AFS-USA OVERVIEW
Each year, AFS-USA sends more than 1,500 participants abroad for year, semester, and summer exchange programs (including programs that focus on language study, community service, sports, and adventure), and welcomes more than 2,800 exchange students and educators from other countries into the U.S.

During an exchange to the U.S., foreign students study in local high schools and live with host families to learn what it is like to live as a member of a family and community in America. As the premier intercultural exchange program, AFS is constantly striving to broaden our scope of programs and participants. A suite of 18+ Programs are geared specifically for high school graduates and older individuals interested in making a difference through community service or University Study programs throughout the world. AFS-USA's Global Educator Program grants educators from the U.S. the teaching opportunity of a lifetime, living and teaching abroad, and engages U.S. schools in bringing the skills and talent of outstanding educators from other countries to their own classrooms. Staying true to the Founders' message of spreading peace and understanding through intercultural exchange, AFS has always initiated innovative programs to spur international dialogue. In the last decade AFS-USA's work with the U.S. Department of State, has enabled hundreds of participants to exchange between the U.S. and predominantly Muslim countries. This has opened the door to communication between the young people of these nations and their families.