As the YOUTH-ful-GUIDES project approaches its completion, the final mobility in Vilnius, Lithuania, offered an opportunity for reflection, learning and collaboration among the project partners. Throughout its implementation, the project created meaningful spaces for dialogue, skill development and active participation, enabling young people to engage with their local heritage in new and creative ways.
From the beginning, YOUTH-ful-GUIDES aimed to rethink the role of guiding by encouraging young participants to approach cultural heritage as storytellers and interpreters of their communities. Through workshops, study visits and international exchanges, participants developed the confidence and skills needed to connect history, place and contemporary social realities.
Day 1 – Discovering the Cultural Heritage of Vilnius 🏛️
The first day of the mobility in Lithuania was dedicated to exploring the historic centre of Vilnius, allowing participants to experience how cultural heritage can be interpreted and communicated to visitors.
The group visited some of the city’s most significant landmarks, including Vilnius Cathedral and the Chapel of Saint Casimir ⛪, the iconic Gediminas Castle Tower 🏰, the historic streets of the Old Town 🏘️, the remarkable St. Anne’s Church ⛪, Literatų Street 📜, and Vilnius University 🎓, one of the oldest universities in Eastern Europe.
This guided exploration offered participants a deeper understanding of how history, architecture and storytelling are combined to create meaningful cultural experiences. Through these visits, young participants gained valuable insights into the role that youth can play as local ambassadors of their cities and cultural heritage.
Day 2 – Partners Meeting and Project Coordination 🤝
The second day of the mobility was dedicated to the partners meeting of the YOUTH-ful-GUIDES project, bringing together representatives of all participating organisations.
During the meeting, partners reviewed the progress of the project and coordinated the upcoming activities. They exchanged experiences from the implementation of the project in their respective countries and discussed organisational aspects of future mobilities and dissemination actions.
The discussion also focused on strengthening the educational dimension of the initiative and ensuring that the project results continue to support youth engagement in cultural heritage interpretation and storytelling. The meeting reinforced the strong collaboration among partners and ensured the smooth continuation and finalisation of the project activities.
A Shared European Journey
As the YOUTH-ful-GUIDES project concludes, it leaves behind much more than completed activities. It represents a shared European journey of trust, cooperation and learning, where young people and organisations worked together to explore culture, develop skills and strengthen their sense of civic participation.
The project has empowered young participants to see heritage not as a static element of the past, but as a living space for dialogue, creativity and connection with their communities. Through this journey, YOUTH-ful-GUIDES has demonstrated how cooperation, knowledge and youth engagement can generate lasting impact across Europe. 🌍
