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Employers and educators identify global competence and intercultural understanding as a critical 21st-century skills that people need to tackle global challenges and thrive in an interconnected world. That is why the AFS Mission is needed more than ever: we educate and empower people and organizations with skills, insights, behaviors, and respect for cross-cultural differences so they can work and take on the most pressing issues our world is facing together.

AFS works with civil service organizations, foundations, companies, institutions, and  governments to ensure that:

  • More active global citizens are empowered to make a difference
  • More young people, schools, and institutions have access to global competence education
  • More diverse young people from underserved communities participate in intercultural exchange programs
  • More communities benefit from intercultural learning opportunities
  • More people and organizations tap into the AFS expertise

Launch a Scholarship Program

Our depth of expertise allows us to develop and manage intercultural learning programs that empower young people from all backgrounds with essential global skills—and the passion for making a difference.

Our programs reach more than 118,000 people each year, including almost 12,000 study abroad participants in more than 113 countries around the world. Our mission is to make intercultural learning accessible to all learners, everywhere and we would be glad to work with you to create customized programs that bring thematic scholarship program opportunities to many other communities.

Contact us for more information!

AFS student

AFS runs customized programs that include a thematic focus, such as STEM-based learning, environmental preservation, or leadership development. Since 2013, AFS has worked with BP to conceptualize, launch and administer the BP Global STEM Academies to provide scholarships for 300 talented students from around the world. The program is designed to attract young women, diverse students, and teens from underserved communities to STEM careers.

Learn more

Offer the AFS Global Competence Certificate to Students or Staff

The AFS Global Competence Certificate (GCC) is a blended learning program that develops tangible global skills essential to live, work, and make a real social impact around the world. 

Different versions of the GCC program meet the needs of students, staff, or faculty, professionals across a variety of disciplines from around the world whether or not they’ll have a study abroad experience. Purdue University, Education New Zealand and the Institute for International Education (IIE) are among our numerous long-term partners who us the GCC.

Learn more or contact Linda Stuart.

Customize the GCC to support your organization
  • Core GCC program
  • Separate, individualized URL
  • White branding options: photo/logo/color scheme, email headers (reply to, title from) handouts, GCC certificate
  • Up to 3 hours of custom development: creation of additional modules, editing text, forum discussion questions, shifting courses between phases, adding checkpoints, etc., as approved by AFS.

Customized Training and Coaching

The AFS Effect+ programs help young people become active global citizens in their own communities by introducing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and how they can work together to help advance them. Learn more on this page or contact Ana Carolina Cassiano for more info. 

With our new AFS Effect+ for the Classroom program, we prepare teachers to empower their students to become active global citizens who have the ability to ignite positive social impact in their local communities. This program is supported by The Sir Cyril Taylor Foundation.

Sponsor Virtual Exchange

Now more than ever people need to learn how to work collaboratively across cultures, even when in-person exchanges are not possible.  Since 2015, AFS has run blended and virtual exchanges for 15,000+ learners from 60 countries.

Become a sponsor for virtual exchange students: it lowers the barrier for students to participate yet its efficiency has been proven successful. You can fund scholarships or endowments and decide scholar priorities. 

Contact us for more information!

Changemaker

Consider sponsoring students to participate in the AFS Global You Adventurer, a 5-week virtual exchange empowering teens to live, learn, work, and make positive impacts as Active Global Citizens. 

The program helps teens to: 

  • Exchange perspectives, developing authentic cross-cultural friendships/peer networks, 
  • Build global affairs and SDGs knowledge, exploring how local and global issues are interlinked, 
  • Engage in intercultural learning and practice by being more self-aware, aware of others’ perspectives, building trust, and bridging across geographic, linguistic, and cultural differences, 
  • Increase civic involvement

Find out more

Meet Our Select Partners and Sponsors

Help us educate the next generation of leaders

The Covid-19 pandemic underscores the need for global cooperation and reflects the importance of the AFS mission. Thanks to your support, young people will continue to learn about the world, connect across cultures and experience personal growth. Stand with us by donating today.

Donate now