WHAT IS YFU?
Youth For Understanding (YFU) offers you the journey
of a lifetime, an adventure that allows you to discover
the best in yourself and your family, forge lifelong
connections and change the way you see the world.
While it is true 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. At its core, YFU is a catalyst for positive global
change. Students of all ages experience tremendous
personal growth and at the same time, the impressions
made by the students themselves, as well as the broadened
perspectives of host families, ripple through schools and
across entire communities.
Visit bit.ly/YFUHostVideo to learn how you can host a YFU exchange student!
YFU’s distinctive brand of cultural exchange opens minds and hearts, enables learning that transforms lives
and ultimately helps to make us citizens of one world.
YFU HISTORY
YFU began in 1951 as an effort to heal the wounds of World
War II by welcoming 75 teenagers from Germany and Austria to
the United States. The hardships prevalent in Germany during
this time had devastating effects on the country’s youth.
When Nobel Peace Prize nominee Dr. Rachel Andresen
founded YFU, the hope was by teaching young people
tolerance and acceptance of different cultures, they
would be motivated to go back to Germany and help
rebuild the country. In 1955, YFU expanded its programs
to allow American students to study abroad.
Today, YFU is one of the world’s oldest, largest and
most respected international exchange programs.
Since its inception, YFU offices around the world have
exchanged more than 260,000 students, who have in
turn, made lasting impressions on millions around the
globe.
4 - YFU Study Abroad