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Youth For Understanding's (YFU) global history began between war-torn Germany and the United States. In 1951 it was proposed to church leaders in Michigan, USA that teenagers from Germany be brought to the United States to live with a family and attend high school for a year in an effort to heal the wounds of World War II. As a result, 75 German teenagers arrived in Ann Arbor, Michigan in July 1951. They were hosted by volunteer U.S. families, and as the year went by, it became clear to Dr. Rachel Andresen that building bridges between nations by sending teenagers to live and learn abroad, is exactly what the world needed. And the global effort continues.
Today, YFU is one of the world's oldest, largest, and most respected international educational exchange programs. Since 1951, YFU organizations around the world have exchanged close to 250,000 students. In one year alone, approximately 4,000 students will participate in YFU programs worldwide. Through the exchange experience, YFU students gain skills and perspectives necessary to meet the challenges of and benefit from the opportunities the fast-changing global community has to offer.
Youth For Understanding is a worldwide movement of committed individuals and organizations working together to prepare young people for their responsibilities and challenges in a changing, interdependent global community. YFU's national organizations share a common mission and vision for the future.
