Host Family Topics
Looking into extracurricular activities (CL, CA, G&E)
What extracurricular activities has your student been participating in?
Do they seem to have enough time to complete their school work and spend time with the host family? (CL, CA, G&E)
Making friends (CL, CA, G&E)
Has your student been making friends?
Do they spend time with friends outside of school or have friends over to the house?
Can you think of ways to help your student make more friends?
Do your student’s friends peer pressure your student into negative behavior? (CL, CA, G&E)
Review independent Travel Guidelines (spring break) (A&U, PS&W)
Is your student planning to travel independently at all?
Does everyone understand the independent travel guidelines? (A&U, PS&W)
Encourage host family to learn about students home government and to encourage students to learn about host country government (CL)
Can you think of one way in which local government/community is connected or similar to the home government/community of your student?
Have you asked your student how the US government is viewed in their home country? (CL)
Encourage host family to talk to their student about the importance of not becoming too attached to a significant other (CL, CA, G&E)
Does your student have a partner or a romantic interest that they spend a significant amount of time with?
Have you set down rules about dating?
- The host family can help the student to realize that by spending too much time with a significant other they are missing out on making other friends and meeting different people. Host family can also remind student that they will have to return home after the year is over and will have to deal with being in a different country then their significant other. (CL, CA, G&E)
Host family should check in with their student about budgeting (G&E)
How has budgeting been working?
Is there anything about budgeting that you might want to discuss with your student? (G&E)
Participant Topics
Look into extracurricular activities, students may not be familiar with rigorous sports practice (CL, CA, G&E)
What extracurricular activities have you been participating in?
Do your extracurriculars leave you with enough time for schoolwork, friends and spending time with your host family?
Are there any other extracurricular activities that you are interested in getting involved in?
Do you know how to go about getting involved with those activities? (CL, CA, G&E)
Making friends (CL, CA, G&E)
Have you made friends?
Can you think of ways to make more friends?
Do your friends respect your culture and make sure not to peer pressure you into negative behaviors? (CL, CA, G&E)
Review independent Travel Guidelines (spring break) (A&U, PS&W)
Are you planning to travel independently at all?
Do you understand the independent travel guidelines? (A&U, PS&W)
Encourage student to learn about local government (CL)
What have you learned about the US government?
Can you think of one way in which local government / community is connected or similar to your home country government / community? (CL)
Suggest ways that we can promote AFS and show appreciation to your family. (A&U, G&E)
Have you talked to people in your school and community about your experience with AFS?
How might you show your appreciation to your host family in a gracious and thoughtful way? (A&U, G&E)
Talk to student about the importance of not becoming too attached to a significant other (CL, CA, G&E).
Do you have a partner or a romantic interest who you spend a lot of time with?
Are your host parents okay with this relationship?
- Help student to think about the friendships that they may miss out on if they spend all of their time with a significant other. Remind student that they will have to return home after the year is over and will have to deal with being in a different country than their significant other. (CL, CA, G&E)
Talk to student about prom and suggest ways to make it more affordable. (CL, CA, G&E)
- If necessary, explain what prom is. Encourage the participant to attend. Discuss any cost that might be associated and how to cover them (ticket, dress, limo…). Remind participants about the no drinking rule and the consequences for breaking it. (CL, CA, G&E)
Talk to student about graduation.
- Discuss some of the American graduation traditions.
Do you know how to order caps and gowns? Senior / yearbook pictures?
- Talk about ways that they can do all these traditions in an affordable way. (CL and G&E)
Key
A&U = AFS and You
PSW = Personal Safety and Well-being
CL = Culture Learning
CA = Cultural Adjustment
G&E = Goals and Expectations
RL = Required Logistics