Program Description
Spend a year or semester "down under". Live with a host family while attending a local high school.
School runs from January through December and is generally divided into four terms with breaks between. You'll study required courses such as English, history, math, science, and geography, as well as choosing from electives such as art, music, and sports. Extracurricular activities include clubs and musical groups before school or during lunch break, with intramural sporting events after school. Your friends will involve you in their favorite pastimes, like attending concerts, playing sports, and going out in groups. AFS Australia also organizes additional activities for you and your fellow AFS Participants. Nationally organized safari tours (optional) are also available throughout your stay.
As with all AFS programs, you will be placed with a volunteer host family who will provide lodging, meals, and support to you during your stay.
Participants may be placed throughout Australia. You may be placed in a city, a town or in the country, including Tasmania, the Island State. But most students are hosted in rural or remote areas, not cities.
Most school placements are in public schools. Please note that a uniform will likely be required. If so, students are responsible for this cost (which could be as much as $500).
Placement of vegetarians is often difficult, especially in rural areas. AFS Australia will make every attempt to place a participant according to their dietary requirements but can not always guarantee placement of vegetarians. We ask that you be as flexible as possible with your dietary restrictions. Inflexibility may prohibit your acceptance into the program.
Getting There
All AFS programs to Australia depart from Los Angeles. You and your fellow AFSers will travel together and will arrive at one of the multiple Arrival Ports: Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide or Perth. After you collect your baggage and pass through customs you will be met by AFS staff and volunteers and will be escorted to the arrival orientation site.
After an arrival orientation, you will travel to your host community by plane, train, or bus, depending on the distance from your arrival port.
Orientations and Activities
In addition to the orientations that you will participate in domestically - the local Pre-Departure Orientation, Culture Trek, and the Gateway Orientation - you and your fellow AFSers will have several orientations while abroad.
Arrival Orientation
The first orientation will take place upon your arrival in Australia. This will be a 1 day orientation that is intended to prepare you for your first weeks abroad. This will be an international orientation and your opportunity to meet participants from around the world. In addition to covering the rules and safety tips, there will be an emphasis on approaching your experience from an intercultural learning perspective.
End-of-stay Activities
At the end of your time abroad there will be an evaluation camp in the days prior to departure. This is your chance to reflect on your experience and to share with other AFSers. You will also prepare for the cultural readjustment that is a part of returning home.
Optional Activities
In addition to the orientations, many local chapters organize activities for students and host families throughout the year. These will vary from chapter to chapter but may include parties or excursions to other cities or regions in Australia. Unlike the orientations, these activities are optional and are at the student’s expense.
