In preparation for this cycle, AFS-USA Support staff and the Volunteer Support Advisory Committee have implemented some new Support practices and procedures. Please see the details of these Support Innovations outlined below!

1. Area Team Crisis Plan: As the NH20 cycle begins we anticipate the new realities of this hosting year in addition to the hosting challenges we prepare for every cycle. Each Area Team hosting students for the NH20 cycle is being asked to complete a Crisis Plan to ensure that your team is appropriately prepared to host and support students and host families this cycle. Resources within your team may have changed greatly from past years, so this is a good time to take stock and document this shared team knowledge. Once complete, you can find your Area Team’s Crisis Plan in MyAFS under the Team widget.
2. Support Best Practices for the NH20 Cycle: Please check out the new section on Help & Learning “COVID-19: Supporting Students and Families”. This is a robust resource of best practices in supporting students and families specifically in the NH20 cycle making considerations to the impact COVID-19 may have on the exchange experience and how AFS can best support students during this unique year. Topics include: student and host family engagement, virtual support to students and host families, medical and mental health concerns, academic expectations, proactive support, and much more. Keep an eye out for new articles or adjustments to existing guidance as the cycle progresses!
3. Pre-Arrival Orientation: This year, AFS-USA Support and ICL staff conducted a Pre-Arrival “USA Cultural and Hosting Realities” Orientation for inbound students to the USA. This session included topics specifically addressing COVID-19 and the how the current environment in the USA could impact our participants’ experience as well as general Hosting Realities in the USA. We held  both a live session and recorded session which can be found here.

Feel free to reach out to the Participant Support Department with any questions!

-Participant Support Department