Exchange Students Reunite After 51 Years Fifty one years ago, Regina Tommasi, an AFS Student from Brazil, and Satu Valkama, a Youth for Understanding (YFU) Student from Finland, formed a friendship as the only exchange students at New Castle High School in Indiana. Last month, Tommasi and Valkama reunited in Helsinki thanks to a New […]
Author: Edith Yang
The following stories are great examples of AFS-USA programs, students and families featured in the media. You can use these pieces to promote AFS in your area and as inspiration for pitching stories to your own local media outlets! AFS Exchange Students in Minnesota Reflect on Study Abroad From learning how to be more independent to […]
We are happy to announce new features that have been added to MyAFS! Updates to the MyAFS Team Directory – Hosted Students We have added a new feature to the Hosted Students view in your Team Directory. You now have the ability to view the hosted students coming to your team for the 2017-2018 program […]
Interested in learning more about MyAFS? Curious about Help & Learning and how it’s replacing the AFS Wiki? We have the answers! Upcoming webinars will provide an overview of these exciting new tools. Both were designed to make your volunteer tasks easier and faster. They are mobile-friendly and work just as well from your tablet […]
Becoming a “welcome” host family for an AFS student offers the chance to discover a new perspective and create a life-long connection with someone from around the world. Plus, welcome families can help make an international high schooler’s first few weeks in the U.S. absolutely unforgettable! Share this opportunity with anyone you know who is […]
We’re excited to share two new blog posts about AFS Exchange Students hosted in the U.S. last year! Both students were recipients of the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Program scholarship, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Educational and Cultural Affairs Bureau (ECA). Maryse from Lebanon was hosted in Wisconsin, where she did […]
As you probably know, a recent Wall Street Journal article (in which AFS-USA was featured) covered the notion that we could benefit from a form of student exchange right here in our own country. When I applied to be an AFS student (in 1979), the AFS-USA Domestic Program was a program option that I had […]
This month AFS-USA is pleased to spotlight Becky Minor of North Bend, Oregon, who has been a volunteer with the Pacific Cascades team since 1997. How did you learn about AFS and what prompted you to get involved? I have known about AFS for so long that I don’t remember how I learned about it. […]
Did you know that we offer year, semester and short-term opportunities for families to host an exchange student? We want to make sure everyone knows, especially so we can find placements for all of our “semester” students coming this fall! Share post on Facebook: Highlight and copy one of the sample captions below, then click […]
Today marks the start of Champion’s Month, a nationwide initiative to assist in host family recruitment for select groups of AFS students arriving this August. This initiative will run for approximately six weeks. Resources tailored for these select groups will be sent weekly to all Area Team Chairs and Hosting Volunteers. If you would like […]