BY TONY GUERRERO
Hays Post
American Field Service is looking to bring diverse cultures to Hays by placing international exchange students with local families.
The program helps international students become tomorrow's leaders while host families gain a deeper understanding of cultures.
"Our mission is to empower active global citizens to create a more just and peaceful world," AFS-USA Development Manager of Scholarships and External Communications Candace O'Malley said.
The nonprofit is a leader in international high school exchanges, with almost 3,000 volunteers supporting families, students and schools across the country.
O'Malley said AFS has the potential to host international students at Hays High School and is seeking families for the 2024-2025 school year.
Students are chosen to participate in AFS programs through an application process, allowing host families to select the best fit for their home from a range of options.
"We work with 80 countries around the world, bringing in over 1,000 students across the United States to stay in volunteer host families every year," O'Malley said.
Host families must introduce the student to daily family activities and events, offer the same care, support, and comfort as any other family member, provide a bed, and provide three quality meals a day.
Students will have their own spending money for social and school activities and clothing for their stay, which ranges from five to 10 months. Host parents are eligible for a tax deduction each month they host a student.
"Bring the world to your home and have an intercultural exchange in your home to develop lifelong relationships," O'Malley said.
Host parents are also responsible for providing school-related transportation. Medical insurance, school enrollment and travel expenses are covered by the student’s family or through scholarships.
Local volunteer teams offer assistance through monthly check-ins and additional support, including an assigned "liaison."
While AFS recommends students to families based on different criteria, host families choose which student to welcome into their home.
"Some families choose based on a country of interest or culture of interest," O'Malley said. "There's flexibility for host families to choose the student or students that you'd like to host."
AFS takes responsibility for relocating the participant to another family if the match between the family and student does not work out.
Host families must complete an application about their family, undergo a criminal background check and participate in an interview with an AFS representative.
All types of families can apply, including those with children, childless couples, single adults or parents and LGBTQ+ families or individuals.
With the support of AFS scholarships, U.S. students can also study abroad in roughly 50 international destinations, such as Italy, Egypt, Brazil, Argentina and South Africa.
AFS sends about 400 U.S. students abroad each year.
The organization started as a volunteer group for ambulance drivers during World War I and World War II, who emerged from the wars with a bold mission.
"AFS members wanted to figure out how to avoid another world war and thought, 'let's bring young people together from different countries to have a cultural exchange,'" O'Malley said.
Since then, AFS has evolved into one of the largest and longest-standing high school student exchange organizations and is always looking for host families.
You can find more information on American Field Service-USA on its website and follow them on Facebook.