About us

OUR GOAL

To promote international understanding and world peace through education and information sharing among human services professionals.

OUR OBJECTIVE

To maintain relations and provide further education and the exchange of work experience between CIF participants through personal contacts, conferences, and reunions.

We are part of the Council of International Fellowship (CIF), which is a private, voluntary, non-for-profit, politically and religiously independent organization founded in 1960 (View our Videos).

The goal of CIF is to promote international understanding and world peace through education and information sharing among human services professionals.

The basic philosophy of CIF is that exchange programs contribute toward mutual understanding and peace between people from different cultures--something we need more than ever in today's world.

CIF organizes exchange programs in the fields of social work, special education, youth work, and in related professions. The programs offer a unique opportunity for learning and sharing in an international context.

More than 30 countries have established national CIF branches throughout Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, North American, South America, and Oceania. Most of them also run CIF Exchange Programs.

In 1960 former participants founded CIF International and initiated exchange programs in their own countries. The program is organized entirely by trained professionals on a voluntary basis. They are mostly former participants in the CIF/CIPUSA programs and supporters of CIF/CIPUSA.

The program structure is essentially similar in all countries. It consists of a theoretical introduction and orientation, fieldwork experience or agency visits, host family living, and cultural exchange. The duration of the programs varies from 2.5 to 5 weeks. In the USA, CIPUSA organizes programs of 3 weeks to 18 months. Some countries charge a fee for the program.

Qualification to participate in a CIF program.

The applicant must have at least three years of professional experience, and speak and understand English.

Welcome to the Council of International Fellowship-USA.