The EF story

EF has been transforming the way the world learns through immersion for nearly 60 years

The EF story

EF has been transforming the way the world learns through immersion for nearly 60 years

It all started with a new vision for education

Bertil Hult founded EF in 1965 with the belief that people learn best through immersion and hands-on experiences. He struggled with traditional classroom learning as a high school student with dyslexia in Sweden, and he realized during a summer job in England that he was picking up English effortlessly by living the language, not studying it. This led him to become one of the early founders of immersion learning.

Today, EF is a global education organization

Thanks to the power of immersion learning, EF helps people around the globe explore new places and experience new cultures, learning more about the world and themselves. Today, EF teachers and team members work in schools and admissions offices in over 50 countries—yet we all share the same 60-year mission: opening the world through education by breaking down the barriers of language, culture, and geography that divide us.


EF Academy's commitment to you

We challenge ourselves to live up to these educational principles each and every day:

- All students are capable of high achievement.

- Student-centric teachers are the key to a great education.

- The best way to learn something is to experience it.

- The future belongs to those who understand the world.

- A true education helps students figure out what they’re good at.

- Happy kids succeed.

We started EF Academy to build a better school

We believe a 21st-century education must provide students with far more than preparation for university. We unlock each student’s unique potential through a highly immersive education designed to ignite their curiosity, growth, and well-being. And we provide them with the real-world knowledge and skills that are essential for leading a successful and happy life.

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