About Us
- Who we are?
- Our Mission
- Why go with YFU?
- Our National Office and Staff
- Coordinators and Volunteers
- Our Service Guarantee
Who is YFU?
Youth For Understanding (YFU) is an independent, non-profit, non-sectarian, volunteer-based organisation dedicated not just to international exchange for young people, but through them, the interchange and sharing of ideas, attitudes and mutual respect.YFU was originally established in the United States in 1951 to build friendship between the youth of the United States and Germany after the Second World War. The program was an immediate success and has expanded to 50 countries worldwide.
YFU started in New Zealand over 25 years ago in 1985, when a group of interested people joined together to promote the benefits of an international exchange experience. YFU is registered as a student exchange organisation by The Ministry of Education in New Zealand.
YFU has successfully exchanged more than 250 000 students worldwide and has been praised by many organisations and governments for its contribution to world peace and intercultural understanding.
The strength of the YFU network of which YFU New Zealand is part are the worldwide quality standards in program management supported by an International secretariat which monitors all our programs.
Daily communication among the YFU organisations occurs though an inter-office intranet which links all YFU National offices around the world. This ensures that there is very timely and high quality professional support for students, their host families and their natural parents at all times.
Our Mission
Our mission is to offer young people programs to prepare them for their responsibilities in a changing, interdependent worldWhy Go on Exchange with YFU?
YFU has:- 60 years experience in achieving international understanding through exchange
- A global network working to internationally agreed-upon quality program standards
- A not-for-profit worldwide organisation, with a network of highly experienced and trained staff and volunteers to advise and support students and families in every country
- A guarantee of country of choice
- A carefully screened host family according to our worldwide standards
- A strong support network to help you with any difficulty you may experience while on exchange
- A trained and dedicated local support person to assist and advise you while on exchange
- An immersion experience with an educational focus rather than a travel experience
Our National Office and Staff
The Australia/new Zealand National office is in Hornsby in Sydney’s northern suburbs, our New Zealand office is in Bulls, Palmerston North. Our staff are very experienced in all the educational and cultural aspects of student exchange. They have lived or worked overseas, been host families to exchange students or participated in exchange programs and speak a number of languages. They will provide expert advice and help with any questions or issues you or your parents may have.Our Coordinators and Volunteers
YFU New Zealand has a network of volunteers across New Zealand who organise host family and outbound student interviews and YFU orientations and other social activities for students, host families and natural families.All our volunteers are very experienced in student exchange. They have all been involved with exchange programs as a participant, a host family or as a natural parent of an exchange student. They are highly trained in supporting and advising families and students. Such experience and training means YFU provides expert advice and support for natural parents, exchange students, host families and to teachers and schools.
Our staff and volunteers in every YFU organisation around the world have similar experience and expertise in supporting students through in country orientations and through regular contact with students and their host families.
Our Service Guarantee to You
YFU will:- Provide you with a quality exchange program with timely and professional advice and support at all stages of the program from the time you enquire until you return home
- Support your natural parents, throughout your exchange with friendly and timely responses to their queries and concerns
- Maintain our 24/7 emergency phone to support natural parents, host families, volunteers and students in times of difficulty. Help is always a phone call away in any YFU organisation anywhere in the world
- Ensure staff and volunteers are open and honest in all their communication and dealings with students, host families, natural parents and with one another in accordance with YFU New Zealand’s Code of Conduct policy