Youth Exchange 

The impact of fast fashion on young people is particularly concerning. The fast fashion industry targets young people through social media, advertising, and influencer marketing, promoting a culture of consumerism and disposability. As a result, many young people feel pressure to constantly update their wardrobes and keep up with the latest trends, leading to overconsumption and a lack of consideration for the environmental and social impacts of their purchases.

Furthermore, the fast fashion industry relies on low-wage workers in countries with weak labor protections, often subjecting them to poor working conditions, long hours, and low wages. This exploitation of workers is particularly concerning for young people who are often the same age as the workers in the industry.

Learning practical creative skills like knitting and embroidery can provide young people with a sense of accomplishment and self-expression, as well as practical skills that can be used to repair and transform clothing. Additionally, these skills can promote a sense of mindfulness and well-being, which is particularly important in today's fast-paced world. Moreover, many young people are interested in sustainable fashion practices and are actively seeking ways to reduce their environmental footprint and make more responsible consumption choices.

Can be seen that there is a growing interest among young people in learning practical creative skills related to sustainable fashion practices, and this trend is likely to continue in the coming years. This are the reasons how we combined the 2 issues and solutions, and came with the idea of this project topic.

The main aim of a youth exchange project focused on sustainable fashion, repairing clothes, and learning practical skills that can help reduce textile waste is to promote sustainable practices in the fashion industry and empower young people to take action and create a more sustainable and equitable world, one stitch at a time, to make more responsible consumption choices. The project seeks to raise awareness about the environmental and social impacts of fast fashion and to promote a culture of repair, reuse, and upcycling rather than disposing of them and contributing to the growing problem of textile waste. Additionally, the project provides an opportunity for cross-cultural learning and collaboration, promoting creativity and self-expression through various textile-based practical skills such as sewing, knitting, and embroidery.

The youth exchange aims to provide participants with the skills and knowledge they need to become agents of positive change in their own communities, promoting sustainable fashion practices and inspiring others to do the same. By working collaboratively and learning from each other's experiences and perspectives, participants can develop a deeper understanding of the complex issues related to fashion sustainability and contribute to a more sustainable future.

The specific objectives:

• Raise awareness about the environmental and social impacts of fast fashion and promote a culture of repair, reuse, and upcycling in the fashion industry.
• Develop practical skills related to sustainable fashion practices, such as sewing, knitting, and embroidery, while promoting creativity and self-expression.
• Foster cross-cultural learning and exchange, promoting mutual understanding and intercultural awareness among participants.
• Encourage active citizenship and social engagement among participants, promoting their ability to become agents of positive change in their own communities.
• Promote social inclusion and equal opportunities for all participants, including those with fewer opportunities.
• Foster a sense of community and connection among participants, promoting social and emotional well-being.
• Provide opportunities for personal and professional development, including skills related to leadership, teamwork, communication, and intercultural competence.
• Make art exhibition/ fashion event done totally from reused clothes to promote sustainable fashion and encourage young people to use their creativity.
• Video/short movie on the topic of sustainable fashion and raising aarenss among young people, as well as crafting, handmade, reparing skills and visit of craftsman.
• Preparation for creating local campaigns to raise awareness of conscious consumtion as part of the dissemination process
• Provide a ground for young people to learn how to organize a fashion event of second-hand clothing (bazaar or swap).
• Provide an opportunity for young people to learn more about Erasmus+ programme, to explore new opportunities and show interest to join some other mobility or programme.
• Provide a chance to network, to find people with same interests, to expore new places and to get friends for life.
• Provide a chance to learn and to embrace new cultures, and promote our own.