Sending Memo Jan 27 2012
From AFSWiki
Contents |
In the News
- Check out the Top 10 2012 Programs! Students are busily applying for our Summer and Fall 2012 programs. The following programs close on March 1: Argentina, India, Denmark. Encourage students to apply now.
- There is still time to join the Pre-app-a-thon!!!. By popular demand, we have added additional trainings, so there is still time to join the pre-app-a-thon to encourage students to submit their preliminary application for 2012 programs. Click to learn more.
- Apply for funds to promote AFS To the end of reaching Sending goals for NH 2012 and beyond, Outbound Programs is pleased to announce that there are funds available for AFS volunteers to use for participation at promotional events, such as Gap Year Fairs, Summer Opportunities Fairs, International Fairs, and regional or national conferences for student societies (ex. Model UN). These funds should be used to reach parents and students who might be interesting in studying abroad with AFS. Learn more and apply for these funds by Feb 1, 2012!
- Sending Advisory Group Seeks Volunteers Would you like to contribute to the strategy and direction of sending operations? The SAGe is seeking additional volunteer leaders. Please contact Joanne Yokoyama-Martin, Chief Program Officer Outbound Programs at jyokoyama@afs.org, to learn more.
Inspiring AFS Stories
- New York Teen Follows in Her Mother's AFS Footsteps
- Two articles about the long-term benefits of study abroad experiences: The Impact of Study Abroad on Business Students’ Career Goal; Does Studying Abroad Help When Finding a Job?
Tips and Tricks
- Students can save on the application fee!: Looking for ways to save your students a few dollars off the preliminary application fee? Provide students the following code and they can save $25 when submitting their application online! Promo code: VOLd5Xp9632
- Following up with Applicants in your area: Students and parents truly value connecting with AFS Volunteers! Now is a great time to be in touch with the applicants in your area and to encourage them to submit their full application. We encourage volunteers to attend the Mentoring Students through the Application Process Training and/or brush up on tips and tricks outlined in the New Applicants section of the wiki. A couple emails and calls to students and parents can really make the difference in helping families to feel supported by AFS.
- Provide Interviews for students: Many students are completing their applications and are needing to set appointments with volunteers for interviews. Brush up on the Sending Interviews basics and utilize the Sending Interview Packet. You can also do self-guided training with the Sending Interview Training Modules.
Upcoming Trainings and the Monthly Volunteer Call
- Monthly Volunteer Call: Monday February 13, 2012 5:30-6:30 PST
- Upcoming Trainings:
- Sending 101: Tuesday February 7th, 2012 5:00-6:00 PST
- Sending 201: Tuesday February 14th, 2012 5:00-6:00 PST
- Representing AFS in High Schools: Thursday February 2nd, 2012 4:30-5:30 PST
- Mentoring Students Through The Application Process: Thursday February 9th, 2012 4:00-5:00 PST
Scholarships and Financial Assistance
- Financial Aid: We continue to review NH12 Global Leaders Financial Aid applications. Award decisions are made on a rolling basis, and it's always in a student’s best interest to apply as early as possible.
- Merit Scholarships: We are accepting applications for three merit-based scholarships for NH12 programs. Please visit the scholarships page for more information about each of these opportunities.
- Viaggio Italiano: $2,000 merit-based scholarships available for a year program to Italy.
- Global Leaders Merit Scholarship: $3,000 merit-based scholarships available for year programs to China, Egypt, India, Turkey and Russia.
- Vaya a America Latina: 50% merit-based scholarship for summer programs to Argentina and Costa Rica.
- Call for Judges: Thank you to all who have already volunteered to judge the merit-based scholarship applications. We are still seeking additional judges. Please consider giving a few hours of your time to decide the next AFS scholarship winners! Learn more.
Orientations and Travel
- Spring 2012 Departures and Gateway Orientations are in full swing! Participants receive "What do I do When I Get Off the Plane?" bulletins via mail and e-mail. They can also be accessed, by staff and volunteers, on the Sending Travel page of the AFS Wiki.
- Returnees are coming home! Students who took part in the Spring 2011 year programs, and Fall 2011 semester programs are arriving home. Be sure to reach out and give them a warm AFS welcome.
Volunteer Opportunity: Summer Program Leader
We're looking for 4 volunteer Program Leaders who are interested in accompanying a group of AFSers (between 10 and 25 students, depending on the program) as they participate in one of our Outbound Summer Programs this coming July 2012. Active volunteers with 2+ years of AFS experience are encouraged to apply.
A Program Leader is a volunteer who accompanies a group of AFS participants on a Summer Program and, unlike a flight chaperone, remains with the group for the duration of the program. The Program Leader is responsible for facilitating the cultural learning of the group and offering in-person support to students while on program.
We'll be assigning 2 program leaders to accompany the Summer Community Service Program in Ghana, 1 for the Summer Language Study Program in France, and 1 leader for the Summer Community Service Program in Costa Rica. Each of the programs is approx. 4 weeks long and depart in late June and returns in late July.
Position description, outline of responsibilities, eligibility requirements, application timeline, instructions, and forms are available on the AFS Wiki Program Leader page. Application deadline is March 1, 2012.
Resources
- Get the word out about your local events
- RSVP for Sending Training and Volunteer Calls
- Order Sending Materials
- Educator Newsletter, sign-up for the Global Classroom
- Sending Plan Template
- Sending Staff
- Questions and Comments about this Sending Update? Write to sendingteam@afs.org
- Unsubscribe If you prefer to not receive the Sending Memo via email, please email sendingteam@afs.org, with 'Unsubscribe, Sending Memo' in the subject line.
