DIY for Youth – Let’s Upcycle is an international Erasmus+ Youth Exchange focused on upcycling, sustainability and environmental awareness. The project uses hands-on DIY workshops as a tool to address challenges such as excessive consumption, waste generation and climate change, while empowering young people to create tangible, positive change in their communities.
Participants will work directly with discarded materials collected from the local community and transform them into renewed, functional items. The project also includes public activities and a local DIY Day, ensuring strong interaction with residents and lasting local impact.
- Date: 5. March – 13. March 2026 (Thursday and Friday are travel days)
- Location: Alcalá la Real, Spain
- Registration: https://forms.gle/zVCcXJVd8iuXRreC8
What will you learn and do
During the exchange, participants will:
- Develop practical DIY and upcycling skills using materials considered waste
- Increase awareness of waste management, recycling and responsible consumption.
- Explore the links between climate change, overconsumption and sustainability through non-formal education activities.
- Collect household waste from the local community and transform it into new products through guided workshops
- Take part in a public DIY Day to engage local residents and promote reuse and recycling practices.
- Strengthen creativity, teamwork and intercultural cooperation in an international group
Who can apply
This youth exchange is open to young people aged 18–30 who:
- Have an interest or experience in handcrafts, sustainability or upcycling
- Are motivated to work with waste materials and create new products
- Are sensitive to issues of climate change, overconsumption and waste reduction
- Are willing to actively participate in discussions, workshops and local activities
- Are motivated to promote reuse and upcycling in their own communities
- Are interested in intercultural learning and international cooperation
Practical Details:
- Mandatory preparation: Before arriving in Spain, participants are required to complete online preparatory activities (approx. 2–3 hours) via a dedicated platform. These tasks are designed to equalise knowledge and prepare participants for the exchange.
- Accommodation: Participants will stay in shared rooms (double or triple) in dormitory-style accommodation. Rooms are mixed by nationality and shared by gender. Towels and personal hygiene products are NOT provided.
- Food: Fully covered by the organisers with support from the Erasmus+ Programme.
Travel Arrangements
Participants must arrive in Alcalá la Real on 5 March and depart on 13 March 2026. No programme activities take place on arrival and departure days.
Travel costs will be reimbursed after the mobility, up to the maximum amounts set by Erasmus+: 395€ for participants traveling from Austria (535€ in case of green travel = no flights). Participants are required to keep all tickets and original boarding passes and after the training hand them over to the organiser or send upon return home.
Important travel rules:
- Tickets bought via travel agencies (e.g. Kiwi, eDreams, GoToGate) will not be reimbursed
- Flights must be bought directly from the airline’s website
- Any ticket bought without prior approval will not be reimbursed
Recommended airports:
- Granada (GRX)
- Málaga (AGP)
- Madrid (MAD) or Sevilla (SVQ) (with onward bus to Granada via alsa.es)
Private transport from selected airports or cities to Alcalá la Real will be arranged when possible.
How to apply?
- Register for the training here: https://forms.gle/zVCcXJVd8iuXRreC8
- Wait for confirmation from ACTIVE Austria team and further instructions.
- Plan your travels and send us your travel plan for approval.
- Wait for confirmation of your travel plan and joint the event!