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New Zealand

News & Blog

20240425_071429
AFS Volunteer

Volunteering at Different Stages of Life

During this National Volunteer Week (15-21 June 2025), we’re celebrating all our wonderful AFS volunteers. On today’s blog, we look at Ken’s story, who has been an AFS volunteer for…

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AFS Volunteer

From Exchange Student to Volunteer: Callan’s Story

During this National Volunteer Week (15-21 June 2025), we’re celebrating all our wonderful AFS volunteers. On today’s blog, our young volunteer Callan shares his story – why he volunteers, the…

manawa 2
AFS Student, Intercultural Learning

Manawa in Greece

Why Greece? Sun, History and the Unexpected My name is Manawa. Last year, I went on an exchange to Greece for three months. The reason I went on an exchange…

Kiwi Culture SH 25 (3)
AFS Student, Intercultural Learning

Kiwi Culture Experience

Five students from India immersed themselves in Kiwi Culture during our three-week short programme in April/May. They travelled through parts of the North Island as a group and also spent…

Graphs for Staff Blog Post
Changemaking, Global Citizenship, Intercultural Learning

Beyond the Brochure: A Scrapbook of the AFS Team’s Exchange Experiences

As it turns out, all of our current AFS staff, and most board members, are either AFS exchange returnees or expats. This shared life experience sparked curiosity, leading us to…

Lucy BOL (3)
AFS Student, Intercultural Learning

Loving Life in Boliva

Lucy, a recipient of an AFS scholarship, updates us on her time abroad in Bolivia so far: Introduction: My Adventure Begins in Bolivia When I first got here, I was…

Groups and Activities 19
AFS Student, Education, Global Citizenship, Intercultural Learning

How Going Abroad Can Uplift Your Career: The Lasting Benefits of an AFS Student Exchange

Going on a student exchange is an adventure into cultural immersion, learning a language, fostering unique friendships, boosting confidence and becoming independent. While many students choose to go on an…

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AFS Student, Intercultural Learning

Abroad in Poland: Where Jandals Don’t Cut It

Luke, recipient of an AFS scholarship, reflects on his time abroad in Poland so far: Introduction: The Start of My Exchange in Poland It’s hard to believe that six months have…

20240713_172712
AFS Student

An exchange in Auckland: Helen, Germany

Kia ora, hallo! My name is Helen, I come from Germany, and I have been an AFS student in Auckland for the past five months during my exchange to New…

Jade ski snow France
AFS Student

Returnee Reflections: Jade, France

Hi! My name is Jade and I went on an AFS exchange to France for a semester from January 2024 to June 2024. What made you want to go on…

Thomas snow USA
AFS Student

Returnee Reflections: Thomas, USA

Nearly four months on from my exchange year to the U.S I still think about it every day. I don’t think if you’d told me when I hopped on that…

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AFS Student, Intercultural Learning

Te Ao Māori: from Germany to Gisborne with Milla

Kia ora! My name is Milla, I am 17 and I am from Germany. For the past five months of my life, I have lived in New Zealand and it…

Ava France Eiffel Tower Students
AFS Student, Intercultural Learning

Returnee Reflections: Ava, France

I will forever thank myself for choosing to go on an exchange. It’s an experience I had always dreamed of having, exploring what’s out there in the world, to expand…

Global STEM
Changemaking, Education, Global Citizenship

AFS Global STEM Australia/NZ

Staff member Josie shares her experience facilitating the first ever Australia/New Zealand cohort of the AFS Global STEM Changemakers programme Earlier this year, 75 young leaders from Australia and New…

Blog post promos NovDec 2024 (1)
AFS Student, Intercultural Learning

Returnee Reflections: Antalya, Japan

I went to Nagoya, Japan for 5 months from March to August 2024. Some of the highlights of my everyday life in Japan were just the small, everyday interactions and…

Adrien Finland 1
AFS Student, Intercultural Learning

Returnee Reflections: Adrien, Finland

I’ve always been interested in foreign countries and how they do things differently, but there’s really nothing like actually going there and experiencing it for yourself. This is what I…

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AFS Student, Global Citizenship

Returnee Reflections: June, Costa Rica

My desire for adventure and cultural immersion led me to head off on an AFS exchange year. I was particularly drawn to Costa Rica because of the beautiful landscapes, friendly…

Hugo 1
AFS Student

Current Student Updates: Hugo, Germany

Guten Tag! It’s still so weird to think how it has been over seven months since that day I woke up on a fresh Auckland morning, looked out the window…

Tui host family France
AFS Student, Intercultural Learning

Returnee Reflections: Tui, France

Kia ora koutou and Bonjour à tous ! My name is Tui, and I have just recently returned from a year-long exchange in France! Long story short, it was the…

08_18_24 Youth Assembly 5363
Changemaking, Education, Global Citizenship, Intercultural Learning

AFS Youth Assembly 2024 – How was it?

Seven young New Zealanders attended the AFS Youth Assembly in New York City in August 2024. This was the first time we sent a delegation from Aotearoa to this global…

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To contact AFS NZ please call 0800 600 300 or email info[email protected]
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About AFS

AFS Intercultural Programmes is an international, voluntary, non-governmental, non-profit organisation that provides intercultural learning opportunities to help people develop the knowledge, skills and understanding needed to create a more just and peaceful world.

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