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Liaisons
This page is for those Miss Tennky Area volunteers who have agreed to serve
as Liaisons for Hosted Students, Host Families, and High Schools. Below are
some general guidelines and a link to the Guide for AFS Student/Family Liaisons, along
with local information.
The name and contact information for the Miss Tennky Area Team Support
Coordinator and the Liaison Coordinator are listed on the Volunteers page of this
web site.
Feel free to contact our Miss Tennky Support Coordinator with Liaison problems
and questions! Our Support Coordinator is here to support YOU as YOU support your
student and family. If our Support Coordinator is unavailable, then contact
any Area Team member. The role of the Liaison Coordinator is primarily to "police"
the filing of the required monthly student and family contact reports.
EMERGENCY 24-HOUR CONTACT INFO
The address and contact information for the Regional Office covering our region--
AFS Eastern Regional Office
231 E Baltimore St, Floor 15
Baltimore MD 21202
tel: 800-876-2377
fax: 410-539-5636
In an emergency when no local Miss Tennky support volunteer is available and it
is after-hours for the Baltimore office, then call the 24-hour duty officer on the
AFS-USA national emergency hot-line at 1-800-876-2376.
The Need to Document
Although your primary job is supporting your student and family, it is critical
that you "document and report" that support each and every month. This can be
done by completing a paper form and submitting it to the Support Coordinator or Liaison
Coordinator, or by signing onto AFS Online and completing the simple online report form.
The Miss Tennky Area Team would be happy for you merely to maintain good monthly
contacts with the student and family. HOWEVER, the U.S. government and the governments
of the foreign nations entrusting these children into our care want and demand
something more. They insist that AFS document by filing reports contemporaneously that
minimum monthly contacts are made by all certified exchange student organizations.
Failing to do so means an organization can lose its certification to operate an exchange
student program. Thus, when you document your monthly contacts, you are assuring the
United States and foreign countries around the world that these children are safe and
in good hands with you/us.
Do your monthly reporting of your monthly contacts at AFS Online.
Want to see what can happen when a liaison fails to protect these children by doing private,
separate contacts early and often?
Here are true horror stories dealing with one of our "competitor" for-profit
exchange programs.
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AFS is a worldwide leader in international student exchange with more than 50 years
of experience. Each year, AFS-USA hosts more than 2,600 outstanding exchange
students from more than 50 countries.
AFS volunteers are instrumental in providing a quality experience for all participants
and work together at many levels to ensure that students and host families receive the
support vital to a successful experience. Although support for AFS participants is
provided through a community of volunteers as well as the regional and national offices,
the AFS Student/Family Liaison is the primary "grassroots" contact for AFS participants.
Liaisons are extremely important in maintaining the communication link between AFS
participants and the AFS organization.
As an AFS Liaison, your responsibilities will be to:
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Attend training on serving as a Student/Family Liaison.
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Maintain and document monthly contacts with your
(1) assigned student, (2) host family, and (3) school in
compliance with the standards established by the Council
on Standards for International Educational Travel (CSIET).
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Provide support and information to the AFS student, host
family, and student's school.
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Assist in problem solving if and when the need arises.
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Help families and hosted students to identify and solve
potential problems early.
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Coordinate your efforts with other volunteers and share
your experience with potential new AFS volunteers.
As an AFS Liaison, you will receive:
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Training to help prepare you for what your student, host family,
and school may need and expect from you.
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Information about how AFS operates to ensure that AFS maintains
the highest standard of quality programs.
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Access to AFS Cultural Adjustment educational materials and resources.
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Special access to a national communication network of AFS liaisons and
volunteers through the AFS Online Intranet.
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Ongoing support from the AFS Area Team and staff.
Select for a pdf format version of the Guide for Student/Family Liaisons.
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