We understand that education has taken on a new look and feel over the past year and some of that may continue in the 2021-2022 academic year. Students, families, the U.S. Department of State, and AFS-USA will continue with their goals of intercultural learning and global citizenship while keeping safety as a top priority.
Exchange your perspective
NBC Chief Foreign Correspondent and AFS Alumnus Richard Engel Addresses the AFS-USA Family
AFS-USA in Action:
Our Response to COVID-19
AFSers are made for times like these—helping us adapt to our biggest challenge in 70 years and enabling us to become an even stronger organization! We continue to navigate the pandemic and while we still have many challenges, right now we have 1,100 students who are either studying here in the US or are US students studying abroad. We are well-poised for increasing success due to the continued interest of students who want to study abroad, and with strong support from host families, volunteers, and people like you.
Our Mission and Impact
100 years of volunteerism. 70 years of exchange.
AFS-USA honors the legacy of its founders—volunteer WWI and WWII American Field Service ambulance drivers—who emerged from the wars with a bold mission: to help prevent future conflict through cultural exchange and understanding.
As a partner in the global AFS network, AFS-USA offers international exchange and education opportunities in over 45 countries and hosts exchange students from 90 countries. True to the spirit of our founders, these intercultural programs are made possible by the dedicated work of AFS Volunteers—more than 4,400 in the U.S. and over 50,000 worldwide.
Our diverse study abroad programs vary in length from a year to a few weeks and cover timely and timeless topics such as sustainability and language learning. What every program has in common is a commitment to fostering intercultural and global competence in our students, host families, schools, and communities. This cultural exchange helps us come together, across typical divides, to make a more peaceful and just world. That’s the #AFSEffect.
AFS-USA mourns the loss of lives and the tragic events affecting people in Afghanistan and is mindful of the importance of our mission to help build a more just and peaceful world.
Embrace Diversity
AFS-USA embraces diversity at every level of our organization.
We are committed to creating safe and supportive intercultural learning opportunities for all high school study abroad participants, including persons with disabilities and people of all gender identities, ethnicities, races, religions, and sexual orientations.
Explore the World from Home
Quarantine is temporary, but curiosity and wonder about the world is endless. As we’re social distancing, we can still continue international exchange online, become global citizens, and plan our next adventures.
Explore our Virtual Programs and Resources Join a Virtual Program Today!