Program Description | Host Family & Community | Host School | Travel | Orientations & Activities | Eligibility
Program Description
Argentina, land of gauchos and the tango, is also home to rainforests, glaciers, and penguins. Sophisticated and lively, Buenos Aires offers first-rate museums, music, and theater as well as a café scene that rivals Europe. Argentina values tradition and hospitality and is the ideal setting to study abroad in a Spanish-speaking environment.
AFSers in Argentina live with host families and are placed in public schools throughout the country, including Ushuaia, the southern tip of South America. AFS Argentina also places students in neighboring Uruguay, usually in or around Montevideo or Punta del Este.
Studying abroad in Argentina or Uruguay for a year or a semester will be an interesting and deeply fulfilling experience. Your local chapter may organize get-togethers for AFS students or excursions to other cities or regions in the area. Also, over the course of your program, AFS staff and volunteers will meet with you at orientations to evaluate your experience and help with your cultural adjustment.
Language
Spanish is the official language of Argentina and Uruguay. German, Italian, French and English are also spoken.
It is not mandatory that you speak Spanish in order to be accepted into the program yet we suggest that you prepare yourself by learning as much as possible prior to departure.
Host Family & Community
Most students are placed with middle-class families in cities ranging in population from 10,000 to 3,000,000. You may be placed in any region of Argentina, from the southernmost province of Tierra del Fuego, to downtown Buenos Aires, to the northern province of Jujuy. Few participants are placed in rural areas. AFS Argentina also places a few students each year in Uruguay.
Host families in Argentina and Uruguay, like all AFS host families worldwide, are not paid. They open their homes to students in order to share their community and culture as well as to enrich their own family lives.
Argentines and Uruguayans
Both countries' populations are prevalently of European heritage. Theyare generally sociable people who value courtesy and respect, especially toward their elders.
Although Argentina is a strongly Catholic country, families and society welcome people of all beliefs. Many people smoke in Argentina and, while it may be common to have someone in the house who smokes, families strongly prefer that their children not do so.
Family life plays a central role in the social structure of Argentina. Families tend to be close-knit with grandparents often living at home and many extended family members always nearby. Argentine families are protective of their children, especially girls: parents expect to know when and where their children are going out. They won’t lack warmth and spontaneous shows of affection though.
Both parents generally work, although they probably come home for lunch and a quick nap, or siesta. Lifestyles may vary, especially in Buenos Aires where of course they are as diverse as in any big metropolis.
Teens
Argentine teens have very active social lives. Friends are around so often in fact, that teens seem to lack much privacy and may consider their friend’s property theirs as well. What teenagers enjoy the most is getting together at friends’ houses or in the central town square, going out to eat or to the movies, going to parties and dancing, or just hanging out in the local café.
Most students are a part of sports teams (soccer is very popular), and many attend a gym or other sports club in the afternoon. Many teenagers also study a second language at a special school. You may be able to join groups involved in music or arts activities.
To get around teenagers generally walk, bike or, when in major cities, take public buses.
Meals
Argentina is a proud cattle raising country, so beef is present at almost every meal. For that reason, AFS Argentina does not accept vegetarians. Parillada (mixed grills of all parts and cuts of cow) are very popular, especially during social gatherings. Milanesas (breaded fried cutlet) and empanadas are other popular dishes that reveal the strong influence of Italians. Other examples of Italian influence are the abundance of pasta dishes and gelato. Unlike other Latin American cuisine, Argentinean food is not spicy.
Lunch and dinner are important family meeting times. Argentines normally have a large lunch followed by a siesta and a large meal late at night, normally after 9:30pm.
It is considered inappropriate for individuals to request special foods, to prepare separate food for themselves or to raid the refrigerator, although your appreciation of and request for some particular dishes will be happily received.
Argentines are also known for their love of mate, a local green tea. This is more a socializing element than a beverage served with a meal: mate is shared among people during any kind of gathering and the special gourd it comes in is offered from person to person.
Host School
You will most likely be placed in a public school in the second-to-last or final year with classmates ages 16 to 17.
You will attend classes Monday through Friday either in the morning (from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m.) or in the afternoon (1 p.m. to 6 p.m.), but not both. Unlike schools in the U.S., teachers change rooms while you will remain in a classroom with your classmates.
School uniforms are required and the volunteers in your host community will try to help you find a gently used uniform. If you are not able to find one second hand, please make sure to have $60 available to purchase a new one.
Check out the Host School FAQ (.pdf).
Travel
You will receive a Travel Notification email about 6 weeks prior to international departure with your international itinerary and detailed instructions for how and when to arrange your domestic travel. At that point, you may book your domestic travel to Miami where you will join other AFS-USA participants for a Gateway Orientation before you travel together to Buenos Aires.
International airfare is included as part of the Tuition, but it is your responsibility to get from your hometown to the Gateway Orientation site.
Your Arrival
After your Gateway Orientation in Miami, you and your fellow AFSers will fly to Buenos Aires and be met at the airport by AFS staff and volunteers. After a 2-3 day Arrival Orientation, you will travel by bus (or by plane if you are hosted more than 1110km from Buenos Aires) to your host community. You will travel as a group and be chaperoned by AFS volunteers.
Your Return
You will return to Buenos Aires for an evaluation camp 3 days before your departure. You will then fly from Buenos Aires back to Miami with the other AFS students.
Orientations & Activities
In addition to the orientations that you will participate in domestically (the locally held Pre-Departure Orientation, the Culture Trek online orientation, and the national Gateway Orientation), you and your fellow AFSers will have several orientations while abroad.
These required orientations are intended to help you maximize your AFS experience, prevent culture shock and to gain knowledge, skills and a global understanding.
Arrival Orientation
After your arrival into Buenos Aires you will be met by AFS staff and volunteers and taken to an orientation site in the outskirts of Buenos Aires where you will take part in a 2-3 day arrival orientation.
In addition to covering the rules and safety tips, there will be an emphasis on approaching your experience from an intercultural learning perspective. This is an international orientation so you’ll have the opportunity to meet other AFSers from around the world.
End-of-Stay Orientation
In the week before your return flight you will be invited back to Buenos Aires for a 3-day evaluation camp where you’ll have a chance to tour the city. This is your time 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
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 Argentina. Unlike the orientations, these activities are optional and are not included in the tuition.
Eligibility
To participate in this program, you must:
- Be within the age range upon departure (located in the ‘read more’ drop-down)
- Have a minimum 2.8 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale
- Be mentally, physically, and emotionally healthy in accordance with AFS Medical Evaluation Policies
- Have a U.S. passport at the time of application. Passport must be valid for at least 6 months beyond the program end date
- Have an open mind, willingness to be flexible, and the ability to adapt to new a culture, school, and environment
Participation Notes
Vegetarians will not be accepted by AFS Argentina.
AFS Argentina is not able to accept students who have graduated from high school.
The ability to speak Spanish is not a prerequisite for the program, but we suggest you learn as much as possible prior to departure.
Students must be prepared to accept a smoking environment.
