During your exchange in Belgium Flanders, you will live with a volunteer host family, attend a local school as a domestic student, participate in AFS orientations and activities, and make incredible memories. Go for a year (availability varies), check your eligibility and other requirements below, then enquire now to start your adventure of a lifetime!
Eligibility Requirements
- You must be between 15 years and 8 months to 18 years and 8 months
- Enrolled in an NZ school or Graduated
- Language requirements: Dutch A1 (Rosetta Stone course Level 1 requered)
What's included in your experience
- Airfare
- Airport Pick-up
- Host Family Placement
- Housing
- Meals
- School Placement
- Individual Contact Person
- Medical Insurance
- 24/7 Emergency Support
- School Transport
- Language Instruction
- Assistance with Application Process
- Visa Application Assistance
- Pre-Departure Orientation
- Orientations during your time abroad
- Global Competence Certificate
- Access to Alumni Network
- Continuous Support
- Worldwide Presence
- 70 Years Experience
What you are responsible for
- Vaccinations
- Field Trips
- Visa and Passport Fees
- School Materials
School
School in Belgium is quite demanding – teachers are hard to impress and students spend a lot of time studying 10 to 18 different subjects! School starts between 8 and 8.30am and finishes between 4 and 5pm, with breaks for lunch and snacks. Class groups usually stay together in the same classroom, and the teachers come to you. You will be placed in one of four types of public school according to your preference and skills. General (ASO) is academic-focused; Vocational (BSO) combines general education with practice-oriented training for a specific occupation; Arts (KSO) combines general education with active practice of art; and Technical (TSO) focuses on general and technical subjects. KSO and TSO are usually best for AFS students!
Family
There is no typical Belgian family; your Belgian host family can be a married or unmarried couple, with kids of your age or not, a retired couple, a single mother, etc. Most likely, you’ll find that your Belgian host family is different from your own, both in composition and in their way of life.
Dinner time is a very important family gathering in Belgium, and is an opportunity to share your day, discuss problems, and share feelings. Belgians are kind, fun-loving, and direct in their communication – everyone says what they think. It is usual in Belgian families to talk about oneself and ask for advice.
Culture
Most Belgians see themselves as good-natured, modest, individualistic, hardworking, tolerant, and family-oriented people with a good amount of common sense. If there is a problem to be solved, Belgians prefer to consult with all those concerned, which leads to slow decision making and low risk-taking. Belgians are also bricoleurs – do-it-yourself enthusiasts – who like to show their personality through their houses. Working on renovation projects or in the garden with the help of friends and relatives, even over a period of years, is a favourite leisure activity.
Teen Life
Belgian teenagers usually enjoy going to concerts or the movies and watching or playing sports – especially soccer and cycling. Many teenagers also participate in youth groups like Scouts or Girl Guides. Your social life will probably centre on your host family and a small group of friends.
Belgian parents are also used to monitoring their child’s social life and school results, and teens are often required to ask permission to go out and to say where they are going, with whom and to respect a curfew.
