310:, in 1951. It is one of the world's oldest education exchange organisations and currently has programmes in about 60 countries around the world. Founded to allow young Germans the opportunity to experience another culture outside of their own, YFU organised for them to go on exchange to the United States to see what life was like there and to develop an understanding of democracy. Since then YFU has grown and now sends young people between 15 and 18 years old on international high school exchanges to other countries, where the students will live with and become a part of a host family. National YFU organisations from around the world are all independent from one another. However, there does exist an International Secretariat to facilitate co-operation and communication amongst them on a global scale, and to provide them with support.
175:(MCC) under the motto "Youth for Understanding". Within the next 10 years it evolved into two organizations YFU-USA and YFU-Germany. The first "exchange" from the United States to Germany was a summer program with 30 US high school students organized by MCC-alumni. During that year, Germany became a sovereign country, and the US government stopped funding the exchange program with Germany, which continued as a not-for-profit activity between the two YFU organizations. In 1961/62, a one-year exchange program from the US to Germany was added with 6 initial students from the US. YFU Japan and YFU Mexico were established in 1958.
389:
increase the capacity for multiplication of competences and knowledge within the international YFU network, and for contributing to the development of training structures of national YFU organisations to provide high quality educational activities. EEE-YFU also has a "Pool of
Representatives", composed of 33 young people from various member organisations. The members are an important tool for EEE-YFU's advocacy work, representing EEE-YFU on various seminars, working groups, meetings, conferences and other events.
29:
204:
The guidelines for the work of the national YFU organizations will be decided by the
International Advisory Council. The committee, which meets twice a year, consists of 15 representatives from national organizations. The national organisations from the United States, Germany and Japan as the largest
142:
YFU conducts its exchange programs via direct contact between independent national organizations in over 50 countries. These autonomous organizations represent the international community network of YFU. Other YFU international activities are carried out by a volunteer
International Advisory Council
380:
for a wide range of young people across Europe. EEE-YFU organises activities such as study sessions, trainings and seminars on various cultural and youth-related issues both nationally and on a
European level. In doing so it often works closely with its member organisations. An important feature
360:
and the
Platform for Intercultural Europe, as well as many others. It receives funding from the European Commission, the Council of Europe and the Belgian state, as well as other bodies. EEE-YFU also works closely with other NGOs involved in the youth field, particularly in relation to organising
388:
EEE-YFU has its own "European
Trainer Network", composed of 13 young trainers from 10 different countries, which provides its member organisations with a pool of young people with relevant expertise and knowledge that they can use to organise and facilitate a range of events. This aims to help to
318:
and organisations; to enrich the experience of
European exchange students by facilitating educational and content related activities; to facilitate co-operation and networking between member organisations and to provide membership services; to facilitate intra-European activities such as seminars,
313:
EEE-YFU is a member organisation, and its members are national YFU organisations in Europe. Unlike the national YFU organisations, it is not involved with the actual logistics and organising of the exchanges. Instead, it is a member organisation which focuses on representing the interests of its
314:
members in several different ways. In supporting its members, EEE-YFU has the following aims: to promote intercultural understanding through youth exchange programmes in Europe; to enhance the public visibility for Youth For
Understanding in Europe and with
143:
and a professional staff known as the
International Secretariat. YFU organizations around the world subscribe to a set of basic operating and philosophic basic standards. The umbrella body for national Youth For Understanding organisations across Europe is
163:
that teenagers from
Germany be brought to the United States to live with a family and attend high school for a year. As a result, 75 German teenagers arrived in Michigan in July 1951 and were hosted by volunteer U.S. families.
371:
The organisation fulfills its objectives by organising and facilitating educational activities to provide on-going education in cross-cultural issues to its students, returnees and volunteers. These help to promote
400:), Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey.
329:
The EEE-YFU board has the ultimate responsibility for the overall strategic direction of the organisation, as well as the European Secretariat based in its office in Brussels. The Secretariat regularly has
131:) is an international educational exchange organization. A network of over 50 independent national organizations worldwide, YFU representatives work together to advance learning across cultures.
692:
348:
EEE-YFU works alongside a number of external organisations, and is regularly granted funding for projects and initiatives by European institutions and other bodies. Its partners include the
205:
members are constantly represented; the remaining sites are occupied in turn by other partners. The International Advisory Council is supported by the International Secretariat.
303:
The mission of EEE-YFU is to advance intercultural understanding, mutual respect, and social responsibility through educational exchanges for youth, families, and communities.
28:
342:
277:
Chair – Marc Weiss, Vice Chair – Sara Brandt Treasurer – Liviu Grigorescu Board members – Knut Möller, Gregory Matheson, Laura Gabriela Balanescu
687:
565:
Deutsches Youth For Understanding Komitee (2005–2009): Das weltweite YFU-Netzwerk. Zusammenarbeit mit über 50 eigenständigen Partnerorganisationen. URL:
326:, Belgium, where it works towards representing its members' interests at European level and to facilitate co-ordination between its national members.
697:
593:
188:
The YFU organization in United States was reorganized as YFU USA Inc., which opened on March 9, 2002. The organization's offices were moved to
319:
meetings and conferences on various topics; and to assist in planning and conducting international training for staff and volunteers.
315:
381:
of EEE-YFU's activities is to encourage those students who have participated in exchanges to continue to be involved with YFU by
385:
once they return home. This will help to continue the cycle of learning and will allow YFU to reach out to more young people.
238:
178:
YFU, Inc., the non-profit educational organization, was established in 1964, and the organization's offices were moved to
373:
179:
335:
172:
682:
293:
171:
as the "Urban/Rural Teen-Age Exchange Program". Already in its first year it was supported by members of the
297:
357:
193:
377:
353:
185:
On March 8, 2002, YFU, Inc. ceased operations and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy later that year.
160:
78:
189:
566:
196:, founder and former chair of YFU Deutschland, became the new chairman of the board of YFU USA.
349:
300:
for national Youth For Understanding organisations across Europe and consists of 28 members.
541:
156:
54:
292:
European Educational Exchanges – Youth for Understanding (EEE-YFU) is an international
643:
484:
676:
392:
The following YFU national organisations are members of EEE-YFU: Austria, Belgium (
382:
307:
510:
International Basic Standards For Educational Exchanges of Youth For Understanding
547:. United States Department of State, Office of Inspector General. December 2002
409:
459:
397:
393:
365:
323:
251:
579:
523:
144:
341:
EEE-YFU is an international non-profit organisation under Belgian law
331:
594:"European Educational Exchanges – Youth for Understanding (EEE-YFU)"
414:
214:
European Educational Exchanges – Youth for Understanding (EEE-YFU)
168:
167:
The exchange program itself originated in late summer 1951 by the
134:
Each year, YFU exchanges approximately 4,500 students worldwide.
666:
285:
434:
629:
615:
567:
http://www.yfu.de/ueber-uns/vereinsstruktur/yfu-international
368:
and representation; and knowledge building and networking.
209:
European Educational Exchanges – Youth for Understanding
660:
364:
EEE-YFU works in three main areas: Capacity building;
116:
296:
non-profit organisation, founded in 1985. It is the
281:
271:
261:
244:
233:
218:
112:
102:
94:
84:
74:
60:
50:
35:
693:Non-profit organizations based in Washington, D.C.
159:. In 1951 it was proposed to church leaders in
8:
213:
21:
454:
452:
108:Rachel Andresen, Eric Simon, Ulrich Zahlten
212:
27:
20:
306:YFU was founded shortly after the end of
688:Youth organizations established in 1951
426:
352:Directorate of Youth & Sports, the
155:Youth for Understanding was founded by
7:
322:The organisation has its offices in
596:. Platform for Intercultural Europe
338:programme) working in the office.
14:
16:Educational exchange organization
512:. Youth For Understanding. 2005.
698:1951 establishments in Michigan
644:"European Member Organisations"
334:and volunteers (often from the
98:International exchange programs
667:European Educational Exchanges
182:in Washington, D.C., in 1978.
1:
173:Michigan Council of Churches
714:
616:"European Trainer Network"
336:European Voluntary Service
169:High Commission in Germany
630:"Pool of Representatives"
542:"Report No. AUD/CG-03-12"
437:. Youth for Understanding
26:
267:Europe and International
161:Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
663:(International Website)
661:Youth For Understanding
489:Youth for Understanding
464:Youth For Understanding
125:Youth For Understanding
22:Youth For Understanding
569:(Stand 25. April 2014)
374:intercultural dialogue
316:European institutions
435:"Mission and Values"
358:European Youth Forum
378:youth participation
354:European Commission
215:
79:Ann Arbor, Michigan
23:
190:Bethesda, Maryland
350:Council of Europe
290:
289:
122:
121:
705:
683:Student exchange
648:
647:
640:
634:
633:
626:
620:
619:
612:
606:
605:
603:
601:
590:
584:
583:
576:
570:
563:
557:
556:
554:
552:
546:
538:
532:
531:
520:
514:
513:
506:
500:
499:
497:
495:
481:
475:
474:
472:
470:
456:
447:
446:
444:
442:
431:
229:
227:
216:
67:Washington, D.C.
46:
44:
31:
24:
713:
712:
708:
707:
706:
704:
703:
702:
673:
672:
657:
652:
651:
642:
641:
637:
628:
627:
623:
614:
613:
609:
599:
597:
592:
591:
587:
578:
577:
573:
564:
560:
550:
548:
544:
540:
539:
535:
522:
521:
517:
508:
507:
503:
493:
491:
483:
482:
478:
468:
466:
458:
457:
450:
440:
438:
433:
432:
428:
423:
406:
274:
264:
257:
225:
223:
211:
202:
192:later in 2002.
157:Rachel Andresen
153:
140:
105:
87:
70:
55:Rachel Andresen
42:
40:
17:
12:
11:
5:
711:
709:
701:
700:
695:
690:
685:
675:
674:
671:
670:
664:
656:
655:External links
653:
650:
649:
635:
621:
607:
585:
571:
558:
533:
515:
501:
485:"YFU in brief"
476:
448:
425:
424:
422:
419:
418:
417:
412:
405:
402:
294:youth exchange
288:
287:
283:
279:
278:
275:
272:
269:
268:
265:
262:
259:
258:
256:
255:
248:
246:
242:
241:
235:
231:
230:
220:
210:
207:
201:
198:
194:Ulrich Zahlten
152:
151:History of YFU
149:
139:
136:
120:
119:
114:
110:
109:
106:
103:
100:
99:
96:
92:
91:
88:
85:
82:
81:
76:
72:
71:
69:
68:
64:
62:
58:
57:
52:
48:
47:
37:
33:
32:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
710:
699:
696:
694:
691:
689:
686:
684:
681:
680:
678:
668:
665:
662:
659:
658:
654:
645:
639:
636:
631:
625:
622:
617:
611:
608:
595:
589:
586:
581:
575:
572:
568:
562:
559:
543:
537:
534:
529:
525:
519:
516:
511:
505:
502:
490:
486:
480:
477:
465:
461:
455:
453:
449:
436:
430:
427:
420:
416:
413:
411:
408:
407:
403:
401:
399:
395:
390:
386:
384:
379:
375:
369:
367:
362:
359:
355:
351:
346:
344:
339:
337:
333:
327:
325:
320:
317:
311:
309:
304:
301:
299:
298:umbrella body
295:
286:
284:
280:
276:
270:
266:
260:
253:
250:
249:
247:
243:
240:
236:
232:
221:
217:
208:
206:
199:
197:
195:
191:
186:
183:
181:
176:
174:
170:
165:
162:
158:
150:
148:
146:
137:
135:
132:
130:
126:
118:
115:
111:
107:
101:
97:
93:
89:
83:
80:
77:
73:
66:
65:
63:
59:
56:
53:
49:
38:
34:
30:
25:
19:
638:
624:
610:
598:. Retrieved
588:
574:
561:
549:. Retrieved
536:
527:
518:
509:
504:
494:December 23,
492:. Retrieved
488:
479:
469:December 23,
467:. Retrieved
463:
441:December 13,
439:. Retrieved
429:
391:
387:
383:volunteering
370:
363:
361:activities.
347:
340:
328:
321:
312:
308:World War II
305:
302:
291:
263:Area served
237:Educational
203:
200:Organization
187:
184:
177:
166:
154:
141:
138:Organization
133:
128:
124:
123:
86:Area served
18:
460:"About YFU"
677:Categories
632:. EEE-YFU.
618:. EEE-YFU.
582:. EEE-YFU.
421:References
410:World Link
273:Key people
104:Key people
669:(EEE-YFU)
524:"History"
254:, Belgium
90:Worldwide
600:July 20,
551:July 14,
404:See also
398:Wallonia
394:Flanders
366:advocacy
324:Brussels
252:Brussels
245:Location
180:Rosedale
61:Location
580:"Board"
528:YFU USA
343:(AISBL)
332:interns
282:Website
224: (
219:Founded
145:EEE-YFU
117:yfu.org
113:Website
75:Origins
51:Founder
41: (
36:Founded
646:. yfu.
396:&
356:, the
95:Method
545:(PDF)
415:Ayusa
602:2014
553:2014
496:2013
471:2013
443:2013
376:and
234:Type
226:1985
222:1985
43:1951
39:1951
239:NGO
129:YFU
679::
526:.
487:.
462:.
451:^
345:.
147:.
604:.
555:.
530:.
498:.
473:.
445:.
228:)
127:(
45:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
