On Thursday, January 15, Volunteers and Staff came together to start piecing together the 2026 AFS Hosting Puzzle and unveil this year’s theme: Together, We Make Exchange Possible!
AFS-USA will be placing 873 Students for the NH26 Placement Cycle! Please see the updated Hosting Distribution Process. You can also view the CORE NH26 Hosting Numbers document for more information about how many CORE students from each country we’re anticipating.
The Hosting Advisory Group would like to connect with volunteers throughout all Area Teams to join a Hosting Volunteer Community to collaborate with one another throughout the 2026-27 Placement Cycle. Get Connected! Hosting Volunteer Community – MyAFS News
The 2026 AFS Hosting Puzzle
This hosting cycle we will be sharing hosting “puzzle pieces” that are key for us to meet our hosting goals. The first three were shared during the hosting call:
Hosting Puzzle Piece #1: Volunteers
Volunteers are both the pieces that hold our mission together and the hands that assemble it. AFS-USA provides the picture, but volunteers bring it to life through connection, creativity, and action.
We are looking for people to join the Volunteer Engagement Advisory Group! For more information and to learn how to apply to join visit HERE.
Hosting Puzzle Piece #2: Schools
Staff and peers are here to support your local efforts with schools!
Anyone can be an AFS-USA School Representative! Join one of the monthly School Outreach Meetings to learn about current offers for schools and engage with staff and peers about your school challenges and successes.
We also invite all volunteers to check out the monthly School Representative Newsletters which provide resources and email templates for schools.
Hosting Puzzle Piece #3: Communities
There are many ways to share the opportunity to get involved with AFS in your community! Local community involvement is always the best way to keep AFS and your team visible. You can build trust and brand awareness by being present in your community at tabling events and more.
Visit the AFS Visibility in Your Community: How to Run a Tabling Event for great resources on how to run a successful tabling event.
NEW Instagram Takeover Guidelines for Teams who want to provide this opportunity to their students, either locally or nationally. This is a great way to showcase the hosting experience and “a day in the life” of an AFS exchange student. It’s also a way to collect content from students which can be used for other purposes, as long as you have permission to do so.
Canva Pro is a design platform we offer to teams at no cost! Access AFS-USA branded templates, create presentations, event invitations, flyers, social media posts, and more using our pre-uploaded brand kit or request a custom design from us using this form.
Important reminder: Marketing resources can be found on Help and Learning and that we have a variety of print materials and giveaways which can be ordered at no cost. These sites are updated throughout the year! Consider being the Marketing and outreach point person for your team and receive monthly emails with tips, tricks, and meetup invitations – learn more here.
Please reach out to your Field Specialist if you want to get more involved in promoting AFS students to come to your community. If you are unsure who your Field Specialist is, please reach out to the Regional Directors – Kate Sullivan, ksullivan@afsusa.org in the East or Sara Roberts, sroberts@afsusa.org in the West to get connected.
We look forward to hearing about and celebrating all the successes this placement cycle. Together, We Make Exchange Possible!