AFS commitment towards the host families • Students remain under the responsibility and legal guardianship of AFS Interculture Canada • AFS ensures the security and the protection of the participants • AFS offers adequate support and maintains an emergency service, 24 hours per day, 365 days per year • AFS provides a host family guide including information related to rules and hosting procedures • AFS refunds any school and medical fees of the students after their approval by the AFS office • AFS maintains appropriate insurance coverage • AFS prepares the participants and offers orientation sessions upon their arrival, at the mid-stay and before their departure • AFS offers the services of a counsellor who will get in touch with the student and the family at least once a month • AFS employs our 60 years of experience in intercultural hosting in more than 50 countries
Host family commitment towards AFS and the foreign student • • • • • • •
Provide the student with a clean and safe environment as well as a roof and daily meals Host families ensure that they remain available Establish a significant and happy relationship with the student. Support the student in his integration in school and in the community Communicate the house rules Collaborate and get in touch frequently with AFS volunteers Encourage a monthly contact between the student and his AFS counsellor.
Why host with AFS? • • • • • •
To help realize the dream of a host student To discover the culture, history, arts and customs of another country To spice up your everyday family life For the experience, the international recognition and the support provided by AFS To develop ties with international students from around the world As an AFS host family, you join one of the world’s largest communities dedicated to intercultural understanding and peace
AFS Interculture Canada
1425 Rene-Lévesque Blvd. West Office 1100 Montreal, (QC) H3G 1T7 Tel. (514) 288-3282 or 1 800 361-7248 Email: info-canada@afs.org
www.afscanada.org
Become an AFS host family!
The project To host a foreign student, to provide him with a roof, food and the affection and support required to ensure successful integration. To teach him English, share your culture and develop long-term bonds. This experience will allow the family to discover a new culture and strengthen bonds with international youth. The students are between 15 and 18 years old and they come from more than 30 countries around the world. They attend a local high school in your neighbourhood and will become a member of your family.
The lenght
WHO IS AFS?
Most of our families host for a period of 11 months (a school year), from August to July. In certain regions, we also run Semester and Short Summer Programs so it is therefore possible in these areas to host for a period of 4 weeks or 5 months.
Mission
Selection procedure
AFS Interculture Canada is an international, voluntary, non-profit organization that provides intercultural learning opportunities to help people develop the knowledge, skills and understanding needed to create a more just and peaceful world. AFS Interculture Canada is a member of the AFS International network with ties in up to 50 countries. More than 13,000 young people a year live the AFS experience – a total of 400,000 participants since 1947. The network boasts more than 42,000 active volunteers. AFS is recognized to be of public interest by the UNESCO.
In the selection of host families, AFS makes no distinction as to race, language, religion or social status. All families can host a foreign student as a chance to open themselves to the world. Families don’t need to have children to host a student with AFS. Do you want to give the opportunity to yourself and/or your children to discover a new culture, or you want to give them the brother or sister they always wanted? Then you can become an AFS host family.
Since its beginning, AFS has developed a wide choice of programs to meet the expectations of participants and families.
AFS carefully chooses its host families. You want to host a student? Please register online at www.afscanada.org under «Become a host family». An AFS volunteer will then meet with your family to establish your profile and ensure the best match possible with a foreign student. Please note that AFS has the responsibility to check for criminal offences related to abuse and family violence.