Host Family Topics
Check in with siblings (CA)
How are the siblings doing as the time of the end draws near? (CA)
Assess progress on goals (G&E)
Looking back on the goals that were set along the way, how have they been met or not met and what would you like to get out the remainder of the time? (G&E)
Reflect on insights gained about U.S. culture, home culture, family culture, explore cultural differences (CL)
How has this experience made you look differently at your own culture including US culture, your home culture, family culture, etc? (CL)
Explore cultural differences (CL)
How have you learned to celebrate cultural differences and how might that be continued as you continue forward? (CL)
Ensure that the student know what to do in order to obtain academic credit back home if applicable (CL, G&E)
Does your participant know the steps involved in making sure to get credit back in their home country? Who do they need to talk to at school to make sure this happens? (CL, G&E)
Natural family visits (CA)
Have you reviewed the rules surrounding visits from natural family? Are they planning on coming over to visit? What does the timeline for that look like? (CA)
- Have a little conference time with the student and family where we discuss ways that everyone has grown from the experience (G&E)
In a conversation with family and student, ask how everyone has grown from this experience. (G&E)
Participant Topics
Ensure understanding of re-entry cycle (CA)
What are your expectations surrounding reentry into your culture? The rest of your time here might fly by and we should start thinking about what reentry looks like. (CA)
Assess progress on learning objectives (G&E)
Looking at the goals that you have outlined throughout the course of the year, how have they been met or not? As the year wraps up, what are your goals for the remainder of your time here? (G&E)
Provide tips on saying goodbye & showing appreciation to teachers, host family, community members. (CA)
How might you say a gracious and thoughtful goodbye to those who have been good to you throughout your stay here, host family, teachers, community members, etc? (CA)
Explore cultural differences (CL)
How have you learned to celebrate cultural differences and how might that be continued as you continue forward? (CL)
Encourage the participant to continue with the commitment to having an alcohol free remainder of the year (PSW, G&E)
As the school year winds down there tend to be plenty of parties and celebrations, please keep in mind that you have made a commitment to have a drug and alcohol free year. I encourage you to keep true to that commitment even as the year comes to an end. (PSW, G&E)
Ensure that participants know what to do in order to obtain academic credit back home if applicable
(CL, G&E)
Do you know the steps involved in making sure to get credit back in your home country?
Who do you need to talk to at school to make sure this happens? (CL, G&E)
Discus mailing packages back home (A&U, G&E)
Mailing things home can be quite expensive or take a long time. Do you plan on sending things home, and if so, have you thought about what and why and the time frame to get them back? (A&U, G&E)
Tell students not to make any permanent changes to their bodies such as tattoos (PSW)
As the year ends, keep in mind that any changes you might make to your body that are permanent you might not be excited about in the future. I would advise you not to get tattoos or other permanent changes. (PSW)
Natural family visits (CA)
Have you reviewed the rules surrounding visits from natural family? Are they planning on coming over to visit? What does the timeline for that look like? (CA)
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