Focus on Paraguay

  Paraguay

Asuncion

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

Description: Peguahe pora Paraguaipe, bienvenidos a Paraguay, and welcome to Paraguaya country alive with tradition, fusing the indigenous Guarani Indian culture with the culture of the Spanish conquistadors, and where the old world meets the modern. West of Rio, Paraguay is the hot infertile plain of Gran Chaco, so 98 percent of the population lives in the more verdant eastern half. In that half, there are many fascinating locations such as the riverside capital of Asunción, Jesuit mission ruins, and national parks. Paraguayan social life revolves around the family and sports, especially soccer. In Paraguay, you'll most likely live in a small town with easy access to a nearby city. Your host family may not have all of the modern conveniences of the U.S. (dishwashers, microwaves, or central air conditioning), but you'll find yourself seeing the world with different eyes. Paraguay is modernizing as a country, yet you will still find Guarani Indians selling feathered headdresses in city plazas, and a traditional pace of life.

Highlights: Year and Semester Programs:
The school year runs from March through November, and you'll take 11 courses in a standard curriculum such as chemistry, fine arts, geography, literature, and Spanish. AFS Paraguay offers 40 hours of intensive Spanish classes one week after you arrive. Throughout the year, there are orientation activities from AFS Paraguay as well, held in different parts of the country to give participants the opportunity to see more of the country. Have a unique experience in Paraguay and let the Paraguayan people show you some of the hospitality they are known for!

Summer Homestay Program:
While living with your host family, you will improve your Spanish, form close friendships with Paraguayans and other AFS Students by participating in orientations and local activities, and discover places of interest like the Jesuit ruins or the Itaipu Dam- the world's largest hydroelectric project, encompassing 526 square miles.

Summer Soccer Homestay Plus Program:
Come spend seven weeks in Paraguay, live with a host family, explore the culture- and play soccer! Though an exclusive partnership with a renowned Paraguayan soccer school, AFS Paraguay is proud to offer this program to both male and female participants. You will practice soccer techniques, hone technical skills, share in professional players' expertise, and work with younger soccer students. There will be plenty of opportunities to compete in games against other soccer schools and teams, as well as attend First Division games of the Paraguayan Soccer Association.

Summer Community Service Program:
This program provides participants the unique opportunity to taste Paraguayan culture, family life, and language while experiencing what community service means in a needy country- all in only 7 weeks. You'll live with a host family and work with a local community organization. The projects you can choose from include working with children, being a teacher's aide at a school, or helping a nurse with healthcare. There is the possibility of working in the Moises Bertoni Foundation's offices helping with environmental projects, but you need to have intermediate Spanish skills.

Cost in US$: $5,900 - $8,900

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