Program Details
| Program Length | Start | End | Price | Age on Departure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September | July | $73,800 | 16-18.6 |
Germany is located in the heart of Europe, surrounded by nine neighboring countries. Germany has many different and charming landscapes: flat farming country in the north, rolling hills in the middle with some heavy industrialised areas, and real mountain ranges, the Alps, in the south. The standard of living, as well as the technical standard, is high in the western part of Germany. Supply of food or goods is not a problem anywhere and hygienic facilities are very good all over the country. The two major religious affiliations in Germany are Catholic and Protestant, although there are a few other smaller church groups. The climate in Germany varies with the geography, with winter nights going down to as low as – 15 degree Celsius (January/February). During summer, temperature can pass 30 degree Celsius(July/August). The closer to the sea the more temperate the climate can be. The dominating characteristic of the weather in Germany is that it changes fairly often.
AFS in Germany
AFS in Germany currently hosts over 600 students on its year & semester programs. Around 1000 local AFS volunteers, located in 85 chapters throughout East & West Germany, provide support to hosted students, and the office in Hamburg administers the AFS programs. AFS Germany holds an arrival orientation in each AFS region about 3 weeks after arrival. Language courses will be offered to students in their host communities, either in groups or on an individual basis. The courses start within the first 2 months of the stay.
Host Schools
In Germany most students go to a state school from Monday to Friday, however classes on a Saturday are held in some areas. Most classes take place in the mornings with school usually finishing in the early afternoon. Large parts of the afternoon are generally spent doing homework. There are few or no social clubs, events or sport teams organized in German schools. It is up to the individual student to organize themselves with other students from school.
Host Families
The AFSer will probably be greeted by their host family with a handshake, which is the customary greeting when meeting someone, when saying goodbye, and sometimes to say thank you. Germans have a reputation for being punctual and orderly. In most German families the big, hot, meal of the day is eaten at noon. German food has a reputation for its richness. The daily diet consists of meat, vegetables, potatoes, noodles and rice. The second meal usually consists of sandwiches with either cheese or cold meat.
For the official website of AFS Germany, please refer to the front page.
