AFS & Student Feedback about their Experience in Baltimore

AFS has been a leader in Foreign Exchange opportunities for High School students for 60 years. AFS has sent students to more than 100 countries over those years. In the Baltimore area, there have been 100s of students who have travelled abroad with AFS. Likewise, there has been 100s of Foreign Students hosted in the Baltimore area. This year, AFS' 60th Anniversary year, AFS Eastern Region is again the largest hosting area - hosting nearly 1000 of the 2300 AFS Exchange Student who arrived in the U.S. this summer. That is an amazing accomplishment to say the least (Go East Coast!).

This year in the Baltimore Chapter has achieved a major milestone of hosting 17 students between Baltimore City/County, Carroll County and Frederick County in Maryland. As an entire team, the Baltimore Area Team is currently hosting 44 studnets this year (this includes Howard County). This is 12 students above our original goal of 32. That is amazing strides toward cultural awareness and the AFS peace mission. This is all due to the dedication and support of local volunteers and wonderful host families.

Students who come to the US with AFS are hosted for a School year or school semester. AFS Host families volunteer their homes and their lives to share with an enterprising young person from another country. AFS also gives opportunties for American youth to experience the same opportunity. American students have some advantages. Not only do they travel for the Year or Semester, they can also travel for the summer. For many countries, students aren't required to have prior knowledge of the language as they are very open to help student succeed and learn the language.

This is an amazing opportunity that many can tell you is all worth it. In fact, this is the main reason for this particular blog post, it is always wonderful to hear back from other AFS Returnees as well as Foreign Students who have either traveled from the Baltimore area or to the Baltimore Area (and beyond)...

How was your AFS experience and how has it changed your life?