AFS Global Family FAQ

Being a Global Family is fun! You will live a global adventure without leaving home. You will  welcome a new member into your home, share your everyday lives, and grow as you get to know each other and share your cultural perspectives. The AFS student should participate in all your family’s daily lives and events and you will offer the ame care, support and comfort you provide to other members of your family, including meals.

AFS students come from more than 99 countries, and are seen as role models and leaders in their home communities by demonstrating maturity and motivation to study abroad.

AFS students are screened and selected by the AFS organization in their home country. AFS students are:

• Usually between 15-18 years old on arrival
• Committed to actively participate in their AFS program
• Considered a good student in their home school
• In good general health
• Curious, flexible and open-minded.

All types of families can be a Global Family. There is no “typical” AFS Global Family. AFS welcomes all kind of families! Some Global Families have children at home; some are same sex couples; others are empty nesters with adult children or are couples with no children at all. Busy families also find time to enjoy hosting students. And single adults and single parents… are also welcome!

The health, safety and well-being of our students is the number one priority for AFS. AFS volunteers and staff are committed and trained to support students and their families throughout the AFS experience. AFS has consistent guidelines that apply to all AFS Organizations.

• 24 hour emergency contact
• Local volunteer or staff support for both the host family and AFS student
• Additional support from the national office of the AFS Organization in that country
• Facilitated intercultural learning programs by trained volunteers and staff for both the host family and AFS student
• All living facilities and situations are inspected and closely monitored by AFS throughout the exchange experience.

• High School (semester, trimester or year-long)
• Summer and Short Study (a few weeks up to three months)
• Language Learning (a few weeks up to three months)
• Volunteer Abroad

AFS students arrive with their own spending money for social and school activities, clothes, etc. As a host family, you will not need to provide spending money or an allowance.

No, your student will come with secondary medical insurance so that, in an emergency, the student can be treated as soon as possible. There is also a 24-hour support phone number in case of any emergency.

Yes. AFS students are expected to obey all the AFS rules and policies that are applicable while on their program. Should a student break a rule such as driving or taking illegal drugs, they will have their program terminated. Hosted participants are expected to obey all local and national laws. We also limit independent travel by students. You will be provided with a Global Family Handbook, which contains information on these rules and safety information, at or before your pre-arrival orientation.

1. Being an AFS Global Family provides a fun, rewarding and transformative experience for the whole family—a global family adventure without leaving home.
2. Global Families share cultures/learn about new cultures—creating a lifetime of memories and friendships. You and your family will have friends to visit in another part of the world.
3. Welcoming a student from another part of the world encourages families to open up their mind and gain better insights into the perspectives of people from other cultures.
4. It is an opportunity to bring cultural diversity to the family and community and to make an impact in the world.
5. It helps family members experience personal growth, re-energize and grow as a family.
6. It is an opportunity for young children in the family to bond with a new sibling as a big brother/sister or role model from another part of the world.
7. It helps everyone in the family develop more effective communication and intercultural skills.
8. Your family will practice another language.
9. By becoming a Global Family, you support the AFS mission of helping individuals and communities become more comfortable with and adapt to cultural and other differences. You also join an organization and a community dedicated to creating a more just, peaceful and inclusive world.

The AFS Global Family Intercultural Learning Journey program will help you become more comfortable with your new family member, and develop skills and understanding to communicate with people from different cultures. The journey is:

• Facilitated by trained AFS volunteers and staff.
• Based on the well-established AFS Learning Objectives for Global Families that have been designed and approved by experts in intercultural learning from around the world.
• Made of engaging and informative orientation sessions and useful learning materials you can use on your own or in group settings.

The AFS Global Family Learning Journey covers the AFS experience before, during and after the hosting program. The program’s primary goals are to help your family:

• Explore and build your intercultural awareness and understanding as individual global citizens and as a family and
• Better support your hosted student’s integration into a new culture and intercultural educational experience.

The AFS Global Family Learning Journey is based on the 14 AFS Learning Objectives for Host Families (developed by AFS international experts in intercultural learning) and is facilitated by trained AFS volunteers and staff. It Includes engaging and informative orientation sessions, monthly learning reflections, activities with the host student and a newsletter written specifically to enhance your hosting experience. The AFS Learning Objectives for Global Families are designed to help your family improve in four areas:

• Self-Awareness
• Communication Skills and Empathy
• Intercultural Competence
• Global Concern.

Welcome the world over. This is your opportunity to bring cultural diversity to your family and community and to make an impact in the world.We are living in a challenging time for all humankind. By becoming a Global Family, you support the AFS mission of helping individuals and communities become more comfortable with and adapt to cultural and other differences. You also join an organization and a community dedicated to creating a more just, peaceful and inclusive world.