AFS Vivre Sans Frontière (AFS VSF)

AFS Vivre Sans Frontière (AFS VSF), is a French non-profit organisation that is part of the international group AFS Intercultural Programs. The American Field Service (AFS) was born in 1914 as an American volunteer ambulance corps to help people that were hurt on the World War I battlefields in Europe. After the two World Wars, the AFS volunteers decided that intercultural learning was a key to bring peace to the world. AFS VSF was created in 1947 and its mission is to encourage intercultural dialogue, mutual understanding and active global citizenship for a more just and peaceful world. In order to achieve these goals, AFS VSF undertakes different activities: -International learning pupil mobility : before the COVID sanitary crisis, over 400 French participants went to study abroad in over 50 different countries, and over 400 foreign high school students were hosted in French volunteer host families. In 2020, these numbers were roughly cut in half due to the COVID sanitary crisis, and have been recovering ever since. AFS’ educational project is based on an orientation model that is shared throughout the worldwide AFS network and has specific educational goals for each moment of the experience (preparation, participation and return) so that AFS can support its participants and families throughout the entire intercultural experience. -Activities and workshops in schools for pupils in order to contribute to the development of intercultural, social and civic competences in pupils as well as to encourage a positive school environment for all. AFS and the school can decide on the themes of the intercultural activities, such as: intercultural learning, sensitivity to stereotypes and exclusion, active global citizenship education, the SDGs. -Online intercultural and global competence courses, aimed at different audiences (young people, professionals of different sectors, students). Through our online programs, we can expand the access to intercultural learning opportunities, whether the learners are involved in an international mobility program or not. -Teacher training activities for junior high and high school teachers on improving the class environment and living-together as well as to giving them the intercultural competences they need to teach in a multicultural environment. -Forums on different themes related to AFS’ mission (citizenship education, intercultural learning, peace): “100 Years Young” at UNESCO in 2014, “From trenches to bridges - Youth Forum in Alsace” in 2015, “Living, learning and innovating together” in 2017 and “Engaging for Peace in Europe” in 2018. -Trainings for volunteers and staff on different topics related to intercultural learning, global competence, learning reflections for mobility students, organisation of intercultural activities in schools, among others. The methods used by AFS on its different activities are based on non-formal education. Non-formal education is placed between formal education (school-related) and informal education (daily experiences): it corresponds to a learning period determined and structured, using a learner-centered approach. It encourages participants to take initiative and increase their self-awareness - get to know oneself better, understand their own reactions, take a stand, etc. AFS VSF is an association composed of around 1000 active volunteers throughout France, organised in 27 local associations, and a national office in Saint-Maurice with currently 11 full time staff members.