Skip to main content

Orientation Coordinator

  • Updated

As the Team Orientation Coordinator, you ensure the delivery of the required orientations for the AFS students and families that are hosted or sent from your team. You oversee the planning, training, staffing and delivery of all orientations and work with a team of volunteers to deliver a quality orientation program. 

There are a number of ways in which a team can organize volunteers responsible for the management and delivery of our orientations. Teams are empowered to organize in the way that works best for them. For some teams, this means having a separate Orientation Coordinator for each of the required orientations, for other teams it means creating an Orientation Team of volunteers to coordinate and plan all the orientations, and some teams have Orientation Coordinators responsible for a specific geography in their team because of their size. Your RFS (Regional Field Specialist) is a resource to help your team create the volunteer orientation structure that works best for you.

Tasks

  • Ensure that at least the minimum prescribed orientation is provided to each hosted student, host family, sending student, and natural family in the Team
  • Develop and implement a plan to provide all prescribed orientations for program participants in the Team. Please note, the Orientation Coordinator is not responsible for facilitating or running the orientations, but rather finding individuals who will do so.
  • Develop an annual master calendar of all orientation activities taking place at the Team and local level, and distribute to AFS-USA staff and appropriate volunteers
  • Oversee the timely distribution of all orientation materials
  • Ensure that all key orientation providers receive training: a) an initial training for new facilitators and b) a refresher session for previous facilitators
  • Develop productive working relationships with local team volunteers and monitor local orientation activities to ensure quality delivery of orientation services
  • Evaluate orientation activities and make recommendations to the Team
  • Notify National office of Chair and request supplies well in advance of each orientation; (separate lists for each type of orientation can be generated)
  • Determine time, place, events, and responsible persons for each orientation
  • Make sure all sign-in sheets are signed and returned to the AFS-USA office.

Training

Required

Recommended

    • Foundation of Intercultural Learning and Global Competence
      • AFS considers this essential to preparing for all Orientations. Covering topics similar to the Student Learning Journey - the course taken by students before and during the program - this course will give volunteers valuable information and tools to better understand and facilitate the intercultural experience of our AFS students during orientations.
    • Participation in national or regional conferences or training event
    • Attend the AFS “Training of Trainers”
    • Peer-to-peer training and/or mentoring available

Related articles