We will be sharing the Hosting Newsletters biweekly on MyAFS News. The newsletter will keep AFS-USA volunteers updated on what other Area Teams are doing, ways to connect, and updates from the AFS-USA Field Team. The newsletters will also be part of the Hosting Section of MyAFS News. Field Specialists will continue to share updates with Hosting Volunteers on a regular basis to keep the Staff/Volunteer collaboration growing.
Area Teams in The Community
World Class – AFS Students were part of an AFS Homecoming Float
Finger Lakes – AFS Table at a German Festival
Building the AFS Placement Puzzle
This October, we have four puzzle pieces, or themes, to kick off SH Host Family Recruitment.
- Get Into the Community: Week of October 5 – Where can your Area Team have an AFS table between now and May? This is a great way to get the word out about AFS, but it is also a fun way to get your AFS students, families and volunteers out in the community together.
- Invite a Friend to Host: Week of October 12 – Think about your friends, neighbors, coworkers, and family members. Who might be interested in learning more about hosting? We have some great graphics and pre-written text you can use to share your AFS story and invite someone to join the AFS community.
- Reach Out to a Past YES Family: Week of Oct 19 – YES is back for the Spring semester! This week we are focusing on reaching out to past YES families and inviting them to host for the spring. Even though YES student applications will be released in mid/late November, we want to have families excited and ready to go before then.
- Don’t be afraid to say YES to a Semester with an AFS Student: Week of Oct 26 – It may be Halloween but hosting for the spring doesn’t have to be scary! This week is a great time to show families that hosting for a semester is an excellent way to get involved without having to commit for a year.
Each week AFS-USA Field Staff will be sharing resources with hosting volunteers on your team to utilize for promotion in your social groups or local communities.
Setting Your Team Up for Hosting Success
Hosting and supporting AFS students are a big part of what our Area Teams do, and having a little structure helps make it easier!
Hosting Volunteers connect with families interested in hosting, conduct Host Family Interviews, help match students, and stay connected with families once they are approved. This is a team effort, so having a hosting committee is important.
Hosting Happens Year-Round:
- October–December: SH Host Family Recruitment
- October–August: NH Host Family Recruitment
- October–October: Prescreen Host Family Recruitment
And don’t forget about Prescreened Families! Having families ready to step in when we need them gives our teams options when a student needs a temporary home, a host family needs a break, or a move happens.
Things don’t always go exactly as planned, but when we have volunteers working together and families ready to help, we can support our students and families through whatever comes our way and maybe even “make a little lemonade out of those lemons!”
Contact your Field Specialist if you are interested in becoming a Prescreen Family in your Area Team.
Connect with the Hosting Advisory Group
The Hosting Advisory Group is made up of volunteers throughout the USA and they would like to connect with YOU! Join the AFS-USA Hosting Volunteer WhatsApp Community to collaborate and share ideas.
This WhatsApp group is a platform for Hosting Volunteers to collaborate, support others and share ways you’re promoting in local communities.
The Hosting Advisory Group is currently working on Best Practices for engaging Host Families in the area team and a toolkit for communication with families starting at the Host Family Interview. If you have ideas on these topics, consider being a part of the Hosting Advisory Group or share your ideas with Heather Stertz, Volunteer Co-Chair.
Don’t Miss an Opportunity – NH27 Students are Available
We are excited to share NH27 students are slowly being released as they become available. We are anticipating approximately 750 students from 52 CORE countries and 19 FLEX Global countries. While the majority of the students will be released between January-March 2027, we also want to get students out and available for those families that can’t host SH and for those schools in your teams we know close early.
Be sure to look closely on MyAFS Placement Widget for SH (Semester) and NH (Semester/Year) for the next couple of months to ensure you know which cycle the student is coming on.
Calendar Items – Upcoming Opportunities
- 2027 Host Family Recruitment Begins: October 1, 2026
- Global Learning Week: November 16 – 20, 2026
- Study Abroad Scholarship Application Year (YP) · Semester (SM) · Trimester (TR): December 1, 2026
- SH17 (Spring Semester) Placement Deadline: December 17, 2026
If you have questions or want more information on anything related to hosting, please reach out to your Field Specialist. If you aren’t sure who to reach out to on your area team or the staff team, please contact, Sara Roberts, West Regional Director at sroberts@afsusa.org or Kate Sullivan, East Regional Director at ksullivan@afsusa.org.