Intrax is dedicated to connecting people and cultures, inspired by our two founders' own cross-cultural experiences.
In 1980, founders John Wilhelm and Takeshi Yokota began organizing small groups of Japanese students to come to the U.S. and stay with American host families for two to four-week homestays. Their mission was to provide both the students and the families with unique and personal connections that would increase cultural understanding and inspire mutual respect and personal growth.
As time went on, the program grew to include other countries and additional cross-cultural experiences. What began as a single program has grown into an ever-expanding family of programs designed to connect people from all over the world.
Today Intrax has a presence in more than 100 countries around the world and welcomes more than 25,000 participants into its programs each year. We work to inspire a lifetime of cultural understanding, global awareness and citizen diplomacy. Every year, we are energized by the people whose personal and professional journeys intersect with ours.

Company Timeline
Company founded in San Francisco, California as International Training and Exchange (Intrax) providing home-stay programs.
Ayusa International founded as a non-profit in San Francisco. Offices are located in the "Icehouse," a renovated warehouse near the Embarcadero in San Francisco.
Ayusa becomes a founding member of the Council on Standards for International Educational Travel (CSIET).
Intrax opens a new office in Japan.
AuPairCare, a live-in childcare program, is launched.
Intrax opens a new office in Germany.
Intrax opens Centers in San Francisco and San Diego offering English and professional skills.
Intrax added a Work Travel program to provide work opportunities for international university students on their summer breaks.
Intrax opens Chicago Center offering English and professional skills. To date, more than 120,000 individuals have participated in Intrax programs.
Internship programs launched. Initial program brings young professionals from around the world to the U.S. for work experience. Intrax opens a new office in Canada.
Intrax launches Lango, foreign language immersion for kids, offering Spanish classes.
Intrax launches Internships Abroad program with internships in London, Paris, Madrid, Barcelona, and Tokyo.
Ayusa receives Emerging Youth Leaders Grant from U.S. Department of State. Lango expands to offer French and Mandarin classes.
Intrax opens new offices in France, Korea, Peru and Chile. Intrax acquires ProWorld, volunteer abroad programs in Belize, Brazil, Ghana, India, Mexico, Peru and Thailand. Ayusa conducts Mexico Youth Leadership Program (Jóvenes en Acción). Internships Abroad expands internship programs to Germany and China.
Intrax launches Teach Abroad program in five countries: Chile, China, Korea, Peru, and Taiwan. ProWorld expands volunteer programs to Costa Rica, Ecuador and Nepal. Internships Abroad expands its program to Chile.

