Focus on Australia

  Australia

• Sydney: 
Sydney

Durations of Program: 2-4 weeks, 5-8 weeks, 3-6 months and 7-12 months
Typical Duration of Program: 3-6 months
Dates: inquire for specific dates

Description: The land down under is the smallest continent and the largest island in the world! It is as large as the United States, and has a population less than that of Texas. Immigrants from 165 different nations comprise 20 percent of the population, creating a rainbow of people and culture. Multicultural celebrations and festivals are as integral to the country as cricket and kangaroos.

Australia's also has a wide range of natural wonders, including the Great Barrier Reef, beautiful beaches, lush rainforests, vast deserts, and unique wildlife. It is also home to the Aborigines, the oldest surviving human society in the world, with a culture dating back at least 50,000 years. Australians are known for their open, laid-back, and welcoming approach to life. They love the outdoors and sports, and throughout the year can be found hiking, surfing, or even skiing.

Highlights: Year and Semester Programs:
Extracurricular activities include clubs and musical groups before school or during lunch break, with intramural sporting events after school. Your friends will involve you in their favorite pastimes, like attending concerts, playing sports, and going out in groups. AFS Australia also organizes additional activities for you and your fellow AFS Participants. Nationally organized safari tours (optional) are also available throughout your stay.

Summer Homestay Plus Program:
Upon arrival participants will attend an overnight orientation in Sydney then move on to their host communities in Newcastle or Port Macquarie. The participants will be split into groups of 10-12 students and placed in host families (some students may share a host family). The group will work together on a community project which will be identified and organized by the local AFS volunteer chapter. Weekends will be spent with the host families unless additional chapter activities are organized. The final day of the program will be spent in Sydney at an end-of-stay orientation prior to departure for the US. Note: it is winter in Australia at this time so students should expect cool, wet weather in July!

Qualifications: Age on departure reflect both the years and month(s) of the age of the applicant at the start of the program. For example, if the age is listed as 16.1 the applicant should be 16 years and 1 month at departure.

Cost in US$: $6,900 - $10,900

Experience Required: no

Age Range: 16 above

Application Process Involves:

• In-Person Interview Required
• Written Application

Post Services Include:

• Exit DebriefingAbroad
• Re-Entry Debriefing at Home
• Alumni Network
• Job and Internship Network

AFS Intercultural Programs's Mission Statement: AFS Intercultural Programs is an international, voluntary, non-governmental, non-profit organization that provides intercultural learning opportunities to help people develop the knowledge, skills and understanding needed to create a more just and peaceful world. AFS Intercultural Programs is a leader in intercultural learning and offers international exchange programs in over 50 countries around the world through independent, not-for-profit AFS organizations, each with a network of volunteers, a professionally staffed office, and headed up by a volunteer board.

Year Founded: 1947