All Host Families are expected to complete the Online Host Family Orientation prior to their student’s departure from their home country, additionally, given the smaller number of hosted participants in NH20 and the unique situation we find ourselves in, all NH20 Host Families will be invited to attend one of four Host Family Pre-Arrival Orientation Webinars led by members of the Orientation Advisory Group. For more information about these webinars, including registration links, please see the related MyAFS News article here.
Please note, these national events do not preclude Teams from offering their own local Host Family Orientation or get-together, virtually or in-person, provided local/state guidelines regarding group meetings permit it and CDC guidelines regarding social distancing and mask use are followed.
Should a Team wish to run their own Host Family Orientation locally, we ask that you use the 2020 Host Family Orientation PowerPoint, adding any Team-specific information as appropriate. This presentation is based in part on the AFS Host Family Intercultural Learning Journey which complements the AFS Student Intercultural Learning Journey. Host families and participants are active partners in the intercultural learning experience, who are guided by local volunteers throughout the process. For this reason, and to ensure compliance with J-1 visa regulations which determine our orientations, we ask that all Teams use the orientation materials provided by AFS.
2021 Host Family Orientation Materials
Coming soon!
2020 Host Family Orientation Materials
As some Teams may wish to run their own orientation or get-together locally, and/or share some resources directly with Host Families via email, we are providing related handouts, along with the 2020 Host Family Orientation PowerPoint Presentation, below. (Please note, the PowerPoint Presentation is read or view only. If you would like to edit your copy, please download it or save a new copy.)
- 2020 Host Family Orientation PowerPoint
- Participant and Host Family Questionnaire
- Host Family Handbook Addendum
- Questions for your Guidance Counselor
- AFS Chain of Communication
- Keys to a Successful Year
- Tips for Adjusting
- AFS Orientations for Students
- Cultural Exploration and Expectation Questions Tool
- 2019 Host Family Orientation Leader Guide
Please record your orientation event in Global Link following these instructions. Thank you!