Live with a new family in another country. Enjoy different traditions. Take time to appreciate, value and deepen your insights about other perspectives, cultures, religions and important world issues.
Open up your world to new possibilities
AFS intercultural adventures transform your life forever! We call it the #AFSeffect
Become global
Become change
Open your mind to a new way to view the world and help others see the world the way you experience it. Build bridges across cultures by creating friendships that will last a lifetime.
Become fluent
Go to a new school, learn a new language and find ways to connect with people from other cultures and backgrounds–skills that you’ll take back home and use for a lifetime.
Become yourself
Discover new things about yourself and your place in the world. Learn how to turn challenging situations into valuable opportunities to grow and become more mature.
Your AFS experience starts here
How can I become an AFSer?
You’ve explored AFS programs online or met us in person. Now you are ready to apply! Here's what to expect on your intercultural journey with AFS:
Find a program and start applying
Our application is thorough. But knowing some key things about you will help make your AFS experience amazing. If you’re stuck, just give us a call.
You’ve been selected!
Not everyone becomes an AFS student. Your application, interviews and recommendations tell us how ready you are for an international student exchange. Now the fun begins!
Attend your AFS Orientation Session
AFS orientation sessions help you navigate personal and cultural growth opportunities while you’re abroad.
Jump on plane or train and meet the world
Dedicated AFS volunteers, host families, and staff are prepared to make your AFS experience an intercultural learning adventure you’ll never forget.
Where do you want to go?
It's not a year in your life, it's a life in a year.
“There’s definitely a ‘before’ and an ‘after’ my AFS experience in my life. I would have never been who I am right now without AFS. It definitely changed my life.”
—Mela Cabrera, AFS student from Paraguay to Japan
how to get your parents to say yes!
Information for parents
AFS is a leading study abroad program for secondary school students, supported and facilitated by trained staff and volunteers. Since 1947, AFS has prepared young people to gain the practical skills and knowledge valued by universities and employers—and needed to succeed in a global world.
Learn while exploring a whole new world
AFS helps turn every experience into a true learning moment. Our volunteers and staff will guide you through the AFS Student Learning Journey—developed by knowledgeable AFS educators and other intercultural experts from around the world. Orientation sessions and monthly meetings with trained support volunteers will help you make the most out of your exchange—and prepare you for a lifetime of cultural encounters.
Check out what students say
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Sharing my experience with amazing friends
Being an exchange student doesn’t only expose you to the culture of your host country, but also to the cultures… -
Becoming friends with people from around the world
When I first arrived, before school started, I didn’t have any friends and I couldn’t speak Italian. However, when school… -
My new family in the Caribbean
I’m spending my AFS exchange in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Two and a half months just passed by without me noticing…
Host families share experiences
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A great experience for the whole family
This morning we left for work while the kids were still asleep. I left a note on the fridge saying,… -
Just do it. Jump in!
We have always loved the idea of having a student from abroad live with us as we felt it would… -
An enriching cultural experience
We gained a lot by hosting Davis for a year, this experience helped us understand that each culture is different,…
