In this article, all volunteers can access the routine communication provided to the School Outreach Volunteers. This newsletter shares opportunities for volunteers to enhance their skills in working with schools as well as tips, tricks, and resources that can be sent directly to any educator/school regardless of a volunteer’s role with AFS. We hope you find this information helpful as we know many volunteers interact with schools so knowing how to set AFS apart from other organizations will continue to be important in those interactions.
January, 2023 Newsletter
Happy New Year School Outreach Representatives & Coordinators!
I’m excited to support all of you in continuing to build and deepen your school relationships in 2023! There are a lot of exciting things happening!
RECENT & UPCOMING SCHOOL COMMUNICATIONS
To assist you in recognizing and communicating with your local schools, we want to make sure you are aware of both recent and upcoming communications that AFS schools are receiving.
- All schools nominated by volunteers and who were part of the 75th Anniversary “Top” Schools campaign were recognized via email between October and December 2022. All communications were added to the contact log and School Representatives were copied on those emails.
- This week, all Area Teams that opted to participate in the 75th Anniversary “We Love Our Schools” Card Campaign should be receiving their bundles of cards for students and families to either send or deliver for Valentine’s Day on February 14th, 2023.
- The next edition of the Global Educator Newsletter will be near the end of January. So, keep a lookout in your February newsletter for even more resources and opportunities to share with schools. Templates included!
January-June AFS-USA School Outreach Calendar is READY!
The AFS-USA School Outreach Department put together a 6-month calendar for you to be able to plan for each month. You can read the article describing the calendar or download it HERE in either the 6-month or single month versions. Each month there is an email template included that you can copy/paste to reach out to individuals at your local school.
Upcoming School Outreach Webinar – Open to ALL Volunteers
All volunteers who interact with schools are invited to learn more about School Outreach including but not limited to the resources and opportunities available to them when engaging with schools. This 1-hour webinar will take place on Wednesday, February 8th at 8:00pm Eastern / 5:00pm Pacific time. You are encouraged to share this with all volunteers in your team. Registration is required.
OPPORTUNITIES TO SHARE WITH SCHOOLS
We know it is always a good thing to share opportunities and resources with schools, so please consider using the templates below to re-engage with your schools in the New Year:
*NOTE: If you ONLY have time for ONE task to educators over the next few weeks, please prioritize one of these first two scholarship opportunities for students to study abroad!
Global STEM Academy Scholarships for Students
Intended Audience: Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math (STEM) Teachers or Club Sponsors
- Good day ____! In case you were swamped before winter break and didn’t get a chance to share with your students, I wanted to reach out and share with you that the applications for our 4-week AFS Global STEM Academy Scholarships will close in just a few days… January 8th, 2023. High School students are encouraged to apply for these scholarships to be part of a program in Brazil, Egypt, China, India, Belgium or the US next summer with teenagers from around the world. The program language is English even though students may be traveling to another country! I hope you will share this opportunity with your students right away as an announcement in class, in the school-wide announcements, and/or posting it to your class webpage. Please reach out if I can answer any questions about this for you!
Thank you, ____
2-Week Social & Climate Justice Study Abroad Program in Germany – Only $950
Intended Audience: German Teachers, World Language Department Chairs, School Counselors, Social Studies Teachers, Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Directors
- Good day ____! I wanted to reach out right away and share a brand-new opportunity for your students to learn about social justice and climate change in Hamburg, Germany. Due to the support of the TransAtlantic Program of the German Government, this 16-day program only costs students $950! You and your students can learn more about it and apply HERE. Applications open Tuesday, January 3rd, so please don’t delay in sharing this exciting experience with your students! If you have any questions, please contact StudyAbroad@afsusa.org. Thank you, ____
Educator Scholarships for the Effect + Global Capacity Building Training
Audience: AFS School Champions, Young teachers who may need professional development hours for license renewal, Open to teachers of any content area
- Hi _______! I’m a local volunteer from AFS-USA (a non-profit organization focused on intercultural learning). We have a unique opportunity for secondary teachers from the US to be part of a global cohort of teachers to learn about the UN Sustainable Development Goals while also building their own global competence and their network of international colleagues. Thanks to a grant we received, teachers just need to apply to participate. If approved, their fees for the program are covered. Three cohorts remain with start dates in January, February, and March. I hope you will consider applying or sharing this with a colleague who may need professional development hours. You can learn more and apply HERE. Please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you, ____
There is a lot of great information to help you get started on the right foot this year! Please know that your time and talents in school outreach are so valued and appreciated. Thank you!
Jill Woerner, Rebecca Oswalt, Cynthia Iliff, Sarah Radermacher, & Amparo Rios