In order to clarify the Religion question (Form C, Q 11) in our Host Family Online Application, we have revised the question based on feedback and input from representatives from Hosting Operations, RMCQA, Team Development and Field Operations. We hope the question is now clear, based on the department of state requirements, and helpful in […]
During the recent House State-Foreign Operations (SFOPS) Appropriations Subcommittee Hearing on the administration’s FY2018 budget request for the Department of State, Pennsylvania Congressman Charlie Dent (R) voiced his strong support for educational and cultural exchange programs and expressed concern about the 55% cut to exchange program funding proposed by the Trump administration for FY2018. Focusing particularly […]
I am very pleased to let you all know that the Customer Experience Department is making a positive change in the way that we interact with volunteers and field staff. After gathering feedback from volunteers and staff at the NVA, organizing individual meetings, and conducting in depth team review of the 2016-2017 year in Sending, we […]
Congratulations! Now that it’s June, we are officially in the final month of the NH16 hosting cycle and our students will return home soon. While we understand this can be a very emotional and busy time of year, remember that every student and their host family must have a contact recorded in the month of […]
Dear AFS-USA Volunteers, As some of you may already know, Jen Peck, a former AFS-USA employee who worked for many years in the Portland office, passed away on May 31, 2017. Jen began working for AFS-USA in 1999 as Sending Coordinator before being promoted to Manager. In 2008, she became Director of Outbound Programs, and […]
We hope you’re enjoying the “10 for 10 Challenge,” a series of fun daily activities to help you reach out to new families about hosting. Our goal is to find 10 host families a day for 10 days straight—and volunteers like you are the ones who can make it happen. Yesterday was our Day 1 […]
My Year in Germany As a sophomore in high school, I was lucky enough to meet an AFS Exchange Student studying at a local high school. After hearing about her experiences, I met with my local AFS Volunteers to discuss the different opportunities to study abroad, including the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) scholarship. I wanted […]
I had just arrived in Germany and after being awake for many, many hours, I was almost at the end of my journey. I was riding a train from Frankfurt Airport to Berlin with two very kind AFS Germany Volunteers and two exchange students, both nervous to meet their host families for the first time […]
Back in the fall, my school hosted a special day where all of the classes sold food or handicrafts to other students to raise money for class trips and other activities. My class decided to sell moo bing, or grilled flavored pork on a stick. I joined many of my classmates the day before to […]
I’ve always been interested in other cultures, but never thought much about my own. Prior to coming on exchange, I had a hard time identifying American culture. I saw culture as presentable things such as traditional dress, foods, dance, holidays, etc. Of course we do have holidays, but they were just “normal” holidays to me. Thus, when […]