End-of-Stay Orientation (formerly Pre-Return Orientation) – Help & Learning

Starting in May/June 2022 Pre-Return Orientation (PRO) and End-of-Stay Orientation (EOS) will be combined and take place at the time a PRO has happened in the past: 6-8 weeks before departure. With AFS-USA’s shift to a through ticketing model designed to provide an improved participant travel experience and streamline of travel plans, AFS-USA's End-of-Stay (EOS) and logistical activities related to participants’ return to their home country have also been updated.

Given that students will travel directly from their host communities to their home countries via the through ticketing model, there will no longer be gateway events immediately prior to departure. Instead host families will deliver their hosted student(s) to the airport on the day of travel.

In addition, Area Teams will be asked to deliver a Departure Logistics Webinar to their hosted students and host parents 10-14 days prior to the primary departure day where logistics specific to departure and travel will be shared. Refer to this Help and Learning page for information about the Departure Logistics Webinar.

Orientation content, intercultural learning and personal reflection activities relating to the end of a student’s program will be the focus of the new End of Stay orientation (formerly PRO) which teams should hold 6-8 weeks prior to the end of the majority of a team’s hosted student’s stay. For example, if the majority of the hosted students in your team will be departing on June 20, the End of Stay orientation should take place between April 25-May 9.

For Volunteers who have facilitated the PRO in the past, please note the content has not changed significantly, just the name. Materials will be familiar and the orientation can follow the same format as in the past.

Important Note: If volunteers are planning to have a hosted student stay overnight with them for an orientation or other team event, or for any other reason, it is important that the volunteer be screened as an Event Family or Host Family. Such an overnight stay cannot be considered a prudent parent stay. If a team will be using Event Families for a particular event, please start the process of completing Event Family screening well in advance of the event so AFS has time to complete the screening process before the event. Please refer to the Event Family Stays page in Help & Learning for more information.

Overview

The End-of-Stay Orientation is a required orientation which is intended to give students the chance to plan their last weeks, think about how they will thank their host family, friends and teachers, and gain a bit of closure, while giving them a final structured opportunity to bond as soon-to-be AFS Returnees.

Students should be encouraged to review their entire experience, while also thinking about the future and preparing for the challenges waiting for them back home.

Discussions for this orientation will focus on what students have learned, how they have changed during their exchange, and what lessons they should be taking home with them.

AFS-USA has provided a Virtual End-of-Stay (formerly PRO) Orientation presentation and an In-Person presentation to be used at your events. In addition, there is a Host Family specific End-of-Stay Orientation presentation to use should you decide to have a meeting with your host families.

Volunteers are encouraged to download or save a copy of the presentations in order to then edit to suit their team.

All the resources you need to conduct an End of Stay orientation are listed below and attached: