Next week, for the first time in nearly five years, the entire AFS-USA staff will gather together, in person, for several days of collaboration, training, and renewal. This rare opportunity will allow us to work together in person on areas that are vital to our shared success — strengthening our organizational strategy, deepening departmental collaboration, refining our support systems, and learning how to serve you, our volunteers, even more effectively.

While staff will be away from their desks from Monday through Thursday, the office will operate solely on a duty officer system to respond to true emergencies. We ask for your kind consideration in determining whether an issue impacts the immediate safety of a student, and we appreciate your patience with any temporary delays in response times during this important week.

We are confident that the time invested in this retreat will allow us to return better equipped, better connected, and even more united in supporting the mission we share — fostering intercultural understanding through the extraordinary work of volunteers like you.

Thank you for your partnership, your patience, and your ongoing dedication to AFS-USA.

Tara Hofmann
President & CEO
AFS-USA