Dear AFS Volunteers, Last January, over 2,000 young people across the globe began dreaming of coming to the U.S. They put their faith in the volunteers and staff of AFS-USA, and we answered accordingly. We’ve worked incredibly hard. We have shown what volunteers can do, and what U.S. citizens are truly made of. And we […]
Tag: Hosting
Families decide to host an AFS Exchange Student for lots of reasons, from learning about another country to building bridges of understanding between cultures. This new video shows some of the many reasons given by host families who have opened their hearts and their homes to high schoolers from around the world. Share this Facebook […]
This time of year we get a lot of questions about student medical cards. This is a friendly reminder that this information is available on MyAFS and ID cards (which contain medical information) can be printed in bulk from Global Link. Once all of the students have arrived, new cards will be sent directly to […]
Thanks to the AFS-USA Volunteers who helped get the following articles published! Learn how you can do the same by viewing the media outreach tips and resources in Help & Learning. YES Student’s Experience Exploring the U.S. Isheka Argawal, a YES Student hosted in Virginia, wrote about her lifelong dream to visit the U.S. and discussed her experience […]
Each NH cycle, some of our Semester (SM) students decide that they would like to extend their program. This year’s decision deadline for program extension is November 7, 2017 with a paperwork deadline of December 8, 2017. If you become aware that a student would like to extend their program, please email the following information […]
As our community comes together to find host families for the international students arriving this fall, it’s important for all AFS Staff and Volunteers to keep certain guidelines in mind. Don’t forget that CSIET and Department of State host family recruitment standards must be met in order to ensure the privacy and safety of all participants. […]
Now that the first wave of hosted students has arrived, it’s a good time for a reminder about our contact requirements for students and host families. Maintaining regular contact throughout the year with our participants and their host families, whether in person, by phone, or at group meetings, is key to building trusting relationships, assisting them […]
The international students arriving this fall have a wide variety of interests, hobbies, and passions. To show off some of their unique personalities, we’ve put together fun “emoji bios” for social media. Share the Facebook album to help amazing students like these find host families to welcome them in September! Share on Facebook: Highlight and […]
Hundreds of AFS students from countries with significant Muslim populations are arriving soon to share their culture with American host families and experience life in the U.S. We’re excited to present our new video featuring some of these students enjoying everyday adventures with their new friends and family. Share this video on social media to […]
While we hope that each student has a successful year with their host family, we’ve put together some steps to take if a student needs to change families. The new and improved Volunteer Checklist for Student Moves has been posted on MyAFS Help & Learning. The new checklist has fixed some inaccuracies from the old […]