Friends Forever International

09/02/2026

Our programs may be built for high school students, but they simply wouldn’t be possible without the alumni who take the next step in their leadership journey by coming back to lead them. 🌻

Every summer, our Alumni Team Leaders give an incredible amount of themselves to make each FFI program the experience it is, and Summer 2026 was no different. They facilitated workshops, mentored and supported participants, kept teams organized and on time, navigated the inevitable surprises that come with residential programs, and were there for the countless little moments in between.

Our Alumni Team Leaders truly are the lifeblood of FFI’s programs.

There’s also something special about watching the cycle continue. Many of our Team Leaders return because they remember the alumni who supported them when they were participants. And now they want to have that same impact on the next generation of FFI students.

And this summer, that cycle came full circle in an especially exciting way for Alex Brodeur!

Alex first came to FFI as a participant in our 2021 Nationwide Program. She returned as an Alumni Team Leader, continued taking on more responsibility, and this summer stepped into the role of Program Coordinator. We’re thrilled that she is now continuing her journey with FFI as our Alumni Coordinator! (Swipe to the last photo to see Alex in her element 👀)

A huge thank you to all the alumni (including those who were only able to join us for a day or two) who gave their time, energy, patience, and leadership to our programs this summer. We couldn’t do this without you. 💛

08/27/2026

It takes a lot of people to turn two weeks abroad into an experience that stays with you. 🌍

Some of the most meaningful moments for Team Interlink came from our own alumni.

2024 alumni , now a youth activist and political representative in West Belfast, shared how his FFI Community Action Project grew into ongoing litter picks across Belfast, then led the team on one in Dunmurry.

Fellow 2024 alumni Lauren 🇪🇺🇺🇳✨ , now an EU Youth Delegate to the United Nations, joined the team at Stormont and the Peace Walls, providing historical and cultural context. Longtime alum and FFI Board Member Jess Maye and her family also welcomed everyone for dinner. Full circle!

And so many others welcomed our team:

💛 Harry's Mates hosted us in Ballynahinch for a day of volunteering, games, cultural exchange and karaoke with their members. Stay tuned—there’s much more to come from this partnership!

🏛️ In Derry/Londonderry, Deputy Mayor Grace Uí Niallais shared her journey into politics and offered feedback on participants’ Community Action Projects. Foyle Women's Information Network showed the team another example of female leadership and advocacy in action.

⚙️ A classic FFI Belfast day included Politics in Action , where the team explored the power of youth action; Queen’s University Belfast, where they considered their own future university journeys; and W5 LIFE, where they explored STEM, skills and opportunity.

⚓ Carrickfergus Rotary Club planned a full day, volunteering alongside the team at Kilcreggan Homes (including this animal sanctuary) and hosting them for lunch. FFI’s very first team came from Carrickfergus in 1986. Forty years later, a team representing nine countries returned. A pretty fitting way to celebrate how far FFI has come.

A huge thank you to everyone who welcomed Team Interlink and shared their time and expertise with us!

08/21/2026

Yesterday, we wrapped up one of the most international youth programs in FFI’s history.

For two weeks, 11 young people from Peru, Pakistan, Egypt, Kyrgyzstan, Japan, Turkey, Canada, and Kazakhstan and 4 students from New Hampshire lived with and learned from each other at our campus in Annalong, Northern Ireland.

That meant 15 young people from 9 countries, bringing different cultures, languages, experiences, perspectives, and ideas together as one team.

There’s something especially fitting about reaching this milestone during FFI’s 40th anniversary year.

In 1986, FFI began by bringing a small group of young people from divided communities in Northern Ireland to New Hampshire. And only in recent years have we expanded to offer both New Hampshire programs for local youth and Global programs bringing young people to FFI from around the world.

This summer, those two newer chapters of FFI’s story came together for the first time.

Thank you to the incredible Team Interlink for making a little FFI history with us!

08/15/2026

Excited to have our evolution over forty years be featured in the Belfast Telegraph today.

08/14/2026

When you’re on a mountain. No one is a stranger and smiles come easy.

08/11/2026

We were thrilled to welcome participants from the A Bahá’í Center Of Learning Center to learn about FFI’s programs and the power of non-traditional education.

We talked about how FFI empowers young people to make a lasting impact in their communities, with alum Gavin ’24 sharing his own experience and the impact FFI has had on him.

A great conversation with an incredibly engaged group of students!

08/10/2026

Just 48 hrs into the program and the team has mowed and weeded neighbors lawns, had culinary trainings, painted the center, received several intense workshops in their 2nd and 3rd language, learned yoga, created team commitments and more. Stay tuned for updates on the magic. 🙏

08/08/2026

08/07/2026

Our Ireland/Northern Ireland Immersion Program finished last week, and we were sad to see Team Optimisticality go!

So much of what made these two weeks special were the inspiring local entrepreneurs, educators, nonprofit leaders, business professionals, first responders, volunteers, and community members who opened their doors to the team, shared their experiences, listened to their ideas and goals, and gave them opportunities to learn firsthand what leadership looks like in many different walks of life.

The team met with Dean Michelle Dillon at the University of New Hampshire to talk about education, leadership, and their Community Action Projects; learned about business, careers, and teamwork from Jim Jalbert of C&J Bus Lines, Ben Auger of Auger Building Company, Jeff Johnston and the team behind the The Truette Dover project, and our friends at Blue Dolphin Screenprint, where they even got to make their own FFI shirts!

They learned about service and inclusion while spending time with students and staff at the Monarch School of New England and residents at RiverWoods Durham, while Center for Teen Empowerment connected them with young people in Dorchester to exchange ideas about youth leadership and community change.

Our friends at Rotary Club Of Amesbury and Marblehead Harbor Rotary showed the team community service in action, with Marblehead Harbor Rotary even planning an entire day of activities, service, an improv workshop, and time on the water. And the Durham Fire Local 2253 gave them a firsthand look at public service, including an unforgettable ride back to FFI in their fire trucks! 🚒

Special shoutout to local families like Tod & Vicky O’Dowd Vicki O’Dowd and Bob Gibson & Sheri Gibson | Interior Designer NH Seacoast for welcoming the team into their homes for meals, conversation, and thoughtfully listening to participants’ speeches about their “why.”

This is a huge part of what an FFI Immersion Program is all about. Leadership isn’t something young people learn only from a workbook or workshop. They learn it by meeting people who find their own ways to make their communities better.

08/06/2026

A heartfelt thank you to Revo Casino and Social House for their incredibly generous donation to Friends Forever International! This investment will help us continue providing 100% full scholarships for life-changing leadership programs for young people from across New Hampshire, the U.S., and the globe.

We're also extremely grateful to Seneca Adam Bernard, whose longstanding support of FFI and belief in our mission helped make this partnership possible. Thank you for continuing to champion our work and the young people we serve.