AFS Student Learning Journey

Congratulations! As an AFS Participant, you will join tens of thousands of young people who have traveled the globe to experience life in another culture, gain a greater sense of self, learn a new language and develop new friendships! To help you get the most out of your experience abroad, and to support you on the path of becoming an active global citizen, AFS has developed a framework called the AFS Student Learning Journey.

AFS helps participants accomplish the goals of the Student Learning Journey through a variety of methods and tools outlined below. As with many things in life, you will get out of the AFS experience what you put into it! We encourage you to fully participate in and engage with all of the preparatory activities and resources that will be available to you before, during and after your AFS Experience.

Thank you for joining our mission of empowering people to become globally engaged citizens and to help create a more just and peaceful world!

AFS Guide, Host Country Welcome Booklet, and Safety Tips

This information is VERY IMPORTANT and you must read it from cover to cover to help prepare you for your experience in your host destination!

We cannot emphasize enough the importance of carefully and fully reviewing this information and we recommend your parent(s)/guardian(s) do so as well. A complete understanding of the expectations and information in these handbooks is critical to positioning you for a safe and rewarding AFS experience in your host country.

You may access this information and more country-specific resources via your dashboard by clicking on the Country and Program Resources button or by clicking here.

Program Prep Webinar

The Program Prep Webinar is run by Study Abroad staff and focuses on what year and semester program participants can expect between now and departure. It is as an introduction to the nuts and bolts of preparing to study and live abroad. Topics covered include COVID-19 considerations, your program fee and finances, strategies for obtaining academic credit and fundraising, the host family experience and travel. Summer program participants will be invited to attend a version of the Program Prep Webinar more tailored to your specific program.

Keep an eye out for an email inviting you to participate.

Online Pre-Departure Orientation Module

Your learning journey with AFS officially begins by completing a mandatory, Online Pre-Departure Orientation (PDO). Think of your Online PDO as AFS 101, a prerequisite course for all AFS participants before they depart the US. It covers the history and mission of AFS, AFS rules and expectations, adjusting to life abroad, and safety and support while on program. The topics covered in this Online PDO, and more, are covered in greater detail in the AFS Guide for Participants. The AFS Guide is essentially the manual for your AFS experience and the first place to look if you have a question about how we handle something at AFS.

Be on the lookout for a To Do on your dashboard requesting you to complete the Online PDO.

Local/National Pre-Departure Orientation

AFS Volunteers in your community, many of whom either went abroad with AFS or hosted an AFS participant, may invite you and your family to participate in a Local (virtual or in-person) Pre-Departure Orientation (PDO). This event introduces how AFS operates in your local community and often provides the opportunity for you and your parent(s)/guardian(s) to speak with others who have participated in an AFS program, and their family members. We find this one-on-one interaction and information sharing one of the most helpful ways to prepare for an AFS Experience. During your Local PDO, AFS Volunteers may expand on topics covered in the Online PDO, in the AFS Guide, and provide the opportunity for you to engage in experiential learning activities with fellow AFSers. You will have the opportunity to attend a national, virtual PDO, if one is not offered locally.

You will receive an invitation from a local AFS Volunteer regarding attendance at a PDO event.

Online Learning Journey

As mentioned above, the AFS Student Learning Journey is the framework for helping participants achieve the AFS Learning Objectives and in turn, to become active global citizens who play an integral part in achieving the mission of AFS. One of the primary methods we use to facilitate this process is the Online Learning Journey, which encompasses before, during and after your program.

The Online Learning Journey is a blended learning course for semester and year program participants that allows you to begin the international aspect of your experience, with fellow AFSers from around the world, while still at home! The Online Learning Journey program consists of self-directed learning modules, activities, videos, quizzes, and a reflection forum. In addition, participants will have the opportunity to connect with each other in real-time during a series of webinars.

AFS has partnered with the University of Pennsylvania Center for Social Impact Strategy to develop modules focused on achieving social impact. All participants in the Online Learning Journey will have the option to enroll in an advanced course and to receive a Certificate in Global Citizenship for Social Impact from the School of Social Policy and Practice at UPenn.

Semester and Year program participants will receive an email with instructions on how to enroll in the Online Learning Journey in the weeks leading up to your departure.

Additional AFS Webinars

Each program cycle AFS offers a series of webinars that all applicants are encouraged to attend on topics such as navigating your ethnicity and heritage, and the LGBTQ+ experience, while abroad. During these webinars AFS staff, AFS Alumni and others will share related challenges you or others may face while abroad, provide strategies for coping with them, and for supporting your peers in the process.

Watch for invitations to register for these webinars in your email inbox.