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Welcome to our living room where each month we
share stories and news about AFS Students and
Families. Imagine your own living room transformed
into an international gathering place as you open
your home to an AFS Exchange Student.
Host Family FAQs
Q: Must the hosted student have his/her own
bedroom?
A: No. Many of our participants share a room with a
host sibling. Learning to share and be flexible is
part of the AFS experience.
Q: What if the two parents work outside the
house?
A: It usually is not a problem, as the student you will
be hosting will attend school during the day. He or
she will be home only at nights and on weekends. It
is however important that everyone’s wishes be
realized, in order to integrate the student into the
family.
Q: What if something goes awry?
A: A: Our volunteers have 60 years of experience in
placing students with families, and we provide
extensive support throughout the year. AFS also
provides intercultural training to both the family
and the student to help with communication. However,
if the placement does not work out satisfactorily,
AFS assumes responsibility to find the hosted
student another family.
Other Links
Volunteer with AFS
More FAQs
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Muslim teen at home with Jewish family
Back home in Egypt, 17-year-old Mahmoud
Mohammed Ali speaks Arabic, goes to mosque and
has trouble getting up before noon. "Teenagers are
teenagers no matter where they come from," said
Bonnie Green, the Brewer woman whose family is
serving as host for Ali. He is spending the school year
in Maine through American Field Service, a cultural
exchange program, under the U.S. Department of
State's Youth
Exchange and Study scholarship program.
Each year, scores of students use the program to
give up their familiar surroundings for something
different. Ali is one of 40 AFS students in Maine, and
one of three YES students in Penobscot County. This
year, Ali's experience is a first for AFS in Maine:
he is
Muslim and his host family is Jewish." Read more... Biographies of AFS Exchange Students We're providing biographies of AFS Exchange
Students so that you can envision what it would be
like to share your day-to-day life with a new family
member. Below are examples of students who will be
participating with AFS.
Once you begin the hosting interest form, we will connect you
with a local volunteer to discuss specific students in
your area.
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Katharina from Germany
Katharina, who goes by Katha or Rina, is extremely
devoted to her faith. She is a member of the YMCA
and regularly leads 2 groups of young girls in
religious
discussions. She takes part in a weekly "Bible
Breakfast" and plays trumpet in the church band.
Rina says that her faith in God gives her an optimistic
outlook on life. She is a dedicated, helpful person
and is
passionate about making the lives of others better.
Rina is an honest girl and believes it is important to
understand a variety of cultures.
She has an
older brother who works as an industry trader. Her
dad is an engineer and her mom is a housewife. Rina
hopes to spend time in East Africa after high school.
Her family has friends in Indiana.
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Yunusemre from Turkey
Yunusemre has been playing basketball for 12 years
and is a member of a premier league club. He enjoys
drawing, listening to music, playing video games, and
sometimes plays soccer.
He is self-confident, outgoing, and gets along well
with others. His father describes Yunusemre as
"respectful, open minded, and friendly," and his
teacher says he is "intelligent, dependable, and well
organized."
He cannot eat pork, for religious reasons.
He lives with his parents and younger
brother and has a good relationship with his family.
In the future, Yunusemre would like to study
business administration and work in his father's
business.
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Our Mission
AFS-USA works toward a more just and peaceful
world by providing international and intercultural
learning experiences to individuals, families, schools,
and communities through a global volunteer
partnership.
AFS is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
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