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YES 2024 | Finding Common Ground in a Divided World
The YES is organised by volunteers for YFU Students!
The YES – the Youth Empowerment Seminar – event came to life 38 years ago in Europe, when a few ambitious YFU volunteers wanted to give back to their community and offer YFU exchange students a unique culmination of their year abroad. They brought into being a place where students after a year abroad could mesh with the international YFU community, engage with powerful, contemporary social issues spanning borders, and prepare for their journey back home.
What is the YES?
In 2024 the YES is a global event taking place outside of Berlin on 23 - 27 June 2025 . It will attract 400 participants and 100 volunteers to spend a week participating in an unforgettable setting, learning about this year’s theme, Mission 2030: Dream Big, Act Now, approaching topics of sustainability in a creative way.
“We aim to empower participants to expand upon the learnings gained through exchange programs or other intercultural experiences, and thus become proactive and globally oriented agents of change.”
With time, the event has gathered a strong community of passionate, international volunteers, many of whom return year after year in different roles – from delivering quality educational content to coordinating travel logistics of hundreds of young participants – and unified by one clear goal.
Join the YES as a participant
If you are a YFU Exchange student hosted in Europe, you now have the chance to attend the biggest event in YFU and meet 400 other exchange students from all over the world.
If your HOME COUNTRY is in Europe, you should have gotten an invitation to attend the YES. JUST SAY YES! In case you did not get it, please contact your hosting organisation and ask about the YES.
If your HOME COUNTRY is outside Europe, you will have to apply to become a GLOBAL STUDENT at the YES.
Read below!
Note: If you have spent the exchange year outside Europe, you may still be able to participate in the YES if your HOME country is in Europe. Ask your sending organisation if that is possible in your case. You register through your sending org.
Joining as a Global Participant
You should be aware that:
Both your sending and hosting YFU organisations must agree they would like to send global participants to the YES and they have to validate your application
The participation fee for a Global participant is 575 Euro (which includes accommodation, meals, travel from your hosting country to the YES (only 1 way inclued, as you will go back home after the YES) and amazing activities).
There is one exception to this rule: If you are a Global participant hosted in Germany your participation fee will be 375 Euro, and you will depart home right after the YES.
First off, you need to ask your NATURAL and HOST FAMILY if they agree with you coming to the YES (make sure to get their ok on the participation fee!)
If you get approval, you can apply from the link below.
The deadline for application is March 1st, 2025
After that, your application will have to be validated by both your hosting and sending YFU organisations. As soon as your validation is complete, YOU ARE IN!
For questions please contact the YFU Global Office by email.
How to apply as a Global Participant
If you are a YFU Exchange student hosted in Europe, you now have the chance to attend the biggest event in YFU and meet 400 other exchange students from all over the world.