Once your child is on their AFS program abroad, we will continue to offer you support when needed. This article will share more details about the beginning of their program, what you can expect from AFS, and important details about how AFS will support you and your child while on-program. Additionally we will discuss what to expect from the early stages of your child's experience and how you can support them.
Your Point contact will change to our Participant Support and Learning Team:
Throughout the application process the Study Abroad Experience team has been assisting you, and we will remain available to you prior to departure for any questions..
How to Contact the Participant Support and Learning Team:
Once the program begins, i.e., the day after departure, the Participant Support and Learning Team will be ready to support you for any questions, concerns, or updates from AFS by contacting us, below:.
- By Email:
- Participant-Support-Staff@afsusa.org
- By Phone:
- From Monday through Friday, 9AM – 6PM ET: 1-800-237-4636, ext. 3
How to Contact us for an Emergency:
- By Phone: 1-800-237-4636, option 9 (24/7 Duty Officer) The AFS Emergency line is available to you for any concerns for the immediate safety and well-being of your child. If you call during normal business hours, you will be directed to a staff person for assistance. If you call outside of business hours, on a weekend, or on a holiday, you will be directed to our answering service who will screen incoming calls and will contact the Duty Officer in case of emergency.
The First Days of the Program
As you may be aware, AFS staff and volunteers in the host country will meet incoming students upon arrival. The activities that take place in each country upon the students’ arrival vary from country to country. However, in most countries students participate in an arrival orientation. The duration of this orientation also varies but it normally lasts from one to two days. Some countries prefer to have the arrival orientation a few days after arrival (within 48 to 72 hours). After the orientation, students travel to their host communities by bus, train, car, or plane depending upon the distance. In all cases, AFS representatives will assist students at the departure and arrival points, but will not always travel with them to their final destination.
The arrival orientation is designed to help students understand the most important aspects of their new environment and to review program safety. The orientation also covers a review of expectations in order to establish a firm foundation for a successful experience from the onset of the program.
During orientation, you should not expect to hear from your son/daughter. Students often do not have access to telephones or computers while at the orientation site, and it can be very disruptive for them to try to locate a phone or computer off site – as a matter of fact, only guided visits away from the orientation site, if any, are allowed. During orientation, the AFS Partner countries keep us informed of any development affecting the well being of students as well as of any relevant issues involving individual students. Please note that AFS-USA will only contact you regarding the arrival of your participant in-country should there be an issue or concern, and that we ask all participants to communicate directly with their natural parents as soon as possible upon arrival.
We look forward to being in contact with you once your son/daughter begins their journey. In the meantime, we encourage you to continue to review the orientation materials that you have been provided, so that you and your child can be better prepared for the wonderful, yet challenging adventure upon which he/she is about to embark.
Supporting you as a Family During the Experience:
We know that an AFS experience doesn’t just involve one person – it includes your whole family! We recognize that you and your family in the U.S. will have highs and lows during the program, and AFS issues periodic Learning Journey updates via email which may align with you and your child’s experience abroad. As we attempt to allow participants to immerse themselves, you should not expect to hear specific updates about your child during the program experience.
One Month Into the Program
One month is such an exciting time it can feel like so much has already happened, and so much has yet to begin! Congratulations to you for making it through one-month! It might feel like their return is a far away right now, but as with students on-program, the “days feel long but the months feel short!”.
What does one month feel like for a Participant?
The first month is a rich experience for participants, and begins to provide opportunities for students that challenge their basics – what time do I need to be at school, how can I communicate effectively with my host family and members of my local community, what is my host family really like? During this time, we find that many students begin to slowly move from a “survival” mindset to a “development” mindset.
Participants have begun their series of “firsts”, which can be both exhilarating and exhausting. It can be a lot. Students might need to sleep more than normal as a way of navigating these new stimulations, and it’s important for students to find time to reflect on these experiences in a normal and functional way. For many students, it can be challenging to communicate the enormity of what they’re experiencing so far – so, please give them time if they don’t know how to describe what their feeling.
Another way of thinking about where they are in their journey can be perceived by reviewing the Cultural Adjustment Cycle:
(You can read more about Cultural Adjustment in this article.)
As you might see, almost every participant will experience various forms of culture shock. This is the stage that your child will start forming opinions based on their interactions with other cultures, some positive, some negative. It will be important to encourage your child’s curiosity about the culture and its differences, and the most important thing for you to do is to encourage them to withhold judgement about the parts of the culture they agree or disagree with. Throughout the entire experience, it will be helpful for you to encourage them to maintain an open mind about cultural difference – a common phrase students will hear is “It’s not good, it’s not bad, it’s just different!”
Culture shock is an anticipated part of the learning experience – while uncomfortable, it is a period of immense learning – they now have examples to draw connections from. Following culture shock, we often see “Surface Adjustment” – where students have learned enough to cope with their environment to get by, but might not have realized that they have not learned the full context of a cultural concept to understand it fully.
How can you support your child during their high points and low points?
Each participant will have a unique and equally valuable learning journey. Some may be on high point, while others may be having a significant challenge adjusting to the new culture. Both of these experiences are valuable learning moments! Working through these challenges are important elements for the learning journey.
What can I do if I feel that my child is experiencing a high-point?
- Celebrate your child's accomplishment – even if there is no “resume” (ie. they aren’t fluent in the language, don’t have many friends, etc.)! Although it might not seem like they have “done” much yet, they have done A LOT!
- Emphasize the value in “small victories”. While overseas, “simple” things can be very challenging to accomplish -- but can be immensely rewarding.
- Ask them to reflect on their experience. What’s been working well for them?
- Write it down! Journal, journal journal! Alumni consistently share that journalling during their high points allowed them to reflect – and also, balance the tone of their journal entries. For some students, it can often be easier to write a journal entry when you’re feeling low! Ultimately, these journals become prized mementos.
- Encourage them to express gratitude to their host family, friends, volunteers, or community. Positivity can be contagious!
- Finally, manage their expectations and encourage them to learn more and prepare them for expected challenges ahead.
What can I do if I feel that child is experiencing a low-point?
When low points happen on program, the most effective way to support your child by encouraging them to utilize their local support networks who are best positioned to help your child navigate their situation in the most effective way. This may feel counter-intuitive, but again, it’s important to demonstrate your support for them in the form of being a coach, as opposed to the responsible adult in the hosting environment. We recognize that the distance between you and your child may be exceptionally difficult to navigate, but it can also present challenges that lead to opportunities for skill-building. However, when they do reach out to you for advice when they’re feeling low (which is to be expected!), here are some questions that might help guide your conversations and empower your child to feel as sense of agency in addressing the challenges that exist:
Sample Questions:
- Have you talked to your host family about it?
- Have you talked to your local volunteer(s) about?
- What steps can you take to approach that challenge differently?
- What cultural differences might be at play?
- Is there a past experience you can draw from that can help you navigate this new challenge?
- From your perspective, are there any actions that you can take to help improve this situation?
- Is there a club, team, or social activities that you might get involved in?
It’s important to hear them where they are – they might not be able to fully contextualize their experience for you or describe what they're feeling. Affirm them! Being you voice of reason can help them be directed toward resources that can help them. Encourage them to journal and consider what actions they can take to promote their own self-care and wellness.
However, once you feel that AFS in the hosting partner has been notified and a resolution has not been found using local support networks, or if the severity of their comments or situation concerns you at any point, please do contact AFS-USA at Participant-Support@afsusa.org or 800-237-4636 ext. 9. We are here to support you and your family.