Year Program to The United States of America

The United States is not a monoculture country and over 50 million people speak
another language in their home, Spanish being the most common language other than
English. The United States is a country of immigrants and we are proud that we can
offer a multicultural and multi-lingual experience to AFS students. Students should be
prepared to be placed with a family that speaks more than one language in the home.
AFS-USA believes that students with disabilities should have equal access to
intercultural exchange experiences, and that their participation in these experiences
universally benefits everyone. In line with this belief, students with disabilities are
accorded appropriate accommodations, to participate in AFS-USA intercultural
exchange programs.
To have a successful AFS experience, participants and their sending families (natural
families) should recognize that the U.S. is comprised of people from a variety of ethnic
and socioeconomic backgrounds, political attitudes, and family structures, and therefore
must be open to living with any type of U.S. host family.
Open-mindedness, acceptance, and understanding are the key to living within a
different culture that though many customs, ideas, habits, and behaviors are different
from their own, they are not wrong. Students interested in coming on a program to the USA should be able and willing to adjust their behaviors and habits when living within a new culture.