AFS Intercultural Programs

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AFS Intercultural Programs The world needs more Active Global Citizens. AFS helps to create them.

IMPORTANT: Each AFS member organization is an independent legal entity separate from AFS International and it is not a legal affiliate thereof. Each AFS member organization respects and abides by relevant national and local laws governing their operations.

We're proud to share that AFS Intercultural Programs has been named a finalist for Best Student-focused Sustainability I...
10/09/2026

We're proud to share that AFS Intercultural Programs has been named a finalist for Best Student-focused Sustainability Initiative in the first CANIE Climate Awards, for the AFS Global STEM Changemakers Initiative.

This recognition is a proud milestone in a journey we’ve been building over time. Since signing the CANIE Accord in December 2024, AFS has been actively implementing 20 pledged actions across key operational and educational areas—from expanding climate literacy in our programming to reducing operational emissions and promoting climate-conscious travel.

The awards are run by CANIE, the Climate Action Network for International Educators, and recognise climate action in international education. Thank you to the CANIE judges, and congratulations to our fellow finalists!

Partners from Asia and the Pacific recently gathered in Bali for three days of big ideas, celebrating 75 years of AFS In...
10/07/2026

Partners from Asia and the Pacific recently gathered in Bali for three days of big ideas, celebrating 75 years of AFS Indonesia, and mapping out what’s next for intercultural exchange across Asia & the Pacific!

💡 Key highlights:

🚀 Meet APIN! AAI is officially evolving into the Asia Pacific Intercultural Network (APIN) — a new identity for our expanding vision!

🌏 Welcoming new regional partners

🌱 Next Stop: Manila! Young leaders are gearing up for the Regional AFS Youth Assembly in Manila - hosted by AFS Philippines - to build skills, connect, and pitch projects for seed funding.

The future of youth leadership across the Asia-Pacific is brighter than ever! 💙

This World Teachers’ Day, AFS is proud and grateful to partner with educators from over 15,000 schools worldwide who bri...
10/05/2026

This World Teachers’ Day, AFS is proud and grateful to partner with educators from over 15,000 schools worldwide who bring global competence education to life every day. 🌍

Educators are the ultimate multipliers of our mission to build a more peaceful, just, equitable, and sustainable world. In just the past two months, AFS has trained 100 teachers through 3 custom hybrid programs to deepen their impact:

🎓 Global Educators Academy: As part of the 2026 AFS Youth Assembly, 50 educators from 30+ countries completed Global Up Educator before meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, for an intensive 3-day workshop focused on fostering global competencies in learners.

🔬 Global STEM Educator Program: 50 educators — 25 from Senegal and 25 from Mauritania — completed Global Up Educator and convened in Dakar and Nouakchott for hands-on, regional workshops.

Thank you to all our partner educators around the globe for spreading intercultural understanding and empowering the next generation of global citizens. 💙

🌍 "Talking about something that the agenda doesn’t show: What volunteering really means."Some in the room were in their ...
09/30/2026

🌍 "Talking about something that the agenda doesn’t show: What volunteering really means."

Some in the room were in their twenties, others from older generations. For some, it was their very first contact with AFS. Yet as hands went up across the room, one common thread emerged: volunteering leaves a lasting impact on those we serve, but just as much on ourselves.

While delegates moved from panels to workshops at the AFS Youth Assembly 2026 in Geneva, AFS volunteers gathered with President & CEO Daniel Obst and Board Chair Ernesto Rey Moreno for a conversation straight from the heart. 💬

A standout moment was celebrating Priya Jadav, winner of this year’s Young AFS Volunteer Award! 🏆 Priya began her journey as an exchange student from India — leaving home shy and self-conscious, and returning confident. Today, volunteering with AFS Canada, she gives back to change lives as profoundly as her own was changed: "It’s what AFS is about: belonging to something bigger."

What truly filled the room was a shared sense of purpose and community, created across 3 intensive days by generations of volunteers who give their time, experience, and hearts to AFS every day.

📸 Swipe to check out highlights from the AFS Volunteer Meetup!

🔗 Read the full article "Generations of Giving and Global Connection" by Carina Boerries: https://www.youthassembly.org/2026/09/29/afs-youth-assembly-volunteering-experience/

The first issue of the AFS Global Alumni Newsletter is out! 📬Read alumni stories from different countries, news from acr...
09/28/2026

The first issue of the AFS Global Alumni Newsletter is out! 📬

Read alumni stories from different countries, news from across the network, and new ways to stay connected!

Read the first issue here 👉 https://mailchi.mp/afs/alumni-newsletter-september2026

Didn't get it in your inbox? Sign up so you don't miss the next one: afs.org/alumni/sign-up/

Celebrating the AFS Global STEM Educators in Mauritania! 🇲🇷📚We’re proud to celebrate the successful launch of AFS’s inau...
09/24/2026

Celebrating the AFS Global STEM Educators in Mauritania! 🇲🇷📚

We’re proud to celebrate the successful launch of AFS’s inaugural Global STEM Educators program in Nouakchott, Mauritania, bringing together 25 educators from across the country for three days of professional learning focused on global competence, STEM education, and sustainability.

With scholarships supported by bp, this pilot program enabled us to bring our traditionally virtual program into an immersive, in-person workshop and exchange model in West Africa – creating new opportunities for educators to learn, connect, and collaborate across their communities.

We were honored to welcome colleagues from bp Mauritania to the program and are grateful for the support of the broader bp team. We were especially pleased to hear welcome remarks from Asma Dey, Senior Communications & External Affairs Manager at bp, alongside representatives from the Ministère de l’Éducation Nationale: Oumar Soumaré, Director General of Education; Houssein Mahmoud Ethmane, Director of Science Education; and Mohamed Bilal, Inspector General of Secondary Education.

One of the most meaningful moments for the AFS team was visiting Fondation Sahel, an organization working to combat modern-day slavery and expand educational opportunities for children of formerly enslaved people in Mauritania. We are proud to have a cohort of young people from the Foundation participating in our Global STEM Changemakers program. Meeting the students and their families in person was a powerful example of the impact these opportunities can have.

A huge thank you to bp, our Mauritanian partners, the Ministère de l’Éducation Nationale, and the educators who made this milestone possible.

Learn more about the AFS Global STEM Initiative: afs.org/global-stem

09/23/2026

🎬 What really happens behind the scenes of a global event?

Behind every panel, registration desk, and warm welcome at the , there is a dedicated team of volunteers working to keep everything running smoothly — and making sure every participant feels right at home. ✨

In this behind-the-scenes video, our Communications volunteer, Marianna Baraldi, shows us the energy across our teams: from Registration and Logistics to Communications and Youth Development.

But volunteering at an event of this scale is about so much more than logistical support. In her newly published article, "Beyond Volunteering: What the AFS Youth Assembly Teaches You", Marianna shares what this experience teaches us in practice:

💬 "It teaches you to communicate across cultures, take initiative, work under pressure and remain flexible when things do not go according to plan. Most importantly, it reminds you that international events are not only built through programmes and schedules, but through the people who make others feel welcomed, supported and connected."

Our volunteers are the front door and the heart of everything we do at AFS. A huge thank you to the entire team for their impact and dedication! ❤️

🔗 Read Marianna's full article to discover more about the transformative power of volunteering: https://www.youthassembly.org/2026/09/23/afs-youth-assembly-volunteer/

On the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, AFS International representatives attended the official launch of the Globa...
09/22/2026

On the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, AFS International representatives attended the official launch of the Global Network for Youth, where AFS has joined as an inaugural member. It is a co-led effort by the UN Youth Office (UN Youth Affairs) and the Mohammed Bin Salman Foundation (Misk Foundation مؤسسة مسك), long-standing partners of our organization.

We are proud to be among global organizations who truly work together to expand young people’s access to opportunities, knowledge, skills, networks and global platforms; strengthen pathways for meaningful youth participation and leadership; and accelerate collective action on issues affecting young people.

The Network is anchored in the United Nations Youth Compass and it was first announced this August during the AFS Youth Assembly in Geneva.

Find out more: https://www.un.org/youthaffairs/en/press-releases/united-nations-youth-office-and-mohammed-bin-salman-foundation-misk-officially

Creating a more just and peaceful world is central to the mission of AFS. This Peace Day, join us by standing up to inju...
09/21/2026

Creating a more just and peaceful world is central to the mission of AFS.

This Peace Day, join us by standing up to injustice, inequity, and intolerance.

Thank you to all our alumni for their inspiring actions and for spreading compassion, kindness, and hope 🕊️

🌍 There is now an official AFS Global Alumni Community — join us! 🎉Wherever and whenever you had your AFS experience — t...
09/21/2026

🌍 There is now an official AFS Global Alumni Community — join us! 🎉

Wherever and whenever you had your AFS experience — there's now one global space for AFS alumni to reconnect, hear about what's happening across the AFS world, and stay part of the AFS story.

💙 Join the community:

🧳 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/26340000/
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1JBbT9m2qe/

📬 Stay in the loop:
Sign up for the AFS Global Alumni Newsletter, for updates, stories, and ways to get involved: https://afs.org/alumni/sign-up/

This doesn't replace your local AFS group, it's a global complement to the connections you already have.

Come say hello, and let us know where and when you did your exchange and what you’ve been up to!

Welcome home, AFSers 💙

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