Now more than ever, the world needs talented young people from all backgrounds with 21st-century global skills and competencies to think, communicate, and lead across differences. And yet, international education experiences that help build global perspectives are often out of reach.
In order to expand access to intercultural education for more underserved and underrepresented students, AFS will invest up to $1 million USD over the next five years in a newly-launched scholarship program, AFS Faces of the World. This program is designed to help these study abroad students:
- Build their global competence;
- Increase their employability prospects;
- Become leaders of their communities; and,
- Make a lifelong commitment to helping the world learn to live together.
“This experience impacted my life deeply and I’m planning to
reflect that effect on my surroundings so the change becomes global,
one person at a time. That way, one day we will live in a better world,
with more understanding and less racism, stereotypes, and ignorance.”
—Nour Bejaoui, AFS Tunisia alumnus
AFS Faces of the World will be piloted in 11 countries, in partnership with community-based organizations, individual donors, foundations, corporations, and schools: Australia, Austria, Belgium Flanders, Brazil, Chile, Denmark, France, India, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
“AFS has taught me to see things with different eyes. Living in
a different culture with different views about the world has
made me much more open-minded. I’ve learned to listen, to
be more tolerant and to never stop learning.”
—Panna Laura Kovács, AFS Hungary alumna
You can help us reach more talented, diverse youth by donating to the AFS Faces of the World scholarship program. Your support helps globally-minded students to not only broaden their own horizons, but also to transform the perspectives of all those they touch.
AFS Faces of the World scholarship program builds on the success of a 20-year-long AFS-USA initiative to extend international education opportunities to more communities and ensure AFS participants reflect the diversity of America. In 2007, this initiative was re-launched as “Faces of America,” with more than 2,000 students receiving scholarships. We are excited to help this highly effective scholarship go global through Faces of the World.