Cultural Agility for Professionals, Educators, & Students

In 2026, amid an increasingly polarized and interconnected world, AFS-USA launched capacity-building services to help schools, businesses, and community organizations strengthen cultural agility from the inside out. As a leader in intercultural education, AFS-USA is bringing our expertise and commitment to developing global power skills to youth and professionals right here in the United States, no passport required. Through professional development for professionals and educators, travel learning workshops for students, and power skills training for youth, we help people build confidence and capabilities to navigate differences, broaden perspectives, and connect across cultures. The ability to apply these skills and build meaningful connections across differences is cultural agility. 

These services are grounded in our mission to engage citizens in experiences that foster the skills needed to create a more just and peaceful world. AFS-USA believes that developing the ability to listen, engage in meaningful dialogue, and understand perspectives different from our own can open the door to positive change—at home, in our communities, and around the world.

Explore the paths below or contact AFS-USA to build a plan tailored to the unique needs of your community.

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What Are Power Skills

Power skills—communication, collaboration, conflict resolution, adaptability, and problem-solving—are what turn awareness into everyday practice. Our trainings and consultations are built around these essential skills, helping professionals strengthen how they work with others and giving youth practical tools to navigate differences at school, at home, and in their communities. They help professionals lead with confidence and give youth the tools to navigate differences at school and at home, equipping both to engage thoughtfully with the communities around them. This is cultural agility: knowing how to put these skills to work in the moments that matter, so understanding becomes action and connection becomes possible across any difference.

Professional Development

On-site or virtual workshops help staff build the knowledge, confidence, and practical techniques needed to connect through differences. Core power skills—including communication, collaboration, conflict resolution, adaptability, and problem-solving—are essential both in the workplace and in everyday interactions. Awareness is the starting point; intentionally putting that awareness into practice is what helps individuals strengthen their relationships, navigate differences, and grow professionally. 

Workshops are curated for each professional setting and may include: 

Hands-on, facilitator-led sessions designed for staff and administrators

Pathfinder program students in Ohio

Travel Learning for Students

Intentional preparation and reflection can transform a trip abroad into an opportunity for lasting personal growth. Travel Learning goes beyond logistics to help students develop the mindset, cultural agility, and practical skills they need to make the most of their experience before, during, and after they travel.

  • How to connect with peers across cultural differences
  • Group Dynamics: How to support each other
  • Cultivating active citizenship
  • Becoming a changemaker in your own community
  • Supporting cultural adjustment and coping skills
  • Structured post-program reflection
High school students are learning geography, positioning markers on a large world map hanging on the blackboard

Skills Training for Students

Interactive training that builds the everyday life skills students need to navigate differences with confidence—at school, at home, and in their communities. Sessions are hands-on and age-appropriate, using real scenarios rather than abstract discussion.

  • Conflict resolution and problem-solving
  • Communication
  • Adaptability
  • Collaboration
  • Connecting to your community

How It Works

Whether on-site or virtual, AFS-USA works with you to create a customized plan that supports your goals and objectives. Your input and active participation in pre-workshop planning are essential to every professional development or youth session – no one knows your community better than you.

  • Consultation: Schedule a meeting with AFS-USA Staff.
  • Pre-Assessment Survey: Your team identifies current strengths and gaps in cultural agility.
  • Portrait of Your Team: A guided exercise where staff shape a shared vision for what cultural agility looks like in your professional community.
  • Two (2) Pre-Workshop Planning Meetings: Virtually with AFS-USA Staff (in-person if applicable).
  • On-Site Professional Development: Curated workshops built around your pre-assessment survey, portrait, and feedback from pre-workshop planning sessions.

Let’s Connect!

For questions or to schedule a meeting, please contact Emily Betz Close.

If you are a private, boarding, or other type of school setting, please contact Christine Robinson.