AFS-USA can now offer an AFS Google account to volunteers for emailing, document storage, and collaboration. Once created, volunteers can access the account via MyAFS or Global Link since the accounts feature single sign on with Global Link.
In MyAFS, you can find the "AFS Email" link in the lefthand menu.
In Global Link, "AFS Email" is in the top right corner.
In order to create an AFS Google account, a volunteer's username for logging into MyAFS/Global Link will need to be changed to match the established naming convention, which is firstname.lastname.usavol. The ultimate Google email address will be firstname.lastname.usavol@afsusa.org.
Please note that this new afs.org google account is for AFS volunteers and linked to Global Link, so if you step away from volunteering or let your volunteer registration lapse, you’ll no longer have access to the google account.
Once activated, the AFS Google account functions like any other Google account, including the Gmail features, with the notable addition of the AFS International Directory already loaded in. So when you begin typing an email to someone who is already in the directory, their name will autopopulate in the To: field.
You can write to AskAFS@afsusa.org to request an account.