June 25, 2008
ACTIVISM
By Dame Zine
Becoming Global Citizens By Expanding Horizons
 AFS High School Student Exchange Program
Political and social awareness through culture, dialogue, and art play an important role in breaking down stereotypes and increasing intercultural understanding.
The American Field Service (AFS) tradition of sponsoring world understanding and service continues through cross-cultural educational exchanges, such as its successful High School Student Exchange Program. AFS's 15 to 18 year old students come from more than 50 countries and from a variety of cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. They attend high school in the U.S., maintain good grades, and are seen as role models in their home schools and communities.
The experience of studying or teaching abroad in the U.S. for 2,800 international high school students and teachers is unparalleled. You Tube AFS-One Word says it All: youtube.com.
A profound idea born of war, American Field Service (AFS) today is a leader in the field of international dialogue and cultural exchange, AFS Intercultural Programs. The 90 year-old AFS grew from its origins as a volunteer ambulance corps in 1914 that served in France, North Africa, Middle East, and Italy, to the current world's most experienced international student exchange organization.
Currently AFS has programs in over 50 countries involving 11,000 students, young adults and teachers each year, with over 30,000 volunteers. To date, 325,000 AFS program alumni have enjoyed an unforgettable experience while helping shape a global narrative, one that is both a personal story and a collective history.
San Anselmo resident, Ann Brown, says hosting an AFS student "was a bonding experience for my family that opened up a wider world for my teenage boys."
To get involved: Open your home to a student or teacher from another country --
Call 1-800-AFS-INFO or email afsinfo@info.org
AFS links:
World Volunteer Web, http://www.worldvolunteerweb.org fosters diversity of volunteerism in all of its cultural forms, bringing global ideals to local voluntary actions.
Images of the World, http://www.images.org create awareness concerning the consequences of globalization for the cultures of the world. The current festival theme - Images of the Middle East - "Identity in the Process of Change" challenges the tensions caused by cultural changes taking place today in the Middle East.
The International Volunteer Programs Association (IVPA) is an alliance of nonprofit, non-governmental organizations based in the Americas that are involved in international volunteer and internship exchanges. http://www.volunteerinternational.org
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