Connected Minds

Don’t just use AI. Understand it and shape it.

In Austria, young people usually have early access to digital tools, but struggle with performance pressure, perfectionism, comparison culture and invisible mental burdens that come with more screen time and social media use. In Romania, many young people — such as care leavers and those from disadvantaged backgrounds — face structural insecurity and little access to psychological support, while being just as deeply embedded in AI-shaped digital environments. A survey we ran with 43 young people from both countries shows the gap between use and competence: 95% know generative AI, 75% use it actively, but only 17% feel confident checking AI-generated information for trustworthiness. Almost half describe the effect on their own wellbeing as mixed or unclear, and 30% regularly turn to AI for emotional support when stressed. Connected Minds steps in exactly here: the project connects critical AI literacy with mental health, digital self-determination and mutual support — and creates a transnational space where these different but connected realities become visible.

Connected Minds is aimed at 20 young people aged between 18 and 25 from Austria and Romania — especially young adults who have so far had less access to educational opportunities or digital creation. In a 5-day youth camp near Vienna, participants meet to learn and exchange ideas on these topics together with the three partner organisations — Stabil im Kopf, The Social Incubator and Womentor — and then develop their own awareness campaigns in international teams. This way they can become multipliers and bring AI literacy and mental health closer to other young people.

How the project unfolds

After two online info sessions, 20 Youth Leaders will be selected — ten from Austria and ten from Romania. In February 2027 they meet for the five-day Youth Co-Creation Lab in Austria. There they will explore topics such as bias and manipulation, data protection, algorithms, digital self-image and the question of when AI supports us — and when it creates additional pressure.

Project timeline

• September 2026: project start and preparation by the partner organisations
• October – November 2026: info sessions and application phase — selection of the 20 Youth Leaders
• February 2027: five-day international Co-Creation Lab in Austria
• February – June 2027: mentoring, peer learning and campaign implementation
• June 2027: presentation and publication of the results

Become part of Connected Minds

You don’t need to be an AI expert. What matters are your perspective, your questions and your desire to build something together with others. You will learn to understand digital systems more critically, strengthen your own strategies for digital wellbeing and become a voice for a more conscious relationship with AI. The results are set to reach more than 5,000 young people and will also be made available to other organisations across Europe.