Climate change is the greatest challenge of our generation and is already reshaping the lives of young people across Europe. Rising sea levels, extreme heat, droughts, floods, and biodiversity loss are no longer abstract possibilities but urgent realities. According to the European Environment Agency, over 40% of Europe’s coastal ecosystems are under high pressure from climate change and human activity, while the Mediterranean basin is warming 20% faster than the global average. For small islands such as Milos, the threats are particularly acute: water scarcity, waste management challenges, fragile ecosystems under strain from mass tourism, and the erosion of traditional livelihoods. At the same time, northern and Baltic regions are facing their own pressing challenges. Latvia’s long coastline and wetlands suffer from pollution, overfishing, and erosion. Finland is experiencing unprecedented warming, with northern ecosystems and forests - vital carbon sinks becoming increasingly fragile. These diverse realities show that while the symptoms of climate change differ from place to place, the need for youth action and solidarity is universal. Young people are particularly motivated according to the Eurobarometer (2023) data shows that 86% of young Europeans see climate change as one of the most serious problems facing the world, yet fewer than one in three feel confident about how to take action in their own communities. This gap between awareness and action represents both a challenge and an opportunity. Through Youth Exchanges, we can close this gap by providing young people with practical green skills, intercultural dialogue, and the confidence to act as change makers. This project was born from young people’s own concerns. Participants from partner organisations expressed frustration at feeling powerless in the face of climate challenges, yet also shared a strong desire to learn how to make their daily lives and communities more sustainable. By situating the exchange on Kimolos - a symbolic island with fragile ecology we underline the urgency of the climate crisis while offering a safe space for collective learning, creativity, and empowerment. This project addresses two urgent and interconnected needs: 1. The need to empower young people with green skills that enable them to take practical action on sustainability, from zero-waste living to renewable energy awareness and eco-entrepreneurship. 2. The need to connect European youth across island and coastal contexts, showing that climate challenges are shared but solutions must be adapted locally and implemented collectively. To tackle these challenges, the project aims to: - Equip participants with green competences such as waste reduction strategies, circular economy thinking, and sustainable event management. - Strengthen youth leadership in climate action, supporting participants to design and implement their own eco-initiatives back home. - Explore the unique challenges of island and coastal environments while exchanging good practices across regions. - Foster a sense of European identity and shared responsibility, linking local ecological actions to broader EU strategies like the European Green Deal and the Climate Pact. - Promote inclusion and equal participation by engaging youth from diverse backgrounds, ensuring sustainability is not seen as a privilege but a right and responsibility for all. By carrying out this Youth Exchange, we aim to transform the vulnerability of Europe’s natural environments into a source of youth empowerment and resilience. Participants will discover that while Milos, Malta, Croatia, Latvia, and Finland face different realities, they are united by a common struggle and by working together, they can also create shared solutions. The project combines non-formal education, peer-to-peer learning, and hands-on environmental activities to turn concern into competence and awareness into action. It will leave participants with not only knowledge and skills, but also with the belief that they are part of a European youth movement for climate action, capable of making change in their local communities and contributing to a more sustainable, democratic, and united Europe.