Information for parents

AFS offers a variety of programs for students. They can attend a local secondary school in another country as a full-time student during an academic year, semester or trimester. Cultural immersion, language study, volunteer opportunities, and single topic courses (such as investigating environmental issues or studying new technology) are short-term opportunities lasting several weeks up to three months.

• Most AFS students live with a host family. Our families are carefully chosen, screened and prepared to welcome an AFS student into their home. This includes participating in the AFS Host Family Intercultural Learning Journey program (facilitated by trained AFS volunteers and staff) before, during and after their host family experience. Your child will be treated like one of the family and welcomed to join in family routines, meals, activities and traditions.
• Although much less common, some students live in dormitories, with weekend homestays to experience everyday life in a new community. For a very few short-term programs, students may even live in camp-like settings, if appropriate.
• Once a student’s application is accepted, AFS volunteers and staff in the host country will look for a community and family that are right for that student. We encourage students to be as open and flexible as possible when it comes to placement.
• All living facilities and situations are inspected and closely monitored by AFS throughout the exchange experience.

The health, safety and well-being of our students is the number one priority for AFS. AFS volunteers and staff are committed and trained to support students and their families throughout the AFS experience. AFS has consistent guidelines that apply to all AFS member organizations. All AFS member organizations also have a local 24-hour emergency contact number that is always monitored.

Most AFS programs provide USD 1 million in travel medical insurance for accidents and illness to our participants while on the program, which includes medical repatriation and additional benefits not often found on travel medical policies.

The AFS Student Learning Journey & Curriculum covers the AFS experience before, during and after your child’s exchange program. The program has three primary goals to help your child:

1. Become more comfortable with their new family and school
2. Learn how to communicate with and make friends with people from different cultures.
3. Begin developing the knowledge, skills and understanding that young global citizens need to compete, live, study, work, volunteer and become leaders in an increasingly diverse and global world.

The AFS Student Learning Journey & Curriculum is based on the 16 AFS Educational Goals (developed by AFS international experts in intercultural learning) and is facilitated by trained AFS volunteers and staff. It Includes fun and informative orientation sessions in your home and host countries to help students prepare and enjoy their AFS exchange.

The The AFS Educational Goals are designed to help students improve in four areas:

Personal values and skills: As a result of their experiences, students learn how to turn difficult situations into valuable opportunities for personal growth. They are challenged to reassess their values, stretch their capacities and practice new life skills while learning more about themselves. Students usually become more confident, improve their creative and critical thinking skills and learn how to solve their own problems.

Interpersonal relationship building: AFS students become fully involved in daily living and working arrangements with a variety of people in the new environment. This may include host families, community residents, educators and other students. These skills are transferable to many other settings during your child’s lifetime. Being part of a family, school and community improves their communication and language skills and teaches young people how to work more effectively in groups and teams.

(Inter)cultural knowledge and sensitivity: The AFS exchange experience deepens students’ insights into their home culture as well as their knowledge of their host (or visiting) cultures—both strengths and weaknesses. Learning how to appreciate other cultures helps students value cultural and other difference, and how differences make our world a stronger more interesting place.

Global issues awareness: Students learn to appreciate and empathize different perspectives on global issues and concerns, and thus appreciate that workable solutions often need to be culturally sensitive to succeed. Our goal is to encourage and empower students to work with others to help build a more peaceful and just world—at home or across the globe.

Combining real-world experiences and the AFS Student Learning Journey & Curriculum materials, AFS volunteers, staff and host families help students:

• Learn how to turn challenging situations into valuable opportunities for personal growth
• Discover new ways to solve problems
• Practice new life skills in cross-cultural settings
• Learn to respect and value differences
• Enjoy exciting experiences that help young global citizens shape and define their place in increasingly diverse and internationalized schools, communities and workplaces
• Practice being a leader and collaborating across differences.

Most students are concerned about fitting in, especially when they don’t speak the language. Facing challenges  is an important part of the experience, but most AFS students adjust, make friends and have fun in the process—and the AFS trained volunteers and staff help them every step of the way.

One way to learn more about studying abroad and what’s it’s like to make friends in other countries is to meet other AFSers from our country, visit our social media, or go to our international AFS Facebook page to connect with AFS students from all over the world.