AFS Global Up Americas Virtual Exchange

In conjunction with AFS International, AFS Mexico, and AFS Colombia, AFS-USA has a unique virtual exchange opportunity to make available to schools throughout the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 school years for FREE! This is a wonderful opportunity to give back to your local schools while promoting AFS in the local community. Having 20-30 students in a school that recognize AFS and have had a wonderful experience connecting with students abroad can only help our hosting and study abroad goals. Plus, we are training a teacher and all their students in global competence which is 100% mission-aligned for AFS-USA!

To share this opportunity with a local school here are the details you need to know followed by an email template and handout that you can use when sharing.

• The enrollment of teachers/classrooms is ONGOING this year and next until all spaces have been filled for either cohort.
• There is NO COST to the teachers, students, or school as we have full grant funding to implement this virtual exchange.
• Teacher training and support is provided.
• Teachers and students will receive a certificate of global competence AND a digital badge upon successful completion of the program.
• Teachers will be matched according to the language preference for participation (English only, Spanish only, or a combination) and according to the time of day that their class meets.
• Teachers may have more than one class participate if there is space remaining, but specific criteria must be met for this to happen.
• All subject areas and all school types are welcome to participate.
• Students must be 14 year of age or older, so this program is designed for high school students.
• There is a specific curriculum that the students will follow related to global competence and the student portion involves both online learning and live discussions with the students abroad.

Here is an email template to share this opportunity with teachers in your local schools.

Good day ____!  I’m reaching out because AFS was selected to be the facilitator of a virtual exchange grant and I thought your classroom would be PERFECT! The grant provides high school classrooms a virtual exchange experience with classrooms in Mexico and Colombia in the 2023-2024 academic year at no cost to the school, teacher, or students. The exchange content focuses on global competence and can be conducted entirely in English, entirely in Spanish, or a combination. All subject areas are encouraged to apply as the matching process is based on the time that your class meets and your language preference for the exchange. You will be provided training and support and both you and your students will receive a certificate of global competence and a digital badge upon successful completion! We will have classrooms starting after each teacher training session on an ongoing basis this year and next. Visit our website, check out this quick handout, and complete this interest form to reserve a spot for your class(es)! Please direct any questions to educators@afsusa.org. Have a wonderful week and let me know if there is anything I can do to support you or your classroom this year!  Thank you, ___

Although AFS-USA is prepared to answer any/all questions that come from educators about this experience, it is helpful for volunteers to know that the exchange exists so it can be something to share in conversations with a school. You are always welcome to involve AFS-USA staff in an email exchange and we will keep you copied on emails, so you remain informed.

Schools who are already involved are listed below.