workers to trust themselves more when facilitating groups, particularly in uncertain or challenging situations, reducing panic, rigidity, or over-reliance on scripted methods. 2. To improve adaptive facilitation skills Enable participants to read group dynamics, motivation, and energy in real time, and to adapt activities, structure, or communication accordingly, while maintaining emotional safety and inclusion. 3. To enhance quality and inclusiveness of youth work activities Equip youth workers with competences that support responsive, learner-centred, and inclusive facilitation, particularly when working with young people with fewer opportunities. 4. To strengthen reflective practice and professional identity Support youth workers to recognise their own facilitation style, make conscious facilitation choices, and engage in ongoing reflection aligned with the ETS Competence Model and Erasmus+ Youth Quality Standards. 5. To embed learning at organisational level Ensure that learning contributes to organisational development by involving multiple participants per organisation and supporting internal sharing, peer learning, and application in daily practice. By achieving these objectives, the project contributes to: - higher quality youth work activities that are more responsive to participants’ needs; - greater confidence and resilience among youth workers, particularly those early in their professional pathway; - more sustainable youth work practice, where learning remains relevant across changing contexts and target groups. Overall, Holding the Space aims to support youth workers not just in what they do, but in how they show up — strengthening the foundations of ethical, inclusive, and impactful youth work practice across participating organisations.