"<< Objectives >>The ""BORN TO BE ALIVE"" project was a youth exchange, an informal education program for young people aged 18 to 30. The 30 participants (including the leaders) were actively involved in activities related to the nature and the environment and came from countries in Europe and the Mediterranean Sea with a large geographical dispersion in order to maximize results and added value. The exchange hosted by association of volunteers FTHIA IN ACTION in Raches Fthiotis and Lamia, in collaboration with youth groups and organizations from France, Slovakia, Denmark and Spain. The duration of the main mobility was 7 days in total from 05th to 11st of May 2022 while the days of 04th and 12th of May were the travel days.The OBJECTIVES of the program were:- Develop a computer and mobile application with Scratch and promote it to schools and Environmental Organizations. The application will have free access to alert and educate young people, to find solutions, exchange ideas on climate change and protect the planet's delicate balance- To share digital applications for the Environment with big audiences (videos, presentations, digital storytelling) that will highlight changing behavioral preferences, consumer habits, and lifestyles- Support schools to provide instruction and materials to teach climate change- To foster the imagination and creativity of young people living in the digital age- Develop skills in areas related to Sustainability, strategies, tools and methodologies in the field of green areas and future curricula that meet the needs of the season (eg saving resources, reducing energy and waste consumption, compensation CO2 emissions, sustainable food choice and mobility, etc.)- Explanation of actions in Europe to protect and correct the balances of our Sensitive Environment- Promoting sustainability, ecological awareness, awareness of issues such as climate change, waste treatment / recycling, human footprint in nature and recycled forms of energy- To know what extreme weather conditions are and how they affect human activities, to study climate change in the past and their impact on the natural and anthropogenic environment.Activities at LOCAL and EUROPEAN level:To achieve the goals, the exchange program used informal and non-formal training methods such as discussions, presentations, workshops, field visits, hiking activity in the nature, sports activities, digital tools, display and dissemination of results and actions for health, sports, social inclusion and exclusion. Participants learned to apply skills in practice, created new design ideas to connect with the environment and evaluate the significance of it while they also learned and understood in depth concepts such as the weather, climate and ecological footprint. Moreover they had the chance to interact with the local community and promote the set goals. They learned that being close to the environment and taking care of it gives well-being and mental health that can lead to higher self-esteem, confidence and a better quality of life.The METHODS that used were:Learning through work, workshops, sports activities, teamwork, role-playing games, presentations and collaboration. Participants completed and received YOUTHPASS as well as Certificate of Attendance from the Municipality of Lamia. It is an important tool for promoting intercultural dialogue, contributing significantly to the development and promotion of important social, cultural and educational values, such as impartiality, tolerance and mutual respect, solidarity, respect for rules, team spirit and self-discipline.<< Implementation >>The youth exchange ""BORN TO BE ALIVE"" included a number of informal learning activities such as research, discussion, lectures, visits, field activities, nature work, music, theater and cinema, dance, construction. Also digital applications such as creating Scratch application for mobile and computers, storytelling, video creation, digital poster, logo creation and digital review. The project followed the strategic plan developed by the participants which were: Investigate-Create-Discuss-Reflect and aimed to: build sustainable environmental awareness among young people and reduce the environmental footprint. It was a dynamic, creative non-formal education program. The methodology that used was: Outdoor Learning by Real Experience, Open space, role-playing games, ""body learn"", presentations and discussion. Thelanguage of the exchange was English, but native languages were also strengthened. The youth exchange activities were divided into 4 logical and solid steps, where each step had its own meaning and significance.PART 1: introduction to the concepts of design such as nature, weather, climate change and environment.PART 2: answers given to questions related to the main topics of the project.PART 3: was the practical part of the exchange.PART 4: they learned about opportunities for young people in the context of Erasmus +. They made video clips and promotional material about the significance of being close to the environment and taking care of it as well as the role it should play in our lives. An evaluation and self-assessment made. The evaluation was based on the feedback of the participants by completing the Youthpass certificates. They took part in a public event to promote the goals. They interacted with the local community, presenting the final results.The team consisted of different youth or environmental organizations. Distribution of Mediterranean Partners (Fthia in Action, Greece and Spain ASOCIACION JUVENIL ALMENARAS) to Central Europe (YOUTHFULLY YOURS SK, Slovakia) to Northern Europe (TERA-MAISE DE LA'EPE DE LAURON , France and DANISH YOUTH TEAM, Denmark) and their different cultures brought added value to the youth exchange.It was supposed to be 30 young people with their 6 leaders but due to some problems our Cypriot partner organization could not attend the exchange. So in the end, there were 25 young people with their 5 leaders. All participants ranged in age from 18-30 while there were just a couple of leaders above 30 years old. Fthia in Action young members were university students. The French were young people involved in community activities mainly in naturalistic activities. Young Slovaks were mainly employed as substitute teachers, or volunteers and the Danish young were unemployed activists. Spanish participants were artists and amateur actors who use to offer volunteer work to children and the sick people. They were creative, active, they loved to learn and to offer, to teach and to be taught, to experiment. They had huge supplies of energy, disposition, respect for human beings and the environment and they were extremely motivated to participate in every single activity. All of them are persons who love informal education, teamwork and engaging with nature.They know English and ICT. A lot of them were newcomers. They had the guidance and support of their leaders and the Fthia In Action team. Ten of the participants belonged to the NEET category and the youth exchange was a great opportunity for them. All the necessary preparations had been made to avoid exclusion and inequality. The leaders were persons with extensive experience in informal environmental education. They have organized international events in the past, they have digital skills and they speak foreign languages. They had also worked as Trainers and Youth Workers.<< Results >>The impact was on stakeholders, their organizations, other target groups, local community and their countries.IMPACT ON PARTICIPANTS:-Young people acquired a range of knowledge and skills, as well as knowledge and understanding of various social issues. They got an overview of the current situation in their country and general in Europe about climate change and its effects.- Improvement of their digital and linguistic abilities and became more active and competitive- Changed their lifestyle and ecological footprint- Experienced informal education and the importance of protecting the planet for our future- Managed to meet other cultures in person and became more open and tolerant of other cultures, religions and tribes. They no longer believe in stereotypes.- Have an increased incentive to participate in YiA projects- Increased voluntary engagement and community involvement- Acquired management, project and action skills and key competences- NEETs now are going to have more job opportunities and integration in society- The concept of European citizenship was strengthened at various points.LOCAL COMMUNITY - OTHER groups- friends, classmates, parents listened to stories about the exchange and other countries.- the skills, abilities, application of different methods were promoted to other target groups and Local community- the participation of young people and the local community in the Erasmus + program is now increased .- the youngsters of Fthiotida got familiar with interculturalism Cooperation with forums and associations were widespread and was the beginning of new partnerships with the network of municipalities.- Students and teachers benefited from the Scratch application- There was an exchange of good practices as a basis for the creation of new approaches. Climate change demonstrations and a range of other events such as training seminars, open days, expert discussions, national and European conferences etc. are no ready to start taking place.- increased of informal education activities- a network of local bodies for the climate change was developed and expanded.- the local community became more tolerant of other cultures, with understanding and solidarity- voluntary actions, supply and social work increased - the concept of active European citizens was strengthened at various points.NATIONAL LEVEL- The exchange presented its results nationally and involved other stakeholders (students, teachers, and policy makers). The Scratch game application was promoted in schools and environmental organizations to educate the public in an easy and fun way.- Other youth groups and organizations were set up and involved in Youth in Action programs.EUROPEAN - INTERNATIONAL LEVEL- Made strategic use of the exchange- Creation of a network of regional, national and European agencies, organizations and stakeholders working on the same pattern.-Visiting through saltoyouth.net, Eurodesk, the Erasmus + results platform, ecoschools and Earth charter provide material to anyone who wants to look into the matter in the future.- The policy of states on climate change is now positively changed and its effects are mitigated.RESULTS:The various tangible results of the exchange are creating a poster, logo, digital game Scratch, ""What is climate change for me"" video and background video. We really hope that the program has long-term effects such as the establishment of close partnerships between organizations and the development of new projects in the field of youth, especially in the Mediterranean area, and we are working with great desire on that."