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Welcome to the August edition!
Thank you so much for opening your hearts and your homes to an AFS exchange student (or two)! For those of you who are new to AFS-USA, welcome to the AFS community. We are Briony Rutzinski and Annelise Depman, the editors of the monthly Global Family Explorer newsletter which aims to provide you with the advice and support you need to have an unforgettable experience with your host student(s).
Many of the students have just arrived or will be arriving soon. I’m sure everyone is experiencing a mix of excitement and nerves as you start this new adventure—just remember that open communication will go a long way. Your time together will fly by sooner than you’d expect, so savor each day and embrace getting outside of your comfort zone.
Lastly, it's more fun to host with friends! If you know of any amazing families like yourself who may be interested in hosting, please reach out to your local volunteer or hosting@afsusa.org.
Best,
Annelise Depman & Briony Rutzinski
AFS-USA Stakeholder Services Specialists
 
P.S. Please let us know what you'd like included in future newsletter editions! If you missed the July edition, here is the link to view all past newsletters.
Explore these Newsletter Highlights
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In Season 6 Episode 5 of the AFS Exchange Podcast, follow along with a host family in California whose introduction to AFS began back in the 1970s.
Matt Lewis met a young AFSer from Belgium named Geert back in 1973, sparking a lifelong friendship and a major ripple effect. From road trips in high school to Matt acting as a crew member on tour with Geert’s band in the South of France years later, this one connection changed everything.
Decades after that initial meeting, it inspired Matt and his wife Wendy to host themselves and gave them a brand-new family on the other side of the planet – and connections that have taught them so much. Listen here!
Every month we answer select questions submitted to us by AFS host families or spotlight advice submitted. Thanks to everyone who has participated so far!
Question: What are the best cellular service companies to use to get phone service for your student?
Answer:
- Host Families are discouraged from adding AFS students to their “family plan” due to issues with costly/excessive monthly bills. We suggest students purchase a SIM card for their phone.
- The best SIM card to get is “Prepaid, No Contract” (has a set time limit, no contract and no monthly bill). AT&T, BOOST Mobile, Cricket Wireless, Simple Mobile, TracFone, Consumer Cellular, T-Mobile, and Total Wireless are all commonly available.
- For more details, read this article.
Host siblings often experience a multitude of feelings in the beginning of this hosting journey. Sharing your home with AFS student(s) is an adventure with the potential for a lot of growth, but it’s also a big adjustment!
Please share this article full of helpful and practical advice with any host siblings. Here’s a little snippet of what’s included:
- “I’ve never had a sister before which means I’ve never had to share my room and belongings, my privacy, my mom and dad. The biggest adjustment I had to make was sharing my parents. When our AFS student arrived, she needed extra love at the beginning. I wouldn't trade this sharing experience for anything else in the world.”
- “Show the student the ropes. It is actually quite frightening to not know anyone. Take them places, spend time together with them and your parents, but also give the exchange student their quiet time and privacy.”
Have you checked out Help & Learning for Host Families yet? This is your go-to resource for important information and guidance. Here’s some recommended reading for this month:
- Twelve Things to Review Before your Student Arrives
- Preparing for School
- Cultural Adjustment
- Host Family Tips and Advice
- Host Family and Participant Support
Additionally, encourage your hosted student(s) to check out Help and Learning for Participants. You can use this quick guide to add it as a shortcut on their mobile device!
Beyond just learning the rules and routines in your home, your student also must learn many new things related to starting school. From knowing how to get from class to class, what’s appropriate to wear to school, how to buy/pack a lunch, and how to get to and from school, preparing for the start of school can be overwhelming. We hope these articles, the days before school starts and the first weeks of school, will help all of you feel less stressed and ready for what’s to come.
Completing these two interactive activities within the first ten days of your student’s arrival will help you start off on the right foot with greater levels of mutual understanding of cultural differences and communication styles:
Your first few weeks together give you an opportunity to set expectations early and get to know each other while acclimating your student(s) to your daily routine. We encourage you, as well as your student, to “say yes” as often as possible to activities that will help you form a strong connection. These activities can be as simple as watching a movie together, cooking a family meal, or another pastime you or your student would like to share. Remember “say yes, get success!”
As students arrive, it’s an exciting time to imagine what your year ahead will look like and to potentially start thinking about trips you would like to take them on later in the year. Your student(s) might have hopes of going to places such as Disney World or the Grand Canyon. This may be the ‘America’ that they've seen in media and movies, and a lot of students don't realize how big the US is. Depending on your situation, these trips may be impractical and expensive.
AFS encourages travel locally such as an in-state park, a city within driving distance of your home, or a local theme park or attraction. Travel can foster greater integration and adjustment into the students’ host communities, helping to better understand the local culture. You as a member of your community are the best guide to help your student(s) learn and grow.
As you plan, there are several travel policies to keep in mind:
- Sleeping Accommodations When Traveling
- Activity & Supplemental Waivers
- Travel Waiver Guidelines
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"I always tell my students, don't try to compare your travel here with what you've done in the past. You have to open your mind and embrace new experiences. Your host family may say let's go 'here' or let's go 'there', places you probably have never even heard about, but if you say yes to these experiences you end up learning something new." - Midge Englund, Support Coordinator for the Finger Lakes Area Team
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When preparing to host an AFS student, often the last thing you want to think about is them getting hurt or sick while on program. Student medical concerns, and even emergencies, can be an unfortunate reality of any exchange program and can run the gamut from a simple flu to much more serious medical conditions. Familiarizing yourself with the AFS medical plan early on can help ensure your student(s) receive care quickly and smoothly if necessary. You can find medical information and resources on the Medical Treatment section of our Help & Learning for Host Families website.
Here are some suggestions if your student needs medical attention:
- Retain all documents from the visit. This includes doctor’s notes, after-visit summaries, bills, and prescriptions.
- Do not list yourself as the guarantor or guardian of your host student. If a guarantor is required, list AFS-USA whenever possible.
- Proactively ensure that your student has downloaded and can log into their Cigna Health app shortly after their arrival. Many students are unfamiliar with how medical insurance works, so please guide them and/or contact your local AFS-USA student-family liaison for assistance.
- Notify AFS-USA as soon as possible if your student visits the hospital, emergency room, is referred to a specialist, experiences any serious or prolonged symptoms, or is prescribed any medication. For minor illnesses like the common cold, notifying AFS-USA is not required, but when in doubt let Support Staff know!
Arrival Orientation:
Within 7 days of your student’s arrival an Arrival Orientation will be conducted by your local team. This orientation will guide students on safety, adjusting to life at school and in the home, and setting expectations throughout their program. It is also a wonderful time to connect with your local volunteers, as they are a great resource for your family if you have any questions or concerns while hosting your student(s).
Post Arrival Orientation:
Your local area team volunteers will also organize a Post Arrival Orientation about 6-8 weeks after students arrive to reflect on their initial perceptions and discuss any challenges they may have encountered.
Please add these orientations to everyone’s calendars once your local volunteers share them with you. For a list of all required orientations for your student(s) and family, click here.
Are you curious about Italian culture and food? Check out these delicious recipes that you can cook with your student(s).
Or if cooking’s not your forte, you can learn more about Italian life here!
On behalf of everyone in the Sponsored Programs Department, we would like to welcome new and returning AFS-USA host families! Thank you so much for hosting our wonderful FLEX (Future Leaders Exchange) and CBYX (Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange) students this upcoming year!
All Sponsored Programs host families are asked to please complete the SP Host Family Orientation module which reviews fundamental information specific to these Department of State programs.
On Thursday, Sep 17th at 8pm ET, we will be holding our Virtual Welcome FLEX Orientation. This session is intended for FLEX students, but their host families and liaisons are welcome to join. Please make sure your student saves the date and registers for the call.
If you have any questions about the FLEX or CBYX Program, please feel free to reach out to us anytime.
Thank you and wishing you all a great program year!
CBYX Specialist: Jon Meyer (jmeyer@afsusa.org)
FLEX Specialist: Apple Edelman (aedelman@afsusa.org)
Please consider completing our newsletter survey. Your feedback will improve future editions!
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