Country Specialist

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Contents

Sign-up to Learn more!

The Goal

The goal of this project is to represent your study abroad country and provide students with the first-hand perspective of the expectations of living abroad. Country Specialists are also representatives on Ask an AFSer Facebook page, AFS Online Info Sessions, and "Speak with a Returnee" online group calls. AFS staff members may also contact you as a referral for students, to share about your study abroad experience.

This project is currently managed by Project Manager, Kirsten Snyder. Please contact ksnyder@afs.org to find out how to get involved.

Get involved!

Sign-up to be a Returnee representative on an Online Webinar Session:

  • email: JSchoofs@afs.org Please specify, which webinar you would like to be on in the subject line. Include the date of the info session you would like to attend and what AFS program/Year you attended

Click here See upcoming Online Info Session Dates

  • Online Info Session - Study Abroad 101: Student’s interested in studying abroad, but not sure where to begin, sign up for an Online Info Session. An AFS Advisor runs through an online presentation about AFS and Country Specialists are available to provide students with an insider’s perspective and answer any questions.
  • Fundraising Workshops: Students learn about AFS fundraising resources, how to complete a budget for their trip, how to set solid goals and take several concrete steps to get started. Country Specialists provide real-world examples of how they funded their AFS experience.
  • Parent Online Info Sessions: Parents learn how to support their son or daughter's ambitions to study abroad while discussing their questions and concerns with other interested parents and staff facilitator. If your parent or legal guardian wants to be a representative on the call: email: afsinfo@afs.org Attn: Jacob Schoofs, subject line: Parent Session

Sign-up to be a Country Specialist on Speak with a Returnee online group call: email ksnyder@afs.org

  • June – August - Summer departures (NH)
  • December – February - Winter departures (SH)

Two weeks before students depart, AFS staff hosts Country Specific Group Calls, where a group of students (5 - 9) attend their specific country call to ask questions of the Returnee Representative. You have the opportunity to share your AFS experience and provide realistic expectations about the culture, norms, food, social life, school life, what to pack, spending money, etc., of the country and most importantly promote excitement about going abroad!

Each call is organized and facilitated by an AFS staff adviser. Speak with a Returnee calls are offered with the hope that students who participate in them will feel better prepared for the cultural realities of the hosting country once they arrive. The goal of these supplemental country specific calls is to improve the participant’s experience and the level of confidence that hosting partner countries have in the AFS-USA sending orientation process.

The important part of the calls is to ensure that participants are getting applicable information about their destination and participants are asked to come prepared with questions for the Returnee Country Specialist.

  • Represent AFS on Ask an AFSer Facebook page
  • Be a referral for students, to share about your study abroad experience

The Process

Commitment

To be eligible to participate one must be a registered volunteer and able to commit to 1-2 hours per week. Country Specialists must sign-up to be a returnee representative on at least one AFS Online Info Session, or Speak with a Returnee call. Once you complete the Country Specialist training and become a registered volunteer you will be available as a referral for students, to share about your study abroad experience and provide expertise on Ask an AFSer page.

Training

Returnees are required to attend an online training session, which will introduce them to the Returnee Initiative, the Country Specialist role and review in detail the various opportunities to get involved.

Leads

Through student referrals, being on Online Info Sessions and being active on Ask an AFSer Facebook page, Country Specialists will recruit interested students and parents about AFS. The Returnee Country Specialist will direct them to the AFS-USA website for more information, as well as, opportunities to sign up for AFS Online Info Sessions.

Country Specialist Resources

Need Help? Contact an AFS staff member:

Hours (Pacific Standard Time): Monday – Friday: 9am – 5pm, Sunday: 10am – 6pm

Helpful Templates

Online Info Sessions

Country Specific Departure Calls

Ask an AFSer Facebook Group

Country Specialist Referral

  • Helpful tips when calling students

Resources to Review

Please review the following resources to give students/parents an up to date picture of current AFS programs and resources. However, it is not your roll to memorize everything here, but rather it is a resource for you to refer to when students or parents ask these questions.

We appreciate all you give back to AFS! Keep up the great work!

Retrieved from "http://www.afswiki.org/index.php/Country_Specialist"
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May 22 2012
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