The American Dream of Patricia Audrey Castromayor
In this article Patricia Audrey Castromayor, a student from the Philippines, talks about her experience in the US with the ALEX program, a two week exchange organized for the students…
Article Archive
The Top Eight Reasons We Wanted to Host
Hosting an exchange student is a rewarding and enriching experience for both the host family and the student. Just take it from the Hudson family, who hosted a French exchange…
Alumni Spotlight: Grace Mustafa
Grace has been an AFS exchange student (US to Germany, 2008), a volunteer, and a host sister to multiple exchange students over the years. She now works in a seasonal…
Janice Mills and an AFS 50th Year Reunion!
In this article, Janice Mills, an AFS-USA Alumna who went to Sweden with AFS in 1972, shares her experience during a 50 year reunion with her fellow AFSers! Janice was…
The Love Language of AFS
AFS programs have a magical way of bringing people together; across oceans, borders, languages, and cultures, participants often can’t help but fall in love with one another. Many AFS alumni…
School Outreach Celebrates 13 Young Educators
Thirteen young educators have earned full scholarships (sponsored by BP) to attend the annual AFS Youth Assembly in New York City from August 11-13, 2023. They will join 40…
AFS-USA Pride and LGBTQIA+ Resources
AFS-USA welcomes members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and actively encourages and supports their participation in all types of AFS opportunities, including studying abroad, volunteering, and hosting exchange students. Read below…
Explore the NSLI-Y Alumni Travel Program: Ganges River Cultural Excursion
Due to the the COVID-19 pandemic, exchange students scheduled to participate in a NSLI-Y Scholarship Program were unable to do so in person, and instead participated in virtual programming. Thanks…
AFS-USA Community Changemaker Award Winners
The theme of our 75th Anniversary is Your Story is Our Story: 75 Years of Creating Global Citizens. While it’s impossible to measure the impact AFS-USA continues to have…
7 Reasons You Should Host an Exchange Student
Hosting an exchange student with AFS-USA is not only a wonderful experience for a teen from another country – it’s a unique opportunity to provide you and your family with…
My study abroad story from Italy to the US: an unexpected return
Tommaso Casavecchi is an AFS-USA Marketing Intern, an AFS alumnus (Italy to U.S., 2018) and a volunteer in his hometown of Florence, Italy. He just took part in another exchange…
Three Generations of Hosting with AFS-USA
The Quandt family first started hosting with AFS-USA in the 1960s when they welcomed Kashu, a student from Afghanistan, into their home. This hosting experience was the catalyst for a…
Albert and Louise D’Agosto Scholarship
Albert and Louise D’Agosto created this $2,000 scholarship to promote learning Italian language and Italian culture through a year-long AFS program in Italy for an outstanding student in Connecticut. The…
The UNICO Avon Chapter Scholarship
The UNICO Avon Chapter Scholarship is a $2,000 scholarship made available by the Avon, Connecticut chapter of UNICO National. UNICO is the largest Italian American service organization in the USA,…
Protected: Meet the Sponsored Programs Staff!
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Alumni Spotlight: Natalie Rhodes
In this article, Natalie Rhodes, an AFS-USA Alumna who went to Chile for one semester during her junior year of high school, responds to a series of questions about her…
Protected: Travel Resources for AFS Recruited Students
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American Councils Organized Travel
For students recruited by the following recruitment organization: American Councils, AMIDEAST, iEarn, and IRIS The YES staff at American Councils wishes you a safe and pleasant journey home, which it will be…
Deconstructing Stereotypes
Overview: Use this lesson to help students realize the impact that stereotypes and unconscious bias have on our everyday behaviors. In this short simulation exercise, students will get to experience…
Oliva N. reflects upon her AFS experience in Japan during COVID
It was Olivia’s dream since seventh grade to study in Japan. Looking back in her journal, she realized how much of the past five years were spent studying the language…
Resources to Celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month
This collection of resources can be used during Hispanic Heritage Month, also recognized as Latino or Latinx Heritage Month, and be shared year-round. Articles: Elevating Hispanic and Latinx History All Year| PBS …
5 Ways to Continue Being a Global Citizen After Study Abroad
Nearly 16% of all college students will study abroad at some point during their degree program, and through programs like AFS-USA, some high schoolers even have the opportunity to live…
8 Career Paths for Students Who Loved Studying Abroad
Studying abroad while in high school or college is an excellent opportunity for your education and your career. It helps students plan for the future and gain invaluable skills they’ll…
How Studying Abroad Improves Your Career Prospects
There are so many reasons studying abroad is beneficial — you’ll make new friends, explore a different culture, learn new languages and make memories to last a lifetime. But studying…
Global Educator Newsletter: September 2021
In many parts of the world, students and educators are marking the annual return to school. As educators, I suspect that prepping for and implementing the start of the school…
Global Educator Newsletter: November 2021
November is a time when those of us in the United States take pause to remind ourselves of and express gratitude for the positive aspects of our lives. It’s also…
Global Educator Newsletter: January 2022
Over the last two years, “connecting” to our friends, colleagues, and students has looked a little different. Zoom, Teams, and Google Hangouts have helped us maintain our relationships locally and…
Global Educator Newsletter: April 2022
Recently, I had the opportunity and honor to recognize extraordinary educators committed to expanding global competence in their schools. Their achievements are many and, like you, they’ve dedicated themselves to…
Congratulations Youth Assembly Scholarship Winners!
AFS-USA is proud to announce the five young educators who will be Daring to Reshape the World at the 27th Youth Assembly in New York City with a $2,000 scholarship. These young educators were…
2022 AFS-USA Global Award Winners
AFS-USA has created two distinct awards to celebrate both individual educators and schools or districts that have made global engagement and intercultural learning a part of their everyday instruction and…
Global Educator Newsletter: September 2022
Connect with a Classroom Abroad Connect your students to Latin America during Hispanic Heritage Month by participating in a Meet & Greet with teachers of all content areas from Central…
Global Educator Newsletter: November 2022
Resources for Veteran’s Day – November 11, 2022 Many schools show their respect for the veterans in their community by holding a recognition ceremony or event honoring the service of…
Global Educator Newsletter: February 2023
From the AFS-USA President & CEO, Tara Boyce-Hofmann Throughout history, the global AFS family has been through numerous tragedies and disasters. Because we share such a closeness with the many…
2023 AFS-USA Global Award Winners
AFS-USA has two distinct awards to celebrate both individual educators and schools or districts that have made global engagement and intercultural learning a part of their everyday instruction and school…
Global Educator Newsletter: August 2023
Start the School Year with the *NEW*AFS Intercultural Club Toolkit Dig into this fantastic resource to help you effortlessly create or lead an intercultural club! You asked for it and…
Global Educator Newsletter: April 2022
Recently, I had the opportunity and honor to recognize extraordinary educators committed to expanding global competence in their schools. Their achievements are many and, like you, they’ve dedicated themselves to…
Global Educator Newsletter: April 2023
From the AFS-USA President & CEO, Tara Boyce-Hofmann Recently I had the honor to recognize two outstanding educators and their schools through the AFS-USA Global Awards. The Deputy Assistant Secretary…
In Memoriam: Guido Guidotti – AFS Alumnus, Scientist, and Professor
AFS-USA honors the legacy of returnee Guido Guidotti, Italy to U.S. 1950. Guido first came to the U.S. from Naples, Italy, as an AFS student in 1950. He attended Decatur High School in Illinois and was…
Peter M. Robinson
Treasurer of the Board of Directors
AFS-USA Elects New Board Members: Focus on Strategic Imperatives
AFS-USA, the largest partner in a worldwide network of non-profit, volunteer-based international education organizations, announces five new board members elected at its annual Board meeting on June 26th. According to…
AFS-USA Elects New Board Members
On behalf of the AFS-USA leadership, I am pleased to share the news that five new board members were elected at the annual AFS-USA Board meeting on June 24th, along…
AFS-USA Elects New Board Members: Focus on Increasing Support to Schools and Students
AFS-USA, the largest partner in a worldwide network of non-profit, volunteer-based international education organizations, announces five new board members elected at its June 24th annual Board meeting. Tara Hofmann, President…
AFS-USA Meet the Students
This site is only available to residents of the United States. To find out more about AFS hosting opportunities in your country, click here.
Alumni Newsletter: Summer 2021
Dear AFS-USA Alumni, Families, and Friends, I hope this newsletter finds you and your family doing well! Whether you studied abroad, hosted a student, sent your child abroad, volunteer or…
Alumni Newsletter: Fall 2021
We’re Moving Forward Thanks to You Over the past year, I have heard from many AFS-USA alumni about what AFS-USA means to them and how thankful they were that they…
Alumni Newsletter: Spring 2022
A Message from Tara Hofmann Today as I write this, our work has taken on even greater urgency as we witness and carefully monitor the tragic invasion in Ukraine. It…
Alumni Newsletter: Summer 2022
A Message from Tara Hofmann It’s remarkable that in September AFS will start its celebration of the 75th anniversary of AFS youth exchange programs. Over the course of the coming…
Alumni Newsletter: Winter 2023
A Message from Tara Hofmann As we begin a new year at AFS-USA (and the second half of our 75th anniversary), together, we have turned a corner in what has…
An AFS Adventure to Austria in 1968!
This article is written by AFS-USA Alumnus Dave Schrader. Dave is currently an AFS Volunteer in the Greater Los Angeles and South Bay Chapter who is greatly involved with orientation…
Hosting and Studying Abroad with AFS: Making the Ordinary Extraordinary
When you think about going abroad or hosting an exchange student, the first words that likely come to mind are “adventure” or “language”. Both language and adventure (and more!) will…
Meet Mikea: AFS Host Student and Global Citizen
Mikea R. is an exchange student from Albania on the YES Scholarship Program (yesprograms.org), hosted by AFS-USA in Rockford, Illinois. Below, Mikea responds to a series of questions about why…
Global Educator Newsletter: April 2021
In all of my recent travels (virtually) across the United States and around the world, I’ve been grateful (and encouraged) by today’s generation of students, especially their passion for change…
Global Sustainability / Sostenibilidad Global in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin
How Science & Spanish teachers collaborate to change the world! In Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, AP Environmental Science teacher, Kelly Holtzman, and Spanish teacher, Danielle Chaussee have formed a unique collaboration. Using…
Why Host an Exchange Student During COVID
Just about a year ago the world changed in ways we never expected and with those changes came a new hosting experience. At a time like this many ask themselves…
Why Hosting Is A Rewarding Experience
This blog features interviews from the Judy family and two students hosted by Dar Fredrickson in Pennsylvania. Both interviews were first published in “Building Bridges”, the Western Pennsylvania Area Team’s…
AFS-USA Resources to Celebrate Black History Month Year-Round
This is a collection of materials and resources gathered by AFS-USA staff in celebration of Black History Month. While Black History Month is celebrated in February in the US, these…
My AFS Experience: Hosting, Studying Abroad, and Volunteering
My name is Tori and I’m a current AFS Volunteer, Returnee from Japan (2010), and past host sister. I’m here to share my experience with AFS for anyone who’s curious…
Cooper E. King Memorial AFS Scholarship
The Cooper E. King Memorial AFS Scholarship was established with the support of family and friends in 2006 to commemorate Cooper’s life by helping a high school student gain an…
AFS Maine Global Explorers: Adventurer Scholarship
Local scholarship for students from Maine.
Phyllis Runkel Scholarship
Local scholarship for students in Canandiagua, New York.
IN MEMORIAM: Richard M. Hunt, AFS Volunteer, Historian, and Philanthropist
AFS is saddened to announce the passing of AFS World War II volunteer and Life Trustee Richard (Rick) M. Hunt, who died on April 10, 2020. Hunt was a student…
Protected: Ireland Semester and Year Visa Guidelines
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Protected: Dominican Republic Semester and Year Visa Guidelines
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Jill Woerner Appointed to ACTFL’s America’s Language Fellows Working Group
In September, AFS-USA's Director of Educational Outreach, Jill Woerner, was invited to serve as one of America’s Language Fellows because of her unique experiences both with ACTFL’s Professional Learning Committee and other initiatives.
Alumni Newsletter: Fall 2020
Dear AFS-USA Community, While we are all immersed in challenges these days, we’ve also come to value the stability of a singular mission and values that inspire all that we…
Women Volunteers and Suffragettes in WWI
The early twentieth century brought forth opportunities for women beyond the home front: work, education, social reform, and political engagement. While many conservative Americans fought against this change in gender roles and believed women needed to be home, World War I served as a catalyst for volunteerism and ultimately, women’s suffrage.
Life in the Dominican Republic
The Essentials All Programs AFS Participant Guide AFS Medical Guide Safety Tips Travel Guide Year/Semester High School AFS Dominican Republic Program Handbook Visa Guidelines Digging Deeper Language Resources Rosetta Stone:…
Developing Your Potential
Overview: Use this lesson to help your students explore the key attitudes and behaviors associated with success in your content area. This short reflective activity can be completed individually, in…
Days of the Week
Overview: Use this lesson to help students understand the difficulty of “unlearning” concepts and behaviors learned within their own cultural context. It also engages students’ critical thinking skills by challenging…
From Cartoons to Classics
Overview: Movies and television are rich sources of intercultural content when you know what to look for. This activity will help guide you to select a clip, show or film…
Critical Listening through Debate
Overview: Enjoy an intercultural twist on a unit idea that’s been used for years. Active listening skills, critical thinking and collaboration are all part of engaging in a debate in-person…
Listen and Draw
Overview: No artistic abilities are required for this quick activity regardless of whether it is a stand-alone activity or unit starter. Context and communication styles will definitely be part of…
Paper Tear
Overview: Take 3-minutes and generate a fabulous discussion about the power of perspective, active listening, and interpersonal communication. This can easily be done virtually and connects to any content area.…
The What, Why, and When
Overview: Building off the lesson “The What and Why”, students will engage in brief writing activity to determine if their values are aligned with their actions and future goals. Identifying…
The What and the Why
Overview: Do your own personal values and the values of others impact your daily actions and priorities? This activity helps your class explore the concept of values and can provoke…
Mapping My Community
Overview: What makes a community? Is it the people, the landmarks, the events or something else? This activity is a great lead-in for most content areas and provokes a great…
The D.I.V.E. Method
Overview: This lesson provides students with a model for processing new and different experiences in their daily lives. Students will learn to differentiate between observations and judgments, as they practice slowing…
Who Are The NACIREMA?
Overview: Using a model by Horace Mann, this lesson will challenge students to consider the strong ties between language and culture and how much of their culture is embedded in…
Rituals and Traditions
Overview: School routines, rituals and traditions have a large role in the formation of community and students’ comfort levels while learning. This lesson plan helps teachers provoke discussion and reflection…
Interview and Investigate
Overview: Verifying the source of information and understanding how different sources provide varying perspectives on the same topic can be eye-opening for students. This activity is a fun, highly engaging…
The True, The False & The Truly Amazing
Overview: When students form an emotional connection to something that they are learning, they are more likely to remember the content. Use this simple activity with a reading from any…
Your Identity Will Be Valued: My Time In Germany by Tony Valencia, AFS and CBYX Alum
“Only through dialogue and communication can differences be understood and appreciated.” – AFS and CBYX Alum, Tony Valencia ’18- ’19. In this blog post for Pride Month, Tony delves into…
AFS in Action: Anti-Racism Resources for the AFS Community
“At a time when the world is overcome by pandemics both viral and societal, AFS’s guiding principles of inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility are more urgent than ever.” – Hannah Greene, AFS-USA Returnee…
AFS-USA Juneteenth Resources
Juneteenth, short for “June Nineteenth”, is the day that marks the end of slavery in the United States 157 years ago in 1865, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was…
Cultural Webinars for Educators
As part of showing our gratitude to educators and all of their hard work during Teacher Appreciation Week, AFS-USA coordinated with our partners in other countries to bring a series…
What it’s Like to Host an Exchange Student from Pakistan
For James and Karen Graham, hosting an international exchange student with AFS has been a way to explore new cultures and make a positive impact. James’s family hosted an exchange…
3 Commonly-Asked Questions About Hosting Exchange Students…Answered!
This post was written by Michelle Kulas, an AFS Host Parent. Here it is, the day that my family has been looking forward to for months! Our Japanese exchange student,…
20 Fun Activities for you and your Exchange Student
Whether you’re hosting a high school exchange student or your relatives from abroad are visiting, these quintessential American activities are sure to break the ice. You’ll be creating opportunities for…
Dulce de Leche
Dulce de leche was everywhere in Argentina! My host family always had it at home. It is a very popular ice cream flavor, and is common to eat any time.
AFS Welcome Families make a world of difference
What is a welcome family? A welcome family provides a home and a warm welcome for a student for a few weeks to a couple of months. During this time,…
How hosting an exchange student kept me sane after study abroad
AFS/YES Abroad exchange student, Carly, during her study abroad year in Indonesia. Hosting an AFS exchange student from Germany has been one of the best experiences for my family, and…
Words of Wisdom from 2017-2018 AFS Exchange Students
May 2018 — This past mid-May, dozens of exchange students across the Carolinas spent a few hours together to consider the year they are wrapping up and what it will…
One family says “Welcome back!” to their AFS Exchange Student
The Dordal/Boyd family from Olympia, Washington was excited to reunite with their former exchange student, Gamze from Turkey. Despite the months and miles that separated them, Gamze fit right back…
How to Enrich Your Family by Hosting
After a friend of theirs decided to host an AFS Exchange Student, Margaret and Matthew C. from Michigan were curious to see what it was all about. Their son Andrew…
Exchange student leaves behind legacy in Wisconsin
Moving to an American town 6,000 miles from home might leave a teenager shy or timid. But not Maryse, an AFS Exchange Student who came to Oshkosh, WI on a…
Lead
Mercimek Çorbası
There are a few secret steps in this recipe that come from the owner of a Turkish restaurant! Not using a hand-blender makes all the difference!
Veggie/Shrimp Tacos
I love this recipe because it's simple, and also because it can be vegetarian.
COVID-19 Resources for Parents
As learning moves from the classroom to the living room AFS-USA is ready to support families in their at-home learning environments. Below you will find resources to help students of…
Chocolate Chunk Cookies
They are the yummiest chocolate chip cookies I have ever had. The orange zest and nuts are optional based on your taste preferences.