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…
News & Blog
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 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 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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…