AFS volunteers range in age from students to seniors and share a spirit of adventure and a desire to make the world a better place. Volunteering for AFS enables you to build friendships, expand your skill set and given back to your local community. The only qualification required is energy and enthusiasm!
Volunteer
Join a movement of active citizens helping people and communities learn to live together
How to become an AFS Volunteer
Background
You will have an amazing time no matter what you do for AFS. You’ll meet interesting students, make friends from around the world, work with passionate volunteers and gain intercultural and other skills that will last a lifetime.
Is this for you?
Have a look at our website. Does what we do resonate with you? Do you like the idea of working in a diverse cultural environment? Meeting new people? Helping students settle into NZ? Being part of fun events?
Send an inquiry
Email [email protected] and put ‘I’d like to know more about volunteering with AFS’ in the subject line.
Get trained
Once we’ve received and approved your volunteer application, you’ll be trained via our online modules.
What are the benefits of volunteering for AFS?
You can create change
A single person who decides to stand up and do something, creates a wave and that wave inspires others. You can help make change.
Join a community
AFS is a global community. We have 44,000 active volunteers giving back.
Improve your CV
Volunteering looks great on your CV. So not only do you feel good, but you’re enabling yourself to move forward.
Opportunities
Volunteering for AFS gives you so many opportunities, you can become a support person, or run fun events, or do online training, or interact with students…. there are loads of ways to get involved.
AFS volunteers get to be involved in lots of exciting projects
Support
- Match AFS students with host families
- Help host families get to know their AFS student
- Be a liaison for host schools
- Introduce international students to your community
- Check in with students or host families regularly to monitor programs
Plan
- Organize orientations for study abroad and hosting programs
- Arrange awesome social events and cultural trips
- Bring host families together to share experiences
- Set-up information sessions for students, families or volunteers
Train
- Guide AFSers and others through intercultural learning journeys
- Introduce students to your country’s culture
- Facilitate learning through creative activities
- Share you own global experience and cultural
Manage & Lead
- Launch community projects helping others learn how to respect, appreciate and value other cultures
- Serve on local AFS groups and boards
- Learn how to manage local volunteers
- Inspire others to serve their community
Engaging with my community; meeting people from around the world
“Joining my local group of AFS volunteers gave me the opportunity to develop many skills, such as how to work in a team and interact with people from different backgrounds. As an AFS volunteer, I am more engaged in my community and I meet people from all over the world. Helping students, teachers and families embark on intercultural learning adventures makes me appreciate the importance of world peace and intercultural understanding.”
—Marcela Vazquez, AFS Argentina volunteer
AFS community changemakers in action
Be inspired by innovative AFS changemaking, social impact and community service projects that use intercultural learning activities to address local challenges and bring diverse communities together.
Meet AFS volunteers and their projects
"What I love the most about AFS is that I never fail to leave an event feeling changed in one way or another. Every time I come in contact with these wonderful people I learn more about myself and the world and can only hope I have as big of an impact on participants and other volunteers." Vinni, volunteer of AFS Germany
Meet AFS volunteers
Change in the making
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AFS NZ Youth Assembly 2024 Delegates
AFS NZ is delighted to announce our 3 scholarship winners for the AFS NZ delegation to the AFS Youth Assembly 2024! Read on to find out who they are, their… -
Callan and Gypsy in China: Global Young Leaders
2024 Zhi-Xing China: Global Young Leaders Fellowship Callan I recently got the opportunity to travel to China and participate in an incredible young leaders program which focused on cultural heritage… -
2024 AFS Youth Assembly Global Educators scholarship winner
We are delighted to share that our alumna Bella Chisholm (NZ to Germany, 2011) has won a scholarship to participate in the Global Educators Academy Programme at the 2024 AFS…
AFS NZ Mission
AFS Aotearoa New Zealand provides life-long intercultural learning opportunities in local and global communities to foster the aroha, manaakitanga and respect needed for a more just and peaceful world.
AFS supports UN Sustainable Development Goals
AFS believes the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) #4 and #16 provide a roadmap to help make our world a better place for all people.
Global Goal #4:
QUALITY EDUCATION
Ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning
Goal #4 focuses on the knowledge and skills needed to promote “sustainable development” and “sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development.
Global Goal #16
PEACE, JUSTICE AND STRONG INSTITUTIONS
Promote just, peaceful and inclusive societies
Goal #16 has three main objectives: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.
Empowering people of all ages to respect and appreciate differences
AFS is an inclusive community of global citizens committed to fostering intercultural learning as a powerful peace-building tool. Through AFS study abroad and changemaking programs, our volunteers help students, young adults, families and others take their first steps to becoming global citizens.
Resources and Good Reads
Volunteer Voices
This volunteer-driven blog is a platform where AFSers exchange ideas about their local and global changemaking and social impact activities. At the start of every dream, change and impact, there is a good story.
Connect: Intercultural Insights for Global Citizens
This digital magazine explores intercultural and global citizenship education, voluntarism and social impact, through articles, interviews, and learning tools created by respected thought leaders and experts.
AFS Perspectives: Helping the world learn to live together
Written by AFS experts from around the world, this blog champions diverse perspectives about culture and education, inspiring readers to become intercultural leaders of their communities.
Intercultural Learning (ICL) for AFS & Friends
Series of insightful and concise essays on key intercultural concepts based on research and practical experiences. The series is produced by AFS education experts for anyone studying about or working with intercultural topics.
The Volunteers: Americans Join World War I, 1914—1919
This Curriculum for secondary school educators takes a unique approach to volunteerism, intercultural competence and global citizenship education, since the volunteer efforts of young people during World War I until today.