Program Description | Host Family & Community | Host School | Travel | Orientations & Activities | Eligibility
Program Description
From cosmopolitan Lisbon to the stunning beaches of the Azores, Portugal has something for everyone. The Portuguese are proud of their history and their language, which has spread far beyond this small country’s shores. Be sure to visit a local coffeehouse to experience Fado, a passionate musical style first sung by Portuguese sailors longing for home.
Live with a host family in one of Europe’s oldest countries while attending a local high school and experiencing this amazing destination. High school in Portugal is primarily lecture based, and you’ll study a variety of subjects while learning Portuguese.
Language
The only official language spoken in Portugal is Portuguese.
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.
Host Family & Community
You may be placed anywhere in Portugal. Most students are placed in urban or suburban areas, though AFS has recently started placing more AFSers in rural areas. Rarely are participants placed on the islands of Azores or Madeira. Additionally, it is unlikely that participants will be hosted in Algarve (south coast of Portugal), which is mostly a tourist region.
Host families in Portugal, 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.
The Portuguese
During the year, Portugal hosts numerous celebrations, fairs, religious pilgrimages and festivals. The year starts with New Year’s parties, followed by Carnival, Easter, summer musical festivals and Christmas. Each region, even the smallest village, keeps its particular traditions alive through colorful decorations, food and drinks, dances and songs.
The Portuguese are open, friendly and hospitable to people of other nations. Because people and relationships are more important than time, punctuality is not always stressed. Portugal is a liberal society, and contrary to popular belief, families are not very religious, though some go to church on Sunday.
Physical contact is a common sign of affection between members of a family and between close friends. Many people greet each other by kissing both cheeks, from left to right.
Families are very close. On weekends, a lot of time is spent with relatives. It is important to spend time with the family watching TV or talking about daily events. Families are strict when it comes to family schedules: in some families, meals are always taken together.
In the typical Portuguese family, the mother usually supervises the children and manages the household while the father is involved with work outside the home. Nowadays it is becoming more common that both parents work, and everybody shares the housework, though the mother usually maintains an active role managing the household.
Teens
Because few schools offer extracurricular activities, students organize their own activities after school. Your host family can also help you inquire about local community organizations. Getting involved as a volunteer in one of these groups is a great way to make new friends, meet people and learn more about your community.
On weekends, Portuguese teens like to get together with friends in each others’ homes, the town square, a local café or at the movies. Many families enjoy doing things together on weekends.
Families are protective of their children, particularly girls, and teenage boys have more liberal curfews than their sisters do. You will be expected to ask permission to go out. It is common that adult children of the family still live in their parents’ house and still receive a lot of attention.
Meals
The Portuguese are proud of their food. They appreciate eating and drinking well. Almost all parties include a meal, especially family gatherings. In Portugal, a family customarily eats together; it is considered inappropriate for individuals to request special foods, to prepare separate food for themselves or to raid the refrigerator.
Breakfast, served early in the morning before going to school, consists usually of bread or toast with butter/cheese/ham/jam, milk, coffee or chocolate. Lunch, served around noon, is usually a hot meal that includes soup, main dish and fruit or dessert. Dinner is a hot meal again and is served around 8 p.m.
The Portuguese show great pride in their cuisine. From charcoal-grilled sardines to tasty codfish, you will find some culinary delights during your time in Portugal. You will also find that wine is often consumed with meals.
Because meat and fish are fundamental to Portuguese cuisine, vegetarians are very difficult to place.
Host School
High school in Portugal is called “secondary education” and lasts 3 years: the equivalent of 10th, 11th, and 12th grades. You will be placed in a public secondary school with classmates your age. Based on your interests and academic achievements back home, you will be placed on one of the following subject tracks: sciences & technologies, social-economic sciences, social and human sciences, languages & literature, or visual arts.
Portuguese schools are challenging and have long hours, but they’re also a great place to meet people and make friends.
Check out the Host School FAQ (.pdf).
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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 New York where you will join other AFS-USA participants for a Gateway Orientation before you travel together to Lisbon.
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 the Gateway Orientation in New York, you and your fellow AFSers will travel together to Lisbon, the capital city, where AFS staff and volunteers will be waiting for you at the airport. After a 3-day Arrival Orientation, either your host family will come meet you at the Orientation site or you will travel by bus, train or plane to your host community.
Your Return
You will return to Lisbon the day before departure, and you will spend the night at a hotel accompanied by AFS volunteers. At this time you will have some final activities before being taken to the airport. You will then fly together with the other AFS students back to New York.
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
This first orientation will take place upon your arrival in Lisbon. This will be a 3 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.
Mid-Stay Orientation
Within the first 6 weeks, you will have another orientation which will be organized at the local level. This will last for 3 days and will focus on cultural and school adjustment. You will also meet with AFS staff and volunteers to evaluate your first weeks and be offered guidance to make the transition as smooth as possible.
End-of-Stay Orientation
Finally, there will be an evaluation camp three 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
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 Portugal.
Between February and June some chapters organize a four-day activity in their area where students stay with host families and participate in intercultural activities, visit sites of cultural interest, visit local schools and practice sports among other activities. You will be able to choose which chapter to join for this experience. 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 6 months beyond the end date of the program.
- 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 particularly difficult to place, since meat and fish are a fundamental part of the Portuguese cuisine.
Younger high school graduates will be considered if they meet the eligibility requirements.
Though the ability to speak Portuguese is not a prerequisite for the program, you should take every opportunity to start learning basic Portuguese before your departure.
