Program Details
| Program Length | Start | End | Price | Age on Departure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August | June | $73,800 | 15.8-18.6 |
Norway, which literally means “the way to the north”. Rich in natural surrounds, Norway boasts high mountain ranges, rugged coastlines and narrow fjords. Norwegians make active use of their natural surroundings through sports clubs and associations connected with outdoor recreation, and enjoy access to wilderness areas.
Norway’s history includes the expeditions of the Vikings in the 800s through to the unification as a kingdom in the early 900s. In 1380 Norway came under the sovereignty of Denmark and later Sweden, before adopting its own constitution in 1905, when Norwegians elected their first king of a free Norway. The descendants of that first king sit today on the throne of the constitutional monarchy, and enjoy great support from the people of Norway. Deep seated democratic traditions and a comprehensive social welfare system combine to create an egalitarian and homogenous society, in which relatively common values and social attitudes prevail.
The climate of Norway varies from the temperate coastal regions to the harshness of the Arctic Circle. In some areas to the north the midnight sun shines during summer twenty four hours a day, while winter sees only a glimpse of light in the middle of the day.
AFS in Norway
AFS in Norway operates an office of professional staff in Oslo, and local chapters throughout the country. Students have a nominated counselor within their local community. Activities that may be provided to host students by AFS Norway include orientations.
Host School
The school system is Norway is mainly public. The local municipalities are responsible for primary schooling, the counties for secondary schooling and the state for further education, including universities. The Norwegian school system is based on ten years of compulsory schooling in comprehensive schools and students start at the age of 6 in Kindergarten. The school day starts around 8:00 am and finishes around 3:00 p.m. There are breaks of 10-15 minutes in-between classes and lunch is eaten at school and mostly consists of sandwiches prepared at home.
Host Families
In Norwegian families parents are considered head of the family and they make the rules. The are respected by children, even though Norwegian teenagers may disagree and discuss with their parents. Often both parents have full time work outside the home.
Children are given some amount of freedom but are also expected to be responsible and make decisions for themselves when the parents are away. They are brought up be independent. Norwegian teenagers are expected to take part in housework, cooking and cleaning and this applies equally to boys and girls. Physical contact as a sign of affection is often not as common as in many other countries, and affection is communicated in different ways.
For the official website of AFS Norway, please refer to the front page.
