THE YFU DIFFERENCE
The long-term objective of YFU and youth exchange is to engage young people in personal development opportunities that will increase their leadership capacity and improve international understanding and public diplomacy . To achieve this , we place YFU students from around the world with volunteer host families who are willing to open their homes and share their traditions with an international student . During their academic and cultural experience , students learn that acceptance and tolerance are essential for success in a global society . The experience is transformative not only for the student but their host families and communities as well , as they too learn about another culture – without ever leaving home .
see
the world up close
YFU exchange experiences expose participants to everyday life in a different society . It ’ s learning from the inside out , which only happens when a person has time to internalize what they are taking in . Host families share their own traditions , holidays , and customs , offering each student a unique , personal version of life in the host country and an understanding of its diversity .
While it is true that all travel broadens perspective and exposes the traveler to new experiences , YFU ’ s programs transform who you are and permanently change the way you see the world .
COMMITMENT TO SAFETY
Educators and families around the world trust YFU because of our reputation for quality , high safety standards and exceptional support network . All precautionary measures are taken to ensure our participants safety and families peace of mind . YFU programs have exchanged more than 260,000 students since 1951 and our top priority continues to be student safety . YFU is evaluated annually by State Department oversight agencies . We are proud to consistently receive Full Listing in all three Council on Standards for International Educational Travel ( CSIET ) listing categories : Inbound Longterm , Outbound Long-term and Short-term Inbound / Outbound programs .
The top priority of YFU is the safety of the participants placed in our care and we are committed to creating meaningful study abroad opportunities for self-discovery and growth .
See our FAQs for additional resources .
35 – YFU Classroom Excursions