AFS Intercultural Programs is an international, voluntary, non-governmental, 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.
THE WORLD HAS CHANGED BUT OUR IMPACT GOAL REMAINS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER
For the last few decades, the world has experienced increased interconnectedness, creating new opportunities for people to interact and collaborate globally through movement and digital innovation. At the same time, we are witnessing the rise of global inequities, political polarization and conflicts between cultures.
The AFS ambulance drivers returning from the Second World War understood the need for people to overcome the conflicts between cultures in order to build a just and peaceful world.
Today, we see more need than ever to help people develop the capacities and values needed to achieve a world that is not only more peaceful and just, but also more equitable and sustainable.
DEVELOPING ACTIVE GLOBAL CITIZENS BECOMES OUR CENTRAL IMPACT GOAL
And, more than ever, we believe that AFS is part of the solution by developing active global citizens of all ages through our
Exchange programs,
Education initiatives,
Volunteerism
Advocacy efforts.
To achieve our mission worldwide, we need to build a larger, more prepared, and more engaged community of interculturally competent active global citizens.
How do we define Active Global Citizens?
AFS defines active global citizens as people whose informed, compassionate, and ethical compass drives them to lead lives and make decisions that contribute to a more just, equitable, peaceful and sustainable world.
BECOMING AN ACTIVE GLOBAL CITIZEN TAKES A LIFETIME OF PRACTICE
Global citizenship education programs and offers are about helping individuals to gain or increase their ability in four areas of development crucial for active global citizenship:
Value and belong to a common and diverse world
Inquire critically about the world beyond immediate environments
Understand and relate to others across differences
Take action toward collective well-being
Through our programs, education initiatives, volunteerism and advocacy efforts, AFS helps create them.
We advance our impact through four areas of action:
Programs: We offer a diverse portfolio of programs, including international mobility and virtual programs.
Education: We provide a broad range of tools, services, and training to allow schools and other institutions to expand intercultural learning and global citizenship education at scale.
Volunteerism: We engage and motivate volunteers to deliver on our impact goal and broaden our reach into local communities.
Advocacy: We raise awareness of the essential role of intercultural learning in advancing active global citizenship.
How will we achieve our vision of a more peaceful, just, equitable and sustainable future?
From January 2024 to December 2028, the AFS Network is committed to allocating and prioritizing resources to accelerate progress towards achieving our impact goal.
In order for AFS to help create more active global citizens and make progress towards this vision by 2028 we will:
Expand our scholarships & fundraising to ensure that more than half of all AFS participants are scholarship recipients;
Enhance our profile as an educational organization by fostering more profound and formalized relationships with schools and educators;
Create the best volunteer experience by cultivating a volunteer force that is not only larger but also more actively involved and better equipped;
Deliver excellence and impact in our diverse range of programs so that more people (youth, adults, and families) experience the #AFSeffect.
Theory of Change: How Do We Achieve Our Mission?
At the core of all AFS exchange programs, education initiatives, volunteerism and advocacy efforts is our commitment to developing active global citizens. No matter the format, all AFS programs and offers include three elements: Experience, Learn, and Practice.
We call this our “Theory of Change.”
This is how not-for-profit organizations like AFS explain how they do what they do to achieve their mission. In other words, our theory of change is how we create impact.
Besides impacting students participating in our study abroad programs, AFS’s reach extends to others who come into close contact with them, such as AFS volunteers, family members, and the school community.
Over the years, AFS has also extended our expertise by providing other formats of in-person exchanges, virtual exchange programs, and other educational offers.