With ‘G.U.Y.’, an international youth exchange programme with a focus on sustainability, we want to empower young people to actively engage with the global challenges of our time and anchor sustainable thinking and action in their everyday lives. Through intercultural exchange, participants experience how sustainability is practised in different countries and communities and realise that they themselves can make a difference. Our aim is to provide them with practical tools and inspiration so that they can develop sustainable solutions and implement them in their own living environments. At the same time, we promote mutual understanding and respect between young people from different cultures through dialogue. By designing sustainable projects together, they learn to take responsibility, think creatively and work in teams - these are important skills for a sustainable society. The direct experience of sustainability through climate-friendly travel, resource-conserving business and conscious consumption sensitises the participants to their ecological footprint and shows them practical ways to reduce it. Another key aspect is strengthening the empowerment and self-efficacy of young people. They should experience that their ideas and commitment have an impact and that sustainable change begins on a small scale. We focus on a combination of education, action and reflection in order to impart knowledge as well as to enable a deep personal engagement with the topic. In the long term, we want the young people not only to adopt sustainable practices for themselves, but also to act as multipliers in their communities. They should be encouraged to set up their own initiatives, pass on their knowledge and work towards a more sustainable society. Networking with international like-minded people creates valuable collaborations and new perspectives that last beyond the exchange. ‘G.U.Y.’ thus creates an inspiring learning environment in which young people experience that sustainable action is fun, that more can be achieved together and that each individual can help shape a future that is ecologically, socially and culturally sustainable.