Sending Volunteer Team Activity List

From AFSWiki

What are the tasks done by a successful AFS Sending team? Please read on to get some ideas about what you can do in your area to contribute to your sending volunteer team! It is recommended that each Team review this list on a yearly basis to make sure that the different tasks are taking place.

Critical Sending Tasks for Teams

• Interview Coordination (Happens throughout the year. Peak times are Feb-May)

 Coordinate the scheduling of interviews

 Provide new interviewers with information about trainings on how to interview sending student and parents

• Interview Sending Candidates (Happens throughout the year. Peak times are Feb-May)

 Arrange interview with student and family

 Conduct interview

 Complete the Sending Interview Form (Form 8 – Confidential Form)

 Send the Sending Interview Form to sendinginterviews@afs.org

• Communication with Team (Happens throughout the year)

 Prepare and send team or chapter sending email update once or twice a month

 Give an update about sending opportunities and promotions at hosting events or team or chapter meetings

 Be a liaison between other local volunteers and AFS Staff

• Provide Sending Information to prospective AFS participants and families

 Encourage students to attend the “Online Info Sessions” (details at www.afsusa.org)

 Know how to give an elevator speech on how to go to the interactive tools on www.afsusa.org

• Ensure that follow up with students in pre-app status occurs, either personally or through local volunteers. Follow up includes encouraging them to complete the online application and arranging interviews, from Sending Interviewer list - SP (add bullet) Bring to the attention of student and parent , the visa complication for at least the complicated countries (Argentina, Chile, Spain, France, ???) if not all the countries - SP

 Make students and families aware of the many opportunities to go abroad with AFS and the scholarships and fundraising support that AFS offers

• Interview NSLI-Y Scholarhip Candidates (Happens in January and February)

 Through group trainings that take place in January and February, learn about the differences between interviewing for NSLI-Y scholarship applicants and regular applicants

 Help to set up an NSLI event for your team in January or February

 Interview individual NSLI-Y scholarship applicants

 Complete the NSLI-Y Sending Interview Form

 Send the NSLI-Y Sending Interview Form to NSLIYinterviews@afs.org

• Congress Bundestag (CB) Selection Committee Chair (only in Northeastern region)

 Set up a CB event for your team (January or February)

 Conduct a CB Selection Committee Event where scholarship applicants will be judged

 Collect and submit the completed CB Sending Interview Forms

• Coordinate Sending Orientations for your Team (Happens once per Team in January, and one to two times per Team sometime from May-September)

 Coordinate a sending student Pre-Departure Orientation (required orientation)

 Coordinate a sending student Reentry Orientation

• Help Conduct Sending Orientations for your Team (twice a year- see above)

 Help facilitate and deliver Pre-Departure Orientation with other volunteers (required orientation)

 Help facilitate and deliver Reentry with other volunteers

Beneficial Sending Tasks

• Preapplication Coordination

 Monitor new Preapplicants through pulling a report for your Team in Global Link, or sign up to receive preapp notifications to be sent directly to you

 Email introduction that you are their AFS volunteer, call for questions, note how to set up the interview - this should be part of the "critical" tasks above under Provide Sending Info to prospective AFS students ... - SP

 Call Preapps to see how they are doing - this should be part of the "critial" tasks above under Provide Sending Info to prospective AFS students ... - SP

 Make sure that they are invited to all local events

 Coordinate with Sending Interview Coordinator - this should be part of the "critial" tasks above under Provide Sending Info to prospective AFS students ... - SP

• Create an AFS Connection for natural parents

 Ensure natural parents receive Team/chapter calendar so they can join local events

 Include and invite natural parents to local events ( I think "relevant or appropriate" should be inserted in front of "local") GLW

 Get-togethers for natural parents- have parents of students who are currently abroad meet with parents of students who have already gone abroad

• Info Night

 Post event on afsusa.org

 ADD MORE TO THIS SECTION



• Facilitate Fundraising for Students

 Direct students to the AFS Fundraising Wiki (on the www.afsusa.org homepage) and the Fundraising Workshops (found on www.afsusa.org)

 Help students implement the ideas in the AFS Fundraising Wiki

 Help organize fundraisers that assist all Team/Chapter sending students

• Distribution of Sending Marketing Materials

 Order catalogs, posters, postcards, scholarship materials, and flyers for your Team

 Distribute materials to:

 Other volunteers

 Local schools (guidance counselors, teachers, principals)

 Hosted students and host Families at Post Arrival and Mid-Year Orientations

 Friends, family, colleagues and businesses

• AFS School Presentations

 Contact your Sending Team Manager about doing presentations in your area. They can also give you guidance on presentation content.

 Find and schedule presentations at schools or community organizations

 Community organizations; Key Club, Model UN, High School Clubs

 Schools (ex: language or social studies classes)

 Conduct presentation- can be done on your own, or with hosted students or returnees

• Coordination of Information Booth/Tabling Opportunities (What is a tabling Opportunity??-AS)

 Find and register for information booths/tabling opportunities

 College nights

 Related festivals (International, Intercultural Exchange, etc)

 School functions – (Back to School Night, Plays, Recitals, sporting events)

 Set up Info Booth

 Staff the Info Booth (depending on hours, take a shift)

 Tear down Info Booth

 Make copies of leads gathered

 Send leads to Sending Team Manager for Lead Management entry

• Lead Management

 More Details coming soon!!