Eligibility
Program Description
Visa and Travel Documents
Getting There
AFS Orientations and Activities
Eligibility
To be eligible you must:
- Be between 15 years 0 months and 18 years 0 months old at the start of the program
- Be in good mental, physical, and emotional health in accordance with the AFS Medical Evaluation Policy
- Have an open mind, willingness to be flexible, and the ability to adapt to a new culture, school, and environment
- Be in possession of a valid United States passport
Program Description
This program will help you understand the social, family, and cultural life of a small community in Panamá. You will volunteer in the community, learn Spanish, participate in recreational activities, and enjoy excursions to help you explore more of the country. After a two-day orientation in Panamá City, participants are placed in host communities in groups of eight to ten. You’ll stay individually with a host family, perform community service at local elementary schools in the morning, and attend Spanish class in the afternoon. Spanish classes are only for the first two weeks, then you’ll get to use what you’ve learned. Service activities could include making physical improvements to classrooms and other facilities. There’s also a one-day outing to an ecological site near Panamá City.As with all AFS homestay programs, you will be placed with a volunteer host family who will provide you with lodging, meals, and guidance while abroad.
Participants may be placed throughout Panama. Most placements are in small cities or suburban areas.
Even though you will be placed with a Spanish-speaking host family, you do not need to speak Spanish in order to participate in the program. Although we suggest that you learn as much as possible prior to departure, Spanish language lessons will also be offered to you during the first 2 weeks of your stay.
Program duration is 5 weeks. Your time will be split between doing community service projects, spending time with your host family, and participating in activities organized by the local AFS volunteers.
Please note that although the typical Panamanian diet is varied, vegetarians are difficult to place and may not be accepted.
You will be provided with additional information such as a welcome booklet and safety tips prior to departure. Program details are subject to change.
Learn more about life in Panama.
Visa and Travel Documents
A tourist visa in required in order to participate in this program. Fortunately, it is a very easy to acquire.
All you need is a U.S. passport that is valid for six months longer than your intended stay. Please be in possession of your passport at the time you apply for the program.
If you are not a United States citizen, please notify your Student Services Advisor as your visa requirements may vary.
AFS will provide you with detailed information about the required visa in the months prior to departure.
Getting There
You and your fellow AFSers will travel together between Miami and Panama City, the capital of Panama. Upon arrival and after collecting your baggage and passing through customs, you will be met by staff and volunteers from AFS Panama. They will escort you to the arrival orientation site, a comfortable group site outside Panama City, where you will take part in a 2-day arrival orientation.
Following the arrival orientation, you will be picked up by your host family (if you are placed near Panama City). Or, if you are hosted elsewhere, you will travel by bus or car to your host community where you will be met by your host family.
AFS Orientations and Activities
In addition to the orientations that you will have domestically (the local Pre-Departure Orientation, Culture Trek, and the Gateway Orientation), you and your fellow AFSers will have multiple orientations while abroad. These required orientations are intended to help you maximize the AFS experience, reduce culture shock, and gain knowledge, skills, and a global understanding.The first orientation, in the days after your arrival, will introduce you to the country, Panamanian life, and various aspects of the AFS experience. It will last for 2 days and conclude when you are picked up by your host family or when you depart to your host community.
At the end of your time abroad there will be a final evaluation camp. 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.
In addition to the orientations, some local chapters organize activities for students and host families throughout the summer. These will vary from chapter to chapter but may include parties or excursions to other cities or regions in Panama. Unlike the orientations, these activities are optional and are at the student’s expense.
