Program Details
| Program Length | Start | End | Price | Age on Departure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year Program | FEB 10 | JAN 11 | 24,000 | 17 |
Swiss schools require foreign students to have some knowledge of German or French. For AFS’ers with little or no language background who live near Zurich or Berne, AFS Switzerland organizes four weeks of language training (the whole day, five days per week) after you have been placed with your families and prior to the start of school (students who attend this intensive language training start school upon completion of the four-week course). Most other students attend an intensive language course at a private language school or receive two to four hours of tutoring a week.
The Swiss school system is very competitive, and you are expected to participate fully and actively. You will probably be placed in a maturitätsschulen (high school) which has several sections (classical, modern languages, scientific, commercial). A broad range of academic subjects is available, but the main compulsory courses will be German/French, math, history, geography, biology and physical education. One or more additional languages other than the one spoken in the canton are generally studied. You can receive a certificate of attendance or a transcript if all academic requirements are met.
AFS Switzerland will provide you with several orientations. AFS orientations are a chance for participants to meet (often for a weekend or for a few days) and talk about expectations for the future program and past experiences. Orientations involve participating in group activities and self-examination. Sessions usually provide new information and ways of looking at things while also allowing participants to share points of view. AFS orientations are social, interactive and educational, bringing together young people from many countries and helping them to better understand their own intercultural learning experience.
Some local chapters may organize special events, activities and trips for your enjoyment. During the year they will probably organize fund raising drives to help pay for some of your school-related expenses. After you have been living in Switzerland for three to four weeks, you will get together for a two- to three-day orientation. This will be held regionally on a weekend, and by that time you will be ready to talk about Swiss life and your experiences.
Another activity you can look forward to is the exchange week, when you will have a chance to live in another place in the same language area for one week and meet other AFS’ers from the same region.
Finally there is the End-of-Stay orientation, a camp where you will get together with other AFS’ers three to four weeks before you return home. The End-of-Stay will last for about three days and is about looking back at your exchange experience and sharing memories with other AFS’ers.
