Program Details
| Program Length | Start | End | Price | Age on Departure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August | June | $80,800 | 15-18.6 |
The United States is a varied land, almost every kind of climate may be found, but the country lies mostly in the temperate zone. The continental United States stretches 4,500 kilometers from the Atlantic Ocean on the east to the Pacific Ocean to the west. It boarders Canada on the north, and reaches south to Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico. Including the offshore states of Alaska and Hawaii, the United States covers an area of 9 million square kilometers.
The United States has long been known as a “melting pot”, because many of its people are descended from settlers who came from all over the world, making their home in a land sparsely populated by native Indian tribes. Attracted by religious and political freedom, the first immigrants arrived from England and the Netherlands. Between 1820 and 1979, the United States admitted more than 49 million immigrants.
AFS in USA
AFS (American Field Service) began as a volunteer ambulance service during World War 1, whose volunteers had a dream of fostering international peace by promoting friendship between the peoples of the world. In 1919 a modest exchange of university students began between France and the USA.
AFS in the USA has grown since its first high school exchanges in 1947 to include many participants each year.
Host Schools
American high schools educate students from many different backgrounds, interests and levels of ability, and a wide variety of subjects are offered. A hosted student must be ready to participate fully in school life, making extra curricular activities part of their school program. Hosted students must participate in school examinations at the end of the school year. Exchange students are not eligible to receive a high school diploma, though some schools allow their hosted students to graduate.
American classes usually do not have formal lectures- teachers prefer discussion in their classrooms. Class participation is used by teachers as a way to judge a student’s understanding of the subject, and assist teachers determine a final grade. A typical school day begins between 8:00 and 9:00 am and ends around 3:00 pm. The local high school is the center of many social events for the student. Activities like theatre, orchestra, music clubs, international clubs, student government, school yearbook and school newspaper are available.
Host Families
American AFS host families are like families everywhere – each one is unique. Each family has its own rules and values. Most host families include the mother, father and their children, but some families consist of a single parent, and some may not include children. Many host families also include a pet who is treated as part of the family.
Many AFS families are not as wealthy as the American families seen on television. In some families, both the mother (mom) and the father (dad) work. All family members, including children, help with household work.
American families are often actively religious. All religions are practiced in the US, but the majority of Americans are Protestant, Catholic or Jewish.
For the official website of AFS United States, please refer to the front page.
