AFS Student Learning Journey

Post-Arrival Orientation

TOOLKIT FOR AFS FACILITATORS

March 2021

©2021 AFS Intercultural Programs, Inc.

Instructions for using this Toolkit
● You can literally copy-paste some of our slides to run your
orientation, and we have embedded plenty of links for you to make
them interactive and engaging. Please make sure they are only used
within an AFS context.

● The sample slides are mostly for visuals. The step-by-step and
facilitator instructions for each activity are in the speaker notes.

● If delivering the orientation online, make sure to test the

presentation, video and the audio in advance.
 Background &
General Recommendations

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 The Upgraded AFS Student Learning Journey
AN ENHANCED CURRICULUM
As of 2021, the AFS Student Learning Journey now includes an online
educational component for all high school study abroad program
participants.

Coming together virtually as global groups of students, guided by trained

facilitators, this new aspect of the program will complement and enhance
the Orientations and Monthly Reflections that happen at the local level.

The SLJ Online Curriculum (SLJ 2.0) includes content developed in

collaboration with in collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania’s
Center for Social Impact Strategy (CSIS).

This component advances the way we prepare students to practice social

impact and return home to become active global citizens with the
essential global skills they need to live, learn, work and volunteer to
contribute to society and change the world.

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 The Upgraded AFS Student Learning Journey
BEFORE DURING AFTER
Monthly Contact & Learning Reflections
SENDING PARTNER

Arrival
Orientation

Post-Arrival Mid-Stay End of Stay

Orientation Orientation Orientation
HOSTING PARTNER

Pre-Departure
Orientation Re-Entry
Orientation
INTERNATIONAL

SLJ Advanced (optional) SLJ Advanced (optional)

Discovery Modules Develop Modules
SLJ 2.0 SLJ 2.0 SLJ 2.0
Discovery Modules Develop Modules Debrief Modules
 Learning Objectives for
SLJ Online Curriculum
This new content enhances the global realm of AFS Educational Goals and introduces skills
for students to engage with the community and practice taking action while on the program.
If you want to familiarize yourself with the online content, you can find an overview here.

PERSONAL GROWTH

CO-CREATING WITH OTHERS

UNDERSTANDING THE WORLD

TAKING ACTION

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 AFS Educational Goals for Post-Arrival Orientation

PERSONAL CULTURAL
● Self-awareness ● Cultural knowledge and awareness
● Creative thinking ● Intercultural effectiveness
● Critical thinking
● Motivation and self-confidence
● Defining self in terms of ideals
and values

INTERPERSONAL GLOBAL
GLOBAL
● Empathy ● Commitment to contributing to the
● Communication skills world community
● Commitment to others and
contributing to the group
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 MUSTs for the Post-Arrival Orientation?
Key things to include in your orientation
To reflect on the experience so far, celebrate successes, identify
#1 challenges and develop potential solutions.

Check-in with students and provide coping mechanisms: how are students
#2 processing the experiences that are new to them? what adaptation issues
may they be facing or may soon encounter?

#3 To reflect on learnings and insights about the host culture, with a focus on
communication and value dimensions.

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©2021 AFS Intercultural Programs, Inc.
 Tips for running orientations online
● Remember, less is more: Things are likely to take twice as long to
complete online. Prioritise and be realistic.
● Be very explicit about your instructions and specify the length of time
to complete each task.
● Insert times for students and families to interact and provide
feedback.
● Try to avoid being exclusively task oriented. This is a hard time for
everyone and people are likely to want to discuss their situation and
share with others.
● Zoom is only as good as its user, so learn about best practices and a
few tricks for facilitators. Some of the proposed activities suggest you
divide people into sub-groups. Find out how to do that here.
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©2021 AFS Intercultural Programs, Inc.
 Post-Arrival Orientation
Face-to-face Sample Activities

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 Preparation
Before you begin…
Make sure you are familiar with the
Post-Arrival section in the AFS Student Learning
Journey Curriculum.

You can also review the webinar on Post-Arrival

Orientation for details about some of the activities
mentioned here.

©2021 AFS Intercultural Programs, Inc.

 AFS Post-Arrival Orientation: Sample Agenda
DAY 1 DAY 2

Welcome & aims of the Simulation

orientation
Analyzing challenging situations
Success with DIVE

Me and my host community

Adjusting expectations and
goals
Everyday objects Personal Well-being
Comfort zone, learning zone, Wrap-up and Good-byes
panic zone

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 Success: celebrating learnings
What do you consider to be your biggest exchange
success so far?

1. Individually, take a sheet of paper and list as many things as

you can - big or small!

2. Pick 2 or 3 successes you are the most proud of and turn

them into illustrations.

3. Hang your illustration around the room and go around in a

silent gallery to learn about each other’s success.

4. Come back together as a larger group and discuss the

learnings from this success stories.

©2021 AFS Intercultural Programs, Inc.

 Adjusted expectations and goals
1. Individually, make a list of the expectations and
goals that you might have set at the arrival
orientation or before travelling. Compare those
against your current reality.
2. In groups, evaluate how relevant those initial
goals still are and what you can do to work
towards achieving them.
3. Go back to individual work and rewrite a new
list with “adjusted” goals and super-powers
4. Write two of your goals (old or new) in a post-it
note.
5. Let’s look at everyone’s goals, how can we
make them happen?

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 Everyday Objects

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 Simulation:
Babel’s ark

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 Simulation:
Dustten and Sendtut cultures

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 Sample Optional Activity (60 minutes)
The envelope
Session Outline:
This activity can run throughout the orientation.
1. Have one envelop prepared for each of the students with their name and flag
of the country they come from.
2. Place all envelops in a place that is accessible to students.
3. Throughout the orientation students can place messages for each other
about things they learnt about them, successes they viewed, Superpowers
they believe they have or kind words of encouragement.
4. Make sure that all envelopes have at least one or two messages
5. Students get to take the envelopes to read on their way home.

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 Post-Arrival Orientation
Online Sample Activities

*see this site for more virtual tools

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 Online Post-Arrival Orientation - Sample Agenda
120 min or could be split into two 60 min sessions

15 MIN Welcome & Introductions

10 MIN Check-in: The train

20 MIN Success Gallery

20 MIN The object of my exchange

25 MIN Critical Incident

15MIN Coping

5 MIN Closing & next steps

©2021 AFS Intercultural Programs, Inc. 20

 Greetings & Intros
Who is on the call? Please tell us
● Your name
● Where you are currently
● And one of the following:
- One funny thing that you have experienced or seen in the last week.
- What was your highlight/ your favourite thing that happened last
week
- What is something that surprised you in the last week?
- Think of a question that you want to ask the next person, ask it and
then take turns.

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 Greetings & Intros

Let’s review our goals for today

● To reflect on your experience so far,
celebrate successes, identify challenges
and develop potential solutions.
● To provide you with coping mechanisms:
discuss how you are processing things so
far address any adaptation issues you
may be facing or may soon encounter.
● To reflect on learnings and insights
about the host culture so far.
Is there anything else you would like to
discuss?

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 Greetings & Intros

Let’s agree on rules of engagement

Here are some standard rules for this meeting we propose:
● What is shared in this group, stays in the group.
● Respect each other’s opinion, while you don’t have to agree, everyone’s
point of view is valid and every experience is unique.
● We encourage you to actively listen. This is even harder to do online so
avoid distractions like having other web-pages open or checking your
phone.
● We are all in this together. Let’s try and keep this space friendly and
supportive and brave.

Are there any other rules you’d like us to include? Post them on the chat.
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 Check-in - The Train
Where in the train do you feel you are right now in relation to
your exchange?

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 Success Gallery

1. We will give you 5 minutes to write a list of

all of the successes you have had during
your exchange. Come up with a as many
things as you can.
2. Now pick the 2 or 3 successes that you are
the most proud of and “illustrate” them for
others and share them on our virtual wall.
3. Let’s share with others, celebrate and
discuss our learnings.

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 Everyday Objects
● Take a look at the objects in the picture,
can you:
- Name some of these in the chat
- Provide us with your first impressions
of them
● Now choose one object that represents
a cultural norm or value that you have
noticed or experienced lately.
● We will now go around and you can
describe what this object represents or
means to to you in the context of their
AFS experience so far.

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 Critical incident
1. Let’s think about the following situation:

Jeanne travelled from Australia to Senegal and was excited

to be living with a host family in a suburban area. One day,
after school, she stopped at the corner shop to get a Diet
Coke before coming home. When she arrived at the house,
her host mother was entertaining guests in the living room.
When Jeanne arrived, she introduced herself and said “hello”
to everyone before excusing herself to go to her room and
study. When Jeanne emerged for dinner her host mother was
furious with her and accused her of being very rude.

2. What do you think could be happening here?

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 Applying DIVE - Discussion
Let’s explore this incident through the DIVE model:

1. Describe what happened - Take turns or use the

chat
2. Interpret - Share your hypothesis
3. Verify - Facilitator provides information on the story
4. Explain - What is something good about these
practices/ values/ beliefs? What is a negative aspect
of these practices/ values/ beliefs?

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 Coping skills

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 Closing

Thank you for participating to this session!

● The next steps for us are xxx
● If you have any further questions or comments please contact
xxx

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