Below are the 19 most recent journal entries recorded in We are AFSers, mighty AFSers!'s LiveJournal:

[ << Previous 20 ]

Tuesday, August 19th, 2008
2:36 pm [mrsbrewer]	Hi, AFSers.  My name's Lorna, and I'm a returnee (summer '91 to Italy and '92-93 to Iceland).  I'm a freelance writer, and I've been hired to stories about weekend getaways in some major European and Australian cities.  I'm looking for folks who have spent time in those cities to help lend some authenticity to what I'm writing.  If anyone's interested, please send me an email at lornadoone (at) comcast (dot) net.  I have a few questions that I'll email you. Thanks a bunch! The cities are: Prague Melbourne Paris Rome London Reykjavik Florence Brisbane Aberdeen I'm also looking for someone with knowledge about Banff, Alberta, Canada. (Comment on this)
Thursday, August 7th, 2008
2:02 pm [mactavish]	from afs: >Dear friends, Intercultural exchange programs teach teenagers all over the world that our concerns are global. An exchange experience fosters mutual understanding that can help bridge our differences and lead to peace. Please join me and sign the petition drive to help create a new generation of global citizens, http://www.exchanges4peace.org/ Thank you! (Comment on this)
Tuesday, June 17th, 2008
5:07 pm [genderpac]	The Gender Public Advocacy Coalition is pleased to announce the release of its 2008 GENIUS Survey in partnership with Ernst & Young. GenderPAC works to ensure that classrooms, communities and workplaces are safe for everyone to learn, grow and succeed. The Gender Equality National Index for Universities & Schools (GENIUS), GenderPAC’s most recent effort to end discrimination and promote awareness, encourages colleges and universities to recognize the benefits of a GenderSAFEtm campus - supportive equitable and protective for all students. Choosing to participate in GENUIS sends a strong public statement that bullying or discriminating based on the race, sex or gender of a student, faculty, or staff member is not tolerated at your institution Fill out the survey at: www.gpac.org/GENIUS2008survey, and make sure that we have data for as many schools as possible. Your voice will help us continue to work towards a safe and welcoming environment for every student. *While we greatly appreciate the interest taken in GENIUS by students, staff, and faculty at academic institutions outside of the United States, at this time GENIUS is only able to track schools based in the U.S. (Comment on this)
Thursday, May 29th, 2008
11:37 am [ellegirl3992]	hey guys, i'm going to germany for the 2008 - 2009 year. and I was wondering if anyone else is going? + I haven't gotten my host family yet. It'd also be cool to talk to other afs student's who went to germany. add me :) (9 Comments |Comment on this)
Saturday, May 10th, 2008
9:17 pm [socialriotss]	Japan 2009-2010, anyone else? Hi you guys! Is here anyone else who is going to Japan for a year in next March? :) I'm very excited, I can't wait it! (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Friday, April 4th, 2008
10:18 pm [mr_marvelous67]	Hey guys. Just a quick question: I am probably going to Japan this summer, and I'm wondering about the whole language thing. I've been studying Japanese for, oh, a few weeks. ^^ I am by no means able to communicate, and I'm curious about how this will affect my stay, since I'll only be there 8 weeks. Should I put it off until next summer, or will it work out okay? Thanks, James. Current Mood: calm (5 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, March 18th, 2008
11:44 pm [tranquilo_vida]	Live near Spokane? Hey everyone in the Spokane area---Come find out about AFS and AFS in Spokane March 20th(Thursday) 7-8:30  at Starbucks on Sprauge 6640 E.Sprauge  (Comment on this)
Friday, March 7th, 2008
9:22 pm [tranquilo_vida]	Vote on the official AFS bloggers AFS is offering a scholorship in return for blogging! Check out the entries and vote for your favorite in each of the four countries!  http://www.usa.afs.org/usa_en/news/article/5520 (Comment on this)
Friday, February 29th, 2008
3:35 pm [tranquilo_vida]	100% AFS proud  (I am not saying that any exchange organization is perfect, I have had a bad host family, but I got out, and would have gotten out sooner had I been honest with why I was changing. This article that spawned all of this was nothing but sensationalisim tabloid news.) 2/29/2008 - A Message from AFS-USA The following is an official statement from AFS-USA in response to media reports regarding Jonathan McCullum: The first priority of AFS Intercultural Programs is always the safety and security of our students. As is the case with all issues of student well being, we take this situation very seriously. Upon learning of Jonathan’s weight loss, AFS acted immediately. In cooperation with Jonathan’s parents it was determined that Jonathan should end his participation in the program and return home. We have no evidence that the host family failed to provide Jonathan with sufficient food or that at any time food was not available to him. Nor have we received any indication that Jonathan’s host family failed to care for him in an appropriate manner. Based on this AFS has serious questions about the accuracy of published news reports. AFS conducts monthly contacts with participants through local volunteer liaisons and through AFS staff members. These visits and contacts clearly took place; we have no evidence that Jonathan ever indicated he was not provided with an adequate amount of food. Jonathan was also able to communicate with his parents and others, by internet and otherwise, during his experience abroad. AFS does not limit participants’ contact with parents, friends or relatives in any way, and did not do so in Jonathan’s case. Throughout our 60 year history we have developed and implemented policies and procedures to help ensure participant safety and well being, including the careful screening of host families. These screening policies were followed in this case, and this family had successfully hosted AFS participants previously. AFS has, and will continue to have, a reputation built on trust and care. AFS is deeply committed to the values of cultural exchange, and we have the utmost confidence in the ability of our thousands of dedicated volunteers and staff around the globe to ensure the safety and well-being of our participants. Most importantly, all were pleased to know of Jonathan’s strong recovery. Printer Friendly (8 Comments |Comment on this)
9:14 pm [starryeyedstara]	Hey! Hi :) I'm Amie, from New Zealand. I'm in the beginning stages of finding out about going on exchange. The thing is, I'm vegan, and I know it might be a problem. I'll be willing to be vegetarian or maybe even eat meat in small amounts if I really have to, but if possible I'd really like to stay vegan or mostly vegan. So, which countries would be best for me? I'd love to go to a Spanish speaking country (I've been learning Spanish for a while and I love it!) but from what I can tell it would be very difficult to be vegetarian there... Looking at the afs website, it says that Venezuela will accept vegetarians, and I also like the idea of going to the USA or Thailand. Any suggestions or advice? Thanks in advance =) I'm really excited! (14 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, January 23rd, 2008
10:26 am [tranquilo_vida]	From Robin Weber via AFS Online Just passing this on " I don't actually have a rabbit for you to draw but I am looking for volunteers to help illustrate AFS Guides and Handbooks! We need simple, black and white drawings of scenes such as two people talking, students approaching a school, an airplane in flight, etc. We would like to use the same 1-2 styles of drawings throughout any one handbook, instead of various styles found in clip art, what we currently do. Our goal is to create a library of illustrations to have on hand for this purpose so all submissions are welcome! Please contact Robin Weber at rweber@afs.org if you are interested in helping out. Hosted students and recent returnees are encouraged to assist in this effort! Thanks, Robin Robin A. Weber Manager of Intercultural Education and Quality AFS-USA 165 Route 9H Hudson, NY 12534 Tel.               866-253-2799        Fax 518-851-9741 (call first) robin.weber@afs.org " (Comment on this)
Monday, January 21st, 2008
11:21 am [tranquilo_vida]	great products to show your Ghana/Paraguay/Brazil pride  Hey guys I am selling some products with my photography! Some of them while on AFS exchanges to Ghana and Paraguay. So check it out. There are some great journals that would be a perfect gift for someone going abroad.  I am still up loading designs and working out the kinks so check back frequently! Thanks www.cafepress.com/ojosazules (Comment on this)
Sunday, October 28th, 2007
11:41 am [tranquilo_vida]	If you're in the Spokane Washington area... Next weekend is the Spokane Fall Folk festival and I have secured a table for AFS! So stop on by and check us out! It is really an awesome event with lots of free live preformances and lots of cool craft vendors. http://www.spokanefolklore.org/FolkFestival.html The Spokane Folklore Society 12th annual Fall Folk Festival  will take place Saturday, November 3, 2007  from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday, November 4 from Noon to 5 p.m.  at Spokane Community College (The Lair), N. 1810 N. Greene Street in Spokane, Washington. Current Mood: accomplished (Comment on this)
Wednesday, September 5th, 2007
10:42 am [tranquilo_vida]	This came thorugh my e-mail and thoguht it was intersting   Want to be an ambassador?  Become an Exchange Student with AFS!  AFS Returnees work in business, industry, entertainment, government, education, journalism, and even outer space. What do they have in common? Most say that the experience of studying abroad has changed their life!   We offer more than 140 foreign exchange programs in 40 countries, as well as scholarships, financial assistance, and the chance to host an outstanding student from another country. Here are some of our outstanding AFS Returnees:   President of the U.N. General Assembly - Jan Eliasson,  Sweden U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations - Zalmay Khalizad, U.S. President of Colombia, President of OAS - Cesar Gaviria, Colombia State Secretary of Foreign Affairs - Hans Dalgren,  Sweden Chief of Protocol, Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Christopher Bo Bramsen, Denmark Under Secretary for Political Affairs U.S. Dept. of State - R. Nicholas Burns, U.S. Ambassador of Chile to Syria - Ricardo Fiegelist Schmidt, Chile Director-General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Motohide Yoshikawa, Japan Minister of Government and Justice - Jorge Hernandez Alcerro, Honduras Under Secretary of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Hannu Hoffman, Finland President & CEO of the American-Turkish Council - James Holmes, U.S. Dir. of European Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Jose Angel Lopez Jorrin, Spain   Dir. Gen., Org. of the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons - Rogelio Pfirter, Netherlands   Other amazing AFSers…  President, Columbia University -      Lee Bollinger Senior Correspondent, ABC News -      Bettina Gregory Astronaut - Cady Coleman Tony Award-winning actor - Bill Irwin  Editor-in-Chief, Allure - Linda Wells Director of the CIA - James Woolsey Chief Justice of Supreme Court,      Massachusetts - Margaret Marshall Chairman, BMW - Helmut Panke (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, August 31st, 2007
8:58 pm [ergreifen]	Raising Money Hey guys! I'm Brittney and I'm hoping to go on the summer departure for the semester in Japan. I can raise the first 575 dollars, but the rest is a little daunting, and as my mum said, "if I can raise the money, I can go." So, right now I'm searching for sponsors and looking into the Dewitt-Wallace Partial Scholarships for students of different ethnic backgrounds and disabilities, and looking for companies to help sponsor me. I'm going to mail my congressman, and I was wondering if anyone knew of other people to possibly rally support from or other ways to raise money? I was also thinking of sewing bags at 20 dollars to also help raise the money. So how'd you guys raise the money? (23 Comments |Comment on this)
Saturday, August 18th, 2007
6:19 pm [rallyemadartep]	Portugal 99-00 Hey guys, I'm a former AFSer who went to Portugal in 1999-2000 and had an absolute blast. Now, another friend and I are trying to organise a reunion for 2009 for all those students who were with us in Portugal, so I'm trying to chase people down. If ny of you are on here, or anybody else knows if someone in their are went to Portugal in that year, is it possible to get in touch, or swap details????? I'd lvoe to catch up with everyone and see what we are all doing! Current Mood: cheerful Current Music: Rally Radio (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Friday, August 17th, 2007
9:45 pm [tranquilo_vida]	Host Sibling oriontation I have taken on the task of planning a host sibling oriontation for my area team for our post arrival oriontation. I have some vauge ideas of what I am thinking of doing but wanted to ask here if anyone had some good ideas, rescources, things they would have or did like at a host sibling oriontation or what you wish you could have told your host siblings while you were abroad or hosting! Thanks Current Mood: creative (5 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, August 14th, 2007
10:21 am [quaseportuguesa]	olá! well, I should probably introduce myself. My name is Chelsea, I'm from Maine, USA. I just graduated from high school here. Last year (2006/2007) I hosted Tony, a German boy from Saxony with the CBYX/AFS program. This year, I'm going abroad (not with AFS though, I was a month too old for Portugal w/ AFS :( ) with ASSE to Montijo, Portugal. 30 days from now I'll be getting ready to fly out of JFK airport to Frankfurt, then from Frankfurt to Lisboa... I'm so excited. (9 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, July 24th, 2007
12:19 am [kisoka]	Japan 08-09 AFS Hello everyone, I'm from Finland and I'm moving to Japan as an exchange-student in March 2008. I don't know about my host family or my school yet, but I'm looking forward to them. If here's anyone going to Japan 08-09, it'd be nice to talk with you ! ^o^ Bye and sorry about my bad English, kisse (8 Comments |Comment on this)