"I Love AFS"
– Richard Engel
NBC’s Chief Foreign Correspondent and AFS alum (U.S. to Italy) shares his thoughts in a special video, delivering the keynote address during AFS-USA’s Volunteer Summit.
The November event attracted more than 400 AFS-USA Volunteers for a virtual weekend of sharing and learning.
Inspiring Testimonials
A collection of videos and stories from AFSers.
"We are hosting now and it’s a fantastic experience!" - AFS Host Family and Volunteer, Andrea Downs
“We did not hesitate to host Zoe from Switzerland who arrived in September. Yes, it has been a different year than others in which I’ve hosted, but in many ways, it was the best! We are having so much fun as a family because we have more time together—hiking, cooking, and lots of conversations. Please consider welcoming a student or sharing information through your personal networks in 2021!”
“Together we can continue the work that AFS has done since World War I”
Current AFS-USA Exchange Students Maria from Portugal and Emma from Denmark are two global citizens creating a more just and peaceful world in their host communities.
How do you feel AFS supported your return to the U.S. during the pandemic?
“AFS honestly did an amazing job taking care of us and getting us home safely...all the AFS volunteers and everybody were so nice and supportive during the situation...I am extremely grateful and happy to be able to get back to my family.”
What will you take away from your AFS experience this year?
“A sense of maturity and development in myself, being able to think and see different perspectives in the world...the biggest lesson that I’ve learned is finding joy in simplicity...it takes courage and perseverance to get up every day and do things that are good for you...I’ve definitely learned how to do that.”
Why We Host
The Hayes Family has hosted three times with AFS-USA and each experience has brought joy to their family. Hear why they host!
Volunteering for AFS-USA in the time of COVID-19
April Murphy describes her AFS volunteer experience over the past year and how her team adapted to the "new normal".
In Touch with Educators
“I wanted to thank you for reaching out to me and helping me get back on board. I am so excited to be a part of this group and really enjoyed our meeting last night. Thank you again!” - One of 50 K-12 educators participating in the AFS Global Competence Certificate program.
Virtual Programming
~130 U.S. students on U.S. Department of State Sponsored Programs shifted to virtual programming that focused on language and cultural immersion—AFS partners abroad provided virtual cultural experiences, plus more than 200 hours of language instruction in Arabic, Chinese, German, Hindi, Indonesian, Malaysian, Russian, Tagalog, Thai, Turkish and Twi.
Picture: NSLI-Y Hindi summer students took a break from language instruction to experience yoga with an instructor in India.
In Memoriam
Richard M. Hunt, 1926-2020
AFS is saddened to announce the passing of AFS World War II volunteer Ambulance Driver and Life Trustee Richard (Rick) M. Hunt, who died on April 10, 2020. Read more.
Rick Hunt
in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in 1945
My experience with AFS, both during the war and afterward, influenced my life and my interests. As a young person, volunteering with AFS was very transforming: it kindled my interest in intercultural understanding. 
Our Deepest Gratitude
AFS-USA extends its deep appreciation to AFS-USA Alum Candace Forbes and her husband, Bert, who established a $500,000 AFS-USA Matching Challenge to help our organization survive what continues to be the biggest challenge we have ever faced. Thanks to thousands of people—all of whom are connected in some way to AFS-USA, we raised the $500,000 that has been matched by the Forbes Family!
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