Program Description | Host Family & Community | Host School | Travel | Orientations & Activities | Eligibility
Program Description
Brazil is a land of diversity. Popular for its rainforests, beaches, and lively cities, Brazilian society includes people of indigenous, Portuguese, European, and African ancestries. It is home to Carnaval, a world-famous celebration, as well as neighborhood festivals, street parades, and a music scene unlike anywhere else in the world.
AFSers in Brazil learn Portuguese, attend high school, and live with host families. In a culture where family life is cherished, don’t be surprised if many extended family members want to get to know you during your stay.
Language
Portuguese is the official language of Brazil, though English is widely understood. Amerindian tribes living on reservations speak their own languages.
The ability to speak Portuguese is not a prerequisite for the program but we strongly suggest that you learn as much as possible prior to departure.
You will have language lessons during your stay in Brazil.
Host Family & Community
You can be placed throughout the beautiful country of Brazil, and most placements are with middle-class families in the population centers.
Host families in Brazil, 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.
Brazilians
Brazilians are open and affectionate. Families are tight knit and extended family is often close by. In the typical Brazilian family, the mother usually has a job, supervises the children and manages the household while the husband is involved with work outside the home.
Teens
Not all schools offer activities, so kids usually participate in community organizations. Your host family can help you get involved as a volunteer in one of these groups. It's a great way to make new friends, meet people and learn more about your community. Soccer is the nation's official sport and is played by both boys and girls.
Teens typically go to each other’s homes on the weekends, as well as cafes and town centers. There are many national fairs throughout the year that everyone attends, including world-renowned Carnaval.
Brazil is a fashion conscious country and is heavily influenced by Europe; however, teens tend to dress more casually.
Parents are more protective of girls than boys, resulting in stricter rules and restrictions. Teenagers are expected to keep their parents informed of their activities, such as when they go out and where they are going. Youth often live with their parents until marriage.
Children are expected to help with the household chores.
Meals
Eating in Brazil is an event that is not taken lightly. Both lunch and dinner are large family gatherings. Because mealtime is family time in Brazil, you can expect to share most meals with your host family; missing any meal will require advance notice.
While breakfast is light, lunch and dinner are big meals with hearty portions. Brazilians eat a lot and the food is quite heavy. Barbecued meat is very popular, and traditional foods also include African-influenced fish and chicken stews. The staples of the Brazilian diet are white rice, beans, and farofa or farinha (manioc flour). Meals are usually served with carne (beef), and a green and tomato salad.
A variety of fruit and vegetables are available throughout the year.
In Brazil it is considered inappropriate for individuals to request special foods, to prepare separate food for themselves or to raid the refrigerator.
Host School
You could be placed in either a private or public high school. You will most likely be in the second-to-last year of high school with classmates ages 15 to 17 years old.
You’ll attend classes in either the morning (from 7am to 12am) or in the afternoon (from 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm). There are about ten core subjects that all students must take, and there are some elective classes as well, like art and cooking. You will be responsible for presenting group research and are expected to get involved in class activities.
Not all schools require a uniform, but if they do it will most likely consist of jeans and a school t-shirt.
Check out the Host School FAQ (.pdf).
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Travel
You will receive a Travel Notification email about 6 weeks prior to the program start date with your international flight itinerary and detailed instructions regarding the date and time when you must check-in at the Gateway Orientation site in Miami.
International airfare is included as part of the tuition, but it is your responsibility to get from your home town to the Gateway Orientation site.
Your Arrival
After the Gateway Orientation in Miami, you and your fellow AFSers will travel together to San Paulo, where AFS staff and volunteers will meet you at the airport. You will then travel to your host community by plane or bus to meet your host family. If you are placed within 6 hours of Sao Paulo, you may be met by your host family at the airport.
Your Return
You will travel back to Sao Paulo by plane or bus from your host community and then fly back to Miami with the other AFS-USA participants.
Orientations & 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. These orientations give you a chance to gather important information about your host country, to meet other AFS teens from around the world, to share experiences and make friends. These group activities give you a chance to understand and process your intercultural learning experience during your time abroad as well as when you are returning home.
Arrival Orientation
There will be a two day orientation organized on the local or regional level that you will travel to soon after your arrival in your host community.
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.
Mid-Stay Orientation
Between 8 and 10 weeks after your Arrival Orientation, you will be offered another regional 2 day orientation. This will be a time to meet with staff and volunteers, evaluate the first couple months of your experience, and gain more tips to aid your cultural adjustment.
End-of-Stay Orientation
About 6-8 weeks prior to your departure you will be able to participate in a regional End-of-Stay Orientation. 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
Local chapters of AFS Brazil may arrange events such as informal gatherings, weekend excursions and picnics. There may also be short-term exchanges in a different part of Brazil.
Each year, there are four optional trips scheduled that you may be able to join for an additional fee: two weeks to the Amazon and into the jungle in May (approximately US$1050); to the Northeast for approximately four weeks in January or July, including Brasilia, inland colonial areas and coastline (approximately US$1,100); to Iguaçu Falls for a week at Easter break (approx. US$250); and to Pantanal-Bonito for approximately one week in October (approx. US$320). So that your initial adaptation process is not disrupted, you will not be allowed to join the optional trips during the first four months of your stay.
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. The 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
Applicants who require a wheat-free diet will be difficult to place and may not be accepted. It is extremely difficult to place vegetarians.
Younger high school graduates will be considered if they meet the eligibility requirements.
The ability to speak Portuguese is not a prerequisite for the program but we strongly suggest that you learn as much as possible prior to departure.
