Program Description | Host Family & Community | Host School | Travel | Orientations & Activities | Eligibility
Program Description
A vast archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, Indonesia is a land of contrasts – fiery volcanoes and peaceful seas, crowded cities and distant plantations, modern high-rises and crumbling temples. Indonesia boasts an incredibly diverse mix of cultures and religions. But whatever their background, the hospitable Indonesians will greet you with a smile and a cup of their world-famous coffee, boiled with raw sugar or fresh ginger.
AFSers live with host families and will generally be placed in public high schools in the first or second year. The language of instruction is Bahasa Indonesia, and students will have the opportunity for extra language lessons. All Indonesia students wear school uniforms, and extracurricular activities include lessons in traditional Indonesia dance and music as well as Pencak Silat, a martial art.
Your local AFS chapter will organize activities throughout the year, which may include parties or excursions to other cities or regions in Indonesia. 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
Although there are over 583 ethnic-languages and dialects used daily in the country, the official language is Bahasa Indonesia. This language was sanctioned as the unifying language at the Indonesian Youth Congress, held in 1928, when Indonesia was still under Dutch colonial rule.
While there is no language requirement for the Indonesia High School Program, students must make an effort to learn the local language.
Host Family & Community
Family is an integral part of Indonesian society. The relationship between each member of the family is close, although you would seldom see each member showing their feelings and affection openly. Without words, everybody knows and assumes that the other members of the family also know they love each other and will always take care of each other.
Parents, especially fathers, have a very dominant role in the family. The decision-making process in the family tends to be authoritarian and no matter how old a person is, he will always be his parents “child”. To ask for the parents’ opinion and permission is not viewed as a form of dependency, but more as a form of respects toward them, as they are considered to have more experiences in life. It is very common in Indonesia for children live with their parents even after they are married.
Host families in Indonesia, 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.
The Indonesians
Indonesia’s most valuable asset is its people. They are the driving force behind the rapid development of this nation. Indonesia is a mosaic of more than 300 ethnic groups and cultures, with dozens of languages and also with different social and cultural backgrounds. As in most other multi-ethnic nations, it is difficult to describe a “typical” Indonesian. But the present Indonesian is the product of political ties, and constitutes a union of all ethnic groups living in the territory of the Republic of Indonesia. These political ties and national unity are based on the principle of one fatherland, one nation, and one language, Bahasa Indonesia.
But modernity has led the way to a social revolution. The effects of mass education, mass media, and a policy of government-orchestrated nationalism have created an Indonesian national culture and customs. For the most part, the Indonesian family is usually an extended family, including grandparents, aunts, uncles and first and second cousins. Indonesians are also members of the greater community; in addition to family obligations, they feel indebted to their village, their mosque or their professional organization.
Teens
Teens in Indonesia share many of the same interests as teens around the world. They enjoy surfing the Internet, going to cafes, movies and shopping malls, reading and spending time with friends. Social life for Indonesian teenagers usually means mixing in groups rather than going on individual dates. The American dating system is unknown here.
Meals
Indonesia is well known for its cuisine, which combines indigenous techniques and ingredients with influences from India (curries), the Middle East (kabobs known as sates), China (stir-frying) and Europe, including products brought by Spanish and Portuguese traders before the Dutch colonized the islands. Cooking varies widely by region. The Minangkabau region in West Sumatra, for instance, is represented by Padang-style food, which is particularly spicy. (Padang is the capital city of West Sumatra.) However, most Indonesian food shares the culinary trinity of fish, coconut and chilies served most often with rice.
The main meal in Indonesia is usually served at midday. Food that was cooked in the morning is set out all at once. Family members help themselves, serving with a spoon and always eating or passing dishes with their right hand. There is less family gathering or ceremony of communal eating than in other cultures, but there is communal cooking and a strict hierarchy which determines one’s role and conduct at the table. A meal may include a soup, salad and another main dish. Whatever the meal, it is accompanied by at least one and often several sambals—spice relishes that are mixed with the food.
Host School
Indonesia is a diverse country, including the socioeconomic levels of its’ communities. Wearing a school uniform is a way to eliminate economic disparities among students in schools, and therefore AFS students will need uniforms, which will be provided by host families.
School days are Monday until Saturday. Classes start at 7.00 a.m. until 1.30 p.m. with a 20-minute break. On Friday, the schedule is from 7.00 a.m. until 11.00 a.m. because of Friday Prayer at noon for Muslims. With full school attendance, a student may obtain a Certificate of Attendance, but diplomas are not guaranteed.
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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 Los Angeles. In Los Angeles, you will join other AFS-USA participants for an overnight Gateway Orientation before you travel together to Jakarta, Indonesia.
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
You and your fellow AFSers will travel together from one of the gateway cities in the United States. You will arrive in Jakarta, collect your baggage and pass through customs. You will be met by AFS staff and volunteers who will escort you to a local orientation that includes a talent show and a courtesy visit to the Ministry of National Education. You will then travel to your host community by train if you are staying within Java, and by airplane if you are going to another island.
Your Return
Right before your departure, there will be a final AFS orientation to prepare you for the return home. You will then fly from Jakarta back to Los Angeles with the other AFS students who were living in Indonesia.
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. AFS will provide you with several orientations throughout your experience. 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.
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
This first orientation will introduce you to the country, Indonesian life, and various aspects of the AFS experience. Activities include language lessons and discussions of expectations, AFS’s history and purpose, Indonesian philosophy, AFS Indonesia rules and regulations, safety tips, and an explanation of the local support system. You will also participate in discussions with former host families, experiential learning exercises, a talent show and a courtesy visit to the Ministry of National Education.
It will last for four to five days and will end with a welcome party before you go by train to meet your host family. Many of you will also meet your future AFS contact person at the orientation. Basic language training will be offered to you shortly afterward.
Mid-Stay Orientation
After about a month, you will have another orientation, organized at the local level. This will last for 1-2 days and will focus on cultural and school adjustment. You will also meet with AFS staff and volunteers to evaluate your first few weeks and be offered guidance to make the continuing transition as smooth as possible.
End-of-Stay Orientation
Finally, there will be an evaluation camp one to one and a half months 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 Indonesia. Unlike the orientations, these activities are optional and are at the student’s expense.
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 can be accommodated.
High school graduates may be considered for program participation if they meet the eligibility requirements. Graduates must be motivated to participate actively in school and extra-curricular activities and comply with the expectations of Indonesian high schools.
There is no language requirement
It is possible to have a non-smoking placement.
