. ▁ ▁The ▁mission ▁of ▁E EE - Y F U ▁is ▁to ▁advance ▁inter c ult ural ▁understanding , ▁mut ual ▁respect , ▁and ▁social ▁responsibility ▁through ▁educational ▁ex changes ▁for ▁youth , ▁families , ▁and ▁communities . ▁ ▁Y F U ▁was ▁founded ▁shortly ▁after ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 1 . ▁It ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁world ' s ▁oldest ▁education ▁exchange ▁organis ations ▁and ▁currently ▁has ▁program mes ▁in ▁about ▁ 6 0 ▁countries ▁around ▁the ▁world . ▁F ounded ▁to ▁allow ▁young ▁Germ ans ▁the ▁opportunity ▁to ▁experience ▁another ▁culture ▁outside ▁of ▁their ▁own , ▁Y F U ▁organ ised ▁for ▁them ▁to ▁go ▁on ▁exchange ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁see ▁what ▁life ▁was ▁like ▁there ▁and ▁to ▁develop ▁an ▁understanding ▁of ▁dem ocracy . ▁Since ▁then ▁Y F U ▁has ▁grown ▁and ▁now ▁sends ▁young ▁people ▁between ▁ 1 5 ▁and ▁ 1 8 ▁years ▁old ▁on ▁international ▁high ▁school ▁ex changes ▁to ▁other ▁countries , ▁where ▁the ▁students ▁will ▁live ▁with ▁and ▁become ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁host ▁family . ▁ ▁National ▁Y F U ▁organis ations ▁from ▁around ▁the ▁world ▁are ▁all ▁independent ▁from ▁one ▁another . ▁However , ▁there ▁does ▁exist ▁an ▁International ▁Secret ariat ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁facil itate ▁co - operation ▁and ▁communication ▁amongst ▁them ▁on ▁a ▁global ▁scale , ▁and ▁to ▁provide ▁them ▁with ▁support . ▁ ▁E EE - Y F U ▁is ▁a ▁member ▁organisation , ▁and ▁its ▁members