At YFU, we believe in the power of young people to create a more connected and understanding world.
But what does it really mean to change the world through young people?
For YFU Secretary General Gregory Matheson, it starts with making sure that our mission is more than just words. It has to be reflected in the everyday reality of an exchange student’s experience — from the moment they leave home to the moment they return.
A successful exchange is not simply about travelling to another country. It is about a young person arriving safely, being welcomed by a prepared host family and community, receiving support when challenges arise, and returning home with greater confidence, maturity and understanding of different perspectives.
And making that possible requires a global network working together.
One organisation, many roots
YFU operates across nearly 50 countries, with each national organisation bringing its own knowledge, experience and connection to its local community.
From Chile to Finland, Belgium to Brazil, France to the United States and beyond, YFU organisations understand the schools, families, communities and cultural contexts in which they work.
This local knowledge is one of our greatest strengths.
At the same time, being part of YFU means sharing a common commitment to quality, safeguarding and the wellbeing of young people. Every student should be able to rely on the same fundamental promise of care and support, wherever in the world their exchange takes place.
Local judgement and common discipline are therefore not opposing ideas. They are what allow a global organisation like YFU to remain both consistent and deeply connected to the communities it serves.
Leadership is everyone’s responsibility
YFU’s work is not led by one headquarters or carried by one group of people.
It depends on national teams, local boards, volunteers, host families and countless people working behind the scenes to support students throughout their exchange.
Every one of these people plays a role in upholding the trust placed in YFU.
That responsibility becomes particularly important when things don’t go according to plan. Young people may struggle with homesickness, cultural differences, misunderstandings or the challenges of adapting to a completely new environment.
These moments are not failures of the exchange experience. Often, they are where some of the most meaningful learning takes place — provided young people are supported through them safely and thoughtfully.
A shared commitment to young people
Ultimately, YFU is about people.
It is about the courage of students who choose to step outside the world they know.
It is about host families who open their homes and lives to someone from another culture.
It is about volunteers who dedicate their time and energy to supporting young people.
And it is about staff across the network who work every day to make these experiences possible.
Our mission to create a more peaceful and understanding world through intercultural exchange is ambitious. But it becomes meaningful through the small, everyday actions that make a student’s experience safe, supported and transformative.
As Gregory Matheson writes, “Leadership across the YFU network exists to protect that promise, make it consistent, and pass it on stronger than we found it.”
That is how we change the world — not through slogans, but through the daily work of creating meaningful connections across cultures and generations.
Read the full article
For a deeper reflection on YFU’s global network, leadership and the responsibility we share towards young people, read the full article by Gregory Matheson, YFU Secretary General.
