As a liaison, you will guide hosted students and their host families through the international exchange experience while developing your own cross-cultural communication skills. A key part of the AFS support network, you will work directly with international high school students and their U.S. host families to foster a life-changing journey for both parties.
Through regular meetings, an AFS student can get the most out of their experience in the U.S. You’ll have help from a community of local volunteers and staff, creating an opportunity for learning and sharing as you navigate the intriguing cultural differences that make the exchange experience so rich and rewarding.
Requirements
- Must live within 120 miles of the host student
- Cannot be a close friend or relative of the host family
- Must be 21 years or older
- Cannot hold a position of trust or authority over student, such as teacher, school principal, or coach
- Cannot host a student with another J-1 visa organization
Tasks
- Maintain and document regular (monthly) contact and in-home visits with the host student and host family
- Maintain and document contact with the host student’s school. Three times a year for YP students, and two times a year for SEM students. If the school hosts more than one AFS host student, it is recommended that the team/chapter identify one volunteer (could be a Liaison, Support Coordinator, Liaison Coordinator, Associate Support Coordinator, etc.) to contact the school on behalf of all the AFS host students
- Provide support and information to the host student, host family and school
- Facilitate dialogues between the host student and host family when challenges arise on program with guidance from support volunteer leadership and Participant Support Staff
- Keep support volunteers informed about issues impacting the host student and/or host family’s experience as they arise
Information You Need to Know
Here are links to the sections in the Help & Learning Center with the information you need to know as a Liaison.
- Log Contacts & Visits
Information on everything you need to know about - AFS requirements for contacts and visits
- Preparing for your contact/visit and overview of discussion guides
- How to log your contact/visit once completed
- Common Situations a Liaison Might Face
List of common situations our Hosted Students and Host Families might experience during their program year and how to deal with them - Handling Emergencies
Information on what to do when an emergency arises - Hosting Orientation Overview
Overview of orientations provided for the Host Student and Host Family
Required Training
- DoS (Dept. of State) Certification Training (annually)
- HSA (Hosting & Support Affiliation) Training (annually)
- Liaison Training (prior to assuming the role of Liaison)
Recommended Training