
The Mountain Maryland and Friends AFS Chapter in Western Maryland works primarily with schools in Allegany and Garrett Counties in Maryland. This group is also part of a larger team of AFS chapters in Western Maryland, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. This area usually hosts about 32 students per year from countries all around the world. Every year the chapter is looking for great families to host these wonderful students from around the world.
AFS is one of the oldest student exchange programs, beginning more than 60 years ago, when WWII ambulanc drivers started the program to bring German students to the U.S. to promote understanding between the two countries. Now, AFS brings more than 2,500 international high school students to the U.S. every year.
American students can also discover the world through AFS programs. AFS sends more than 1,400 American students to over 40 countries in programs that include summer, gap year, and year-long high school programs. Students do not have to speak the language of the country they are going to, and some programs offer language intensive coursework. There are also numerous scholarship opportunities for students.
If your family is interested in hosting a student from another country, or if you have a child interested in studying abroad, check out the links to the right or visit the AFS USA website at www.afsusa.org.
Impact Stories- Ann Ford, host mother and AFS volunteer - AFS (1) from ACETV ACPS on Vimeo.