AFS Effect+ Program

AFS Effect+ Program is a hands-on learning program that introduces students to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and how to work together to help advance these goals in their communities. The current AFS Effect+ versions available include workshops for teens led by AFS facilitators and a fully free Classroom Edition of the Program for high-school teachers, which includes capacity-building and a toolkit with resources for teaching Active Global Citizenship & the SDGs for high school students.

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Who are Effect+ workshops for?

These workshops are designed to engage young people, especially aged between 14-18 years old.

How do the in-person Effect+ workshops work?

AFS partners with local educational and youth organizations or schools.
These local groups identify youth leaders who will benefit from the program.
Participants take part in a 1-day or longer experiential workshop led by trained AFS facilitators to explore their role as global citizens and learn to exercise their power as changemakers. The workshops include:

- - Interactive dialogues with SDG specialists and experts,
  - Hands-on activities on intercultural learning and changemaking, and
  - The opportunity to engage in post-event social impact activities in their communities.

Effect+ workshops reach

Virtual Effect+ Program

“We learned the qualities required to be a global citizen, a changemaker. We learned to look from different perspectives to start the change from within ourselves right now.”

– Darshan Prema, Effect+ participant, India

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Capacity building for teachers

Thanks to the generous support of The Sir Cyril Taylor Charitable Foundation, high school teachers can also benefit from this program. The Effect+ for the Classroom Program equips educators with the intercultural skills needed to address the SDGs with their students through a virtual teacher-tailored capacity-building program.

During this international virtual teacher training program, participants will:

Explore different views, cultures and ways of life in a collaborative virtual learning environment;
Make local and global connections with other educators interested in Global Citizenship Education;
Experience different training and teaching styles;
Earn the AFS Global Competence Certificate upon completion, indicating the number of hours of engagement, and the knowledge and skills developed.

Programming includes:

The research-based Global Up Educators, a 8-week virtual learning certification which includes self-paced video modules, discussion forums, and facilitated live sessions to connect with other teachers run by trained AFS Facilitators via Zoom;
Access to teaching resources, tools for self-reflection and connection with teachers from over 15 countries to share experiences and best practices through a virtual community of practice;
The opportunity to get international recognition for a social impact project developed by students with their teachers’ guidance for the 2022 Cyril Taylor Young Leaders Awards.

The 2021-22 program is being offered fully free for 300 high school teachers from Argentina. Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela. Contact AFS in one of these countries for more information.

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Toolkit for educators

Piloted with 150 teachers in Brazil, Colombia and New Zealand who participated in the 2020-21 Effect+ for the Classroom Program Capacity-Building for Teachers, the Effect+ Toolkit for Educators is now available to all teachers worldwide free of charge. Click on the links below to download the Toolkit for free:

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UNESCO APCEIU recognizes Effect+ as a best practice

We are proud to receive recognition from UNESCO APCEIU for AFS Effect+ for the Classroom as an Education for International Understanding/Global Citizenship Education Best Practice! Our program has been selected among 70 submissions from 27 countries for its genuine commitment to global citizenship education and ability to inspire others to create similar education programs.

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