Program Description | Host Family & Community | Host School | Travel | Orientations & Activities | Eligibility
Program Description
Honduras has the world’s second largest barrier reef, dazzling Caribbean islands, colonial style towns, and a mountain interior on the west. Honduras is world famous for its archeological sites, including 3,000 year old Mayan ruins and the mysterious rediscovered city of Copan, but its true treasure is the people and relaxed lifestyle. You will also enjoy the Independence parades, local celebrations and carnivals, and soccer games.
Honduras is your destination if you’re interested in getting off the beaten path and studying in a country that will provide you with natural beauty, a slow pace of life, and thousands of years of culture. AFSers in Honduras live with a host family and attend a local school. The school year runs between February and November and AFS students are generally placed in grade 11 or 12.
Language
Spanish is the primary language of Honduras, though English is widely spoken as well. The Miskito and Garifuna dialects are also spoken on the Caribbean Coast.
The ability to speak Spanish is not a prerequisite for the program, but we strongly suggest that you learn as much as possible prior to departure.
Host Family & Community
You could be placed anywhere in Honduras, though almost all host families live in urban or suburban areas. There’s a small chance you could be placed in a beachside village.
Host families in Honduras, like all AFS host families worldwide, are volunteers and 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.
Hondurans
What you’ll notice most is the warm hospitality from everyone, because no matter who you visit, you will probably be invited to stay and share a meal.
The family is the foundation of the Honduran society. There are many traditional latin-american families with lots of siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandchildren and grandparents, who may often visit each other, live in the same neighborhood or even live in the same house, but it is also common to find smaller families with either one or two parents and 3 to 4 children.
In many families the father goes out to work while the mother stays at home and runs the household. There are often different expectations for sons and daughters. Although it is common for families to have a maid, a daughter is normally expected to help her mother with running the home while a son runs errands and does odd jobs. Honduran parents tend to be very protective, but they tend have more stringent rules for their daughters than for their sons.
Teens
Life as a teenager in Honduras is centered around the family. Teenagers are expected to respect their parents and elders and to live by the family’s advice and rules.
Most Honduran teenagers are serious about their studies and little time is spent on extracurricular activities during weekdays. Few teenagers are sports-minded, but there are sports (soccer, basketball and volleyball) and other activities.
There are plenty of opportunities out of school to get to know your new friends. Teens like to hang out in groups, watch movies, and go dancing.
Meals
Honduran cuisine is varied and each region has its own unique culinary dishes. The staples of the diet are corn, beans and rice. Many dishes include tortillas, fruit, and seafood inspired by Caribbean and Latin cuisine. The food is colorful and varied due to the unique blend of spices and herbs used in the preparation.
Hondurans usually eat a hearty breakfast that consists of eggs, fried mashed beans, tortillas, mantequilla, and cheese. One popular breakfast dish in Honduras is fried plátanos, which are a starchy variety of banana cooked and eaten like potatoes. Honduran coffee is taken with breakfast and is highly appreciated! Natural fruit juices are often also offered.
For lunch, Hondurans often have poultry, rice, potatoes, or a pasta made the Honduran way. Dinner is the lightest meal of the day and is usually served between 6:00PM and 7:00PM.
Generally speaking, Hondurans do not place a great importance on food as a social event and eat very quickly. Every family is different, though-- some families don’t eat together unless it is a special event, others share every meal together.
AFS Honduras may be able to accommodate vegetarians but it is not always possible. We ask that you be as flexible as possible in regards to your dietary preferences and be willing to prepare your own food if necessary.
Host School
Honduras has many types of schools: public and private schools; academic, vocational, and commercial schools; bilingual schools (especially English and French); single-sex and co-ed schools. AFS students may be enrolled in any of these types of school and will be placed in junior or senior year.
All schools run from February through November. You will attend classes in either the morning or afternoon, with courses in language, sociology, math, art, and natural sciences. Your teacher will change rooms while you remain with your classmates.
You¹ll be required to wear a school uniform, so please budget approximately $150 for this.
As a requirement for graduation, high school seniors help poor communities by providing assistance in such areas as education, health, and construction. These projects give you the opportunity to meet and help people, and learn about the community.
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 flight itinerary and detailed instructions for when to arrive at the Gateway Orientation site in Miami. At that point, you may arrange your domestic travel. In Miami, you will join other AFS-USA participants for an overnight Gateway Orientation before you travel together to Tegucigalpa.
International airfare is included as part of the tuition, but you are responsible for arranging your own travel from your hometown to the Gateway City.
Your Arrival
After the Gateway Orientation in Miami, you and your fellow AFSers will travel to Tegucigalpa, the capital city, where AFS staff and volunteers will be waiting for you at the airport. After a 3-day Arrival Orientation in Valle de Angeles, you will travel with AFS volunteers by bus to your host community where you will be picked up by your host family.
Your Return
You will fly from Tegucigalpa back to Miami with the other AFS students who have been living in Honduras.
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
The first orientation will take place upon your arrival in Honduras. This 3 day orientation 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.
Mid-Stay Orientation
About 2 months after your arrival, you will have another orientation. This will take place at the Mayan ruins of Copan. This will be a 4 day trip and will focus on cultural and school adjustment. You will also meet with AFS staff and volunteers to evaluate the first part of your experience in Honduras and be offered guidance to make the transition as smooth as possible. In addition to the orientation activities, you will be offered a guided tour of the ruins!
End-of-Stay Orientation
Finally, there will be a 2 day evaluation camp in the weeks 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 get-togethers or excursions to other cities or regions in Honduras. 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
Strict vegetarians are difficult to place in Honduras. Vegetarians that include some animal products in their diets are a bit easier to place, as long as you can prepare your own meals.
High School graduates will not be considered for this program.
Although there is no language requirement, it would be very useful to have a basic background of the Spanish language before your arrival.
