<< Objectives >>Many rural areas of the European Union face a common challenge: the displacement of younger human resources.However, these young people possess a very high potential: their familiarity with the area in which they live. If they were shown how to capitalise on this asset, they could trigger a favourable circuit capable of adding value to the area. For these reasons, we perceive the need to implement a project that favours the development of the well-being of young people living in the area. With this project, we intend to bring together 36 young people from 6 different rural areas to work together on the analysis of their local realities, needs and requirements, and to develop proposals that can help improve their quality of life. We intend to pursue the following objectives, based on the premises of the programme: Fighting for a healthy and clean environment and against global warming, educating on the use of reuse and recycling strategies, promoting consumption prevention and reducing the use of plastics. Here we will act within the framework of GOAL 13 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Climate Action; Use innovative practices to promote behavioural changes in individual preferences, cultural references and sustainability awareness and habits related to resource consumption and lifestyle; Promoting healthy, open-air based living habits. In doing so, we will work towards Goal 3 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Good health and well-being; Educate on the benefits of non-formal education, leading young people out of their usual context and out of their comfort zone; Promoting the concept of Learning by Doing: running an activity immersed in nature directly and practically, acquiring skills by participating in a workcamp near Mount Etna; Promoting cooperation, inclusion and equality among young people. During these 7 days of living together, young people will reinforce these European values, becoming a team-based neither on a person's gender, origin nor the economic situation, but on creativity, innovation and learning by putting an end to prejudices and stereotypes; Strengthen internationalisation to enable young people to relate to different cultural and social contexts, improve their knowledge of foreign languages and acquire different working methods to those typical of their own country; To impart practical and theoretical knowledge in order to encourage young people to pursue their own projects and to encourage the exchange of good practices; To disseminate the skills and knowledge acquired within the associations and in the communities of origin.<< Implementation >>All activities will be conducted through the methodology of non-formal education and experiential learning. The participants' learning process will be facilitated through group dynamics, activities with non-verbal communication, team learning techniques, information search and selection, peer-to-peer discussions and conflict resolution. During the exchange, participants will become more aware of the problems of everyday life in the rural environment and how to deal with them. Orientation and mapping activities will be organised that combined with environmentally focused dynamics will allow participants to apply the Learning By Doing concept. They will take advantage of the richness and natural beauty of these areas, gaining valuable practical knowledge on nature conservation and improving their awareness of environmental risks and knowledge about the negative effects of common human habits. A visit to a sustainable farm and its rural area with a subsequent free afternoon and packed lunch will deepen their sense of entrepreneurship, helping the young participants to appreciate the importance of preserving the planet's natural resources and encouraging them to create sustainable wealth. To foster inclusiveness and enable participants to learn more about the local and partner cultures, we will organise intercultural evenings so that everyone can share the peculiarities of their own culture. The presentation of good practices by the group of the host association will give a clear insight into how Erasmus + resources can be used and how to implement a project. Through workshops and local actions, participants will develop their advocacy and collaboration skills in an international environment, improving their critical thinking and self-esteem. This will enable them to educate their peers on the knowledge they have acquired during the exchange and develop skills and competencies to promote these practices to a wider target audience. Finally, the young people will learn to express themselves in an international environment and to work in a team. Each partner association will be responsible for selecting 5 participants aged between 18 and 25 and 1 group leader (no age limit) for a total of 36 participants. This age range is motivated by the desire to facilitate communication between peers, ensuring the circulation of ideas. This will facilitate the project course to strengthen the participants' confidence and thus facilitate personal development, learning and skills development. Particular attention will be paid to cooperation and integration (with a focus on participants with fewer opportunities: social, economic, geographical, cultural and NEET barriers). The partner associations share the concept of favouring young people with fewer opportunities in the selection phase (although they must also meet the basic requirements). The partners will also ensure gender balance in theselection process and the working groups, ensuring smooth and effective communication.<< Results >>Designed for the well-being of young people, the project will first and foremost foster the development of the participants. In general terms, we want the young participants to achieve the following benefits: They will discover in themselves a desire to get involved; They will acquire the ability to deal critically with various topics, including in international contexts. In doing so, they will improve their ability to question themselves and think critically;They will acquire the ability to analyse new challenges emerging in society; They will have an experience of living together as peers, not only sharing spaces but also exchanging ideas and experiences; They will learn about the rural traditions of eastern Sicily and the partner countries, exchanging valuable information on differences in customs and lifestyle; They will practise outdoor educational activities; They will take their first steps or improve their knowledge of the environment to create a green and sustainable Europe; They will take with them the new sustainable habits acquired both in the preparation phase and in the project itself and apply them later in their lives, sharing their experience and serving as an example to their friends, family, school, university and the community at large; They will gain knowledge about the rights and obligations of youth participation, the Erasmus+ programme, the Youthpass instrument, reality analysis and NFE methods; They will learn about development opportunities in rural areas (grants, rural development programmes, etc.), and rural development experiences in other EU regions; They will improve their social skills through teamwork, implement their communication skills in their mother tongue and English and learn how to communicate functionally in public; They will be able to analyse reality and context, generate proposals, and improve their discussion and negotiation skills.They will increase their knowledge of partner associations and learn new methods of NFE education, which can then be used in their future initiatives. At the same time, the project will help them to grow internationally, increase public awareness of project issues and improve their capacities to achieve their youth development goals. The organisations and participants will share the results of the project both onlineand offline in their respective countries (including, videos, photos, social media campaigns, etc.).Dissemination of the results will also be facilitated by the involvement of local media and youth NGOs invited to participate in local workshops after the youth exchange. Overall, it is expected that the project will improve young people's engagement in sustainability issues, enhance their skills and competencies, and raise general awareness of rural issues.