Applications Now Being Accepted for AFS Outreach to Education Volunteer Conference

From AFSWiki

As was announced last week (Announcing the AFS Outreach to Education Volunteer Conference) AFS-USA is offering an Outreach to Education Volunteer Conference, to be held in Kansas City during the weekend of October 21-23, 2011.

The Outreach to Education Volunteer Conference will give AFS volunteers the opportunity to develop a more comprehensive approach to collaborating with schools on issues relating to global understanding. Hosting, sending, and curriculum enrichment opportunities will all be considered during this conference. Volunteers who participate will be able to meet, socialize, and work with volunteers and staff who are passionate about moving AFS into a new expanded partnership with schools. The objective is to position our local presence in a more strategic way to better align our program offerings to schools' needs, prepare us for growth and deliver our hosting and sending programs more effectively.

Conference attendance will be based on an application and nominations and selection process. There are two ways to apply to become a participant for this conference.

• Volunteers may apply to be a participant. In addition to the Outreach to Education Conference Application, volunteers who are applying to be a participant must also ask another AFS volunteer from their team to complete the Letter of Recommendation Form.
• Volunteers may be nominated by other volunteers in their team. To nominate a volunteer in your team, please submit the completed Outreach to Education Conference Nomination Form to schoolconference@afs.org. Once we have received the nomination form, we will follow-up with the nominee and ask him/her to complete the Outreach to Education Conference Application, if they are willing and able to attend. If a volunteer is nominated to attend, we do not also need the “Outreach to Education Conference Recommendation Form” submitted, as that form essentially asks for the same information as the Nomination Form.

Any registered volunteer age 18 or older is eligible to apply or be nominated for the conference. All completed applications and nomination or recommendation forms must be emailed to schoolconference@afs.org no later than 11:59pm PDT on Friday, September 23, 2011.

We will be looking for volunteers to attend this conference who:

• Are ready and excited to learn and implement new ways to carry out the AFS mission in their communities and in their teams.
• Express a strong interest in personally forging new relationships with schools, both those AFS currently works with and new schools in their areas.
• Are experienced with either sending or hosting students AND have a strong interest in the other area.
• Will be committed to returning to their volunteer teams and mobilizing efforts to strengthen school relations.

AFS-USA will cover airfare, hotel, and conference meals for all participants.

Because of space and budget constraints, we cannot guarantee that all those volunteers nominated or who apply will be invited to attend, but we will strive to achieve broad representation of geographic regions and a balance of both experience and talent among the volunteers in attendance.

Questions about the conference can be directed to schoolconference@afs.org.

Thank you. for all you do for AFS.

Sincerely,

Outreach to Education Conference Planning Committee: Tara Hofmann, Mary Ann Offer, Sarah Yancey, Barbara Casey, Scott Hume, Carolyn Rehn, Nancy Weis-Sanfo, Troy Henri, Smitha Pennepalli