By Tara Hofmann, President and CEO of AFS Intercultural Programs/USA Last week, AFS-USA, along with other leaders in international student exchange, met with Deputy Assistant Secretary Bernadine Futrell who represented…
By Tara Hofmann, President and CEO of AFS Intercultural Programs/USA For more than thirty years, I have worked in the U.S. and abroad to foster cultural understanding through youth exchange.…
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…
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 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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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 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…
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…
Local scholarship for students in Canandiagua, New York.
Local scholarship for students from Maine.
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…
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.
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…
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.
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
“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…
Juneteenth, short for “June Nineteenth”, is the day that marks the end of slavery in the United States 158 years ago in 1865, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was…
“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…
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…
Board Chair
James A. Kiernan III U.S. to Germany, 1961 James Kiernan, is chairman of the Board of Directors at the Center for Public Integrity, is a former partner with and is…
H. Jed Hepworth U.S. to Chile 1968 During six years as Director and especially as Chair of the AFS-USA Board of Directors during the chaotic first months of the COVID-19…
William G. Meserve U.S. to Greece 1957; Young Leaders to Soviet Union 1984 Bill Meserve is a former Director and Board Chair of AFS-USA and former Trustee and Board Chair…
Christine Plews AFS Returnee, U.S. to Ecuador, SP 1969 Host Sibling, 1974-75 One World Area Team Volunteer, 2008-2010 AFS Host Family Teachers Exchange Program, 1984 Siri Saisang Thailand Hosting of…
Vice Chair
Local scholarships for students in the greater Cleveland area.
Gail Meaker need and merit-based scholarship for semester and year program students
Terri Windsor is an AFS-USA Volunteer and host parent in the Youngstown, Ohio area. In this article, she shares how her AFS journey began, her work with the AFS Northeast…
