AFS-USA is the leading exchange program in the world and has been successfully been hosting and sending students and teachers on exchanges for over 65 years to over 90 partner countries. Recently, the Miss Tennky Area AFS Leadership Team placed 40 foreign exchange students in the area for the 2013-14 school year. The students were from: France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland, Japan, Thailand, Switzerland, Brazil, China, Chile, Norway, Spain, Austria, and Belgium. The new roster for 2014-15 is equally as impressive with many countries represented. Forty-six (46) are spread throughout MS, TN, AL and KY. The Alabama representative is Kahy Whitlock at AFSALabama@misstennky.org and 205-680-4390.
Contact Becky Heywood, volunteer coordinator, at AFSBecky@comcast.net or 615-473-4389 to discover which volunteer jobs would be perfect for you. Some of the tasks are interviewing, transporting, planning and holding orientations, writing articles for the newsletter, becoming a host, liaison, aunt/uncle, speaking to school classes, cvic organizations and church groups, returnee follow-up, fund raising, etc. One can register online at www.afsus.org/volunteer-with-afs.
Becky Heywood also serves as the sending coordinator for students who wish to go as foreign exchange students to one of AFS-USA's 40 partner countries. There are summer, semester, year long and gap year program. They may be viewed at www.afs.org/going-abroad. Many different types of scholarships are available and vary from year to year. Costs, available type programs, eligible ages, scholarhsips, etc., may all be found at the above web site.
Contact the hosting committee at AFShostcommittee@misstennky.organd/or Sandy Rich at 865-617-0665 and Srich@afsusa.org if you are interested in hosting an AFSer for the next fall and wish to see the students' mini-bios, ask questions and see full applications, plus make an application. More students will be available for the second semester in November and December for 2015.
