A country that everyone thinks they know from the movies, but in reality they never stop discovering. Its immense territory offers the most varied landscapes, from the plains to the mountains, to the deserts, to the coasts up to the forests.
The variety of its fifty states makes it extremely rich from every point of view, be it cultural, social or climatic. The United States represents one of the most multicultural and ethnically diverse nations in the world, a large-scale product of immigration from many countries, which has been going on almost since its foundation.
HIGH SCHOOL
AFS students can be placed in public or private schools; in this second case the schools are mainly managed by religious organizations, often Christian. The curriculum is open: AFS students, helped by the school tutor, choose at the beginning of the year which courses to attend. The tests are mainly written and the homework contributes to the final grade, so a constant commitment is also required in the independent study. The release of the diploma at the end of the school year in the United States is at the discretion of the host school, therefore it cannot be guaranteed.
As a necessary condition for school enrollment, it is mandatory to carry out some additional vaccinations compared to normal Italian prophylaxis. For the visa issue, a demonstration of a good knowledge of the English language is required, certified by at least two years of study and verified during the Intercultura selections by means of a test. Some institutions require compulsory use of the school uniform, the cost of which is borne by the participant.
LIFE IN THE STATES
There are few common traits among American families: many are believers and practitioners of various religions, they can belong to any ethnic group (for example, have Hispanic or Italian origins), they can be composed of parents with or without children, separated, widowed or single, young or not; more than fifty million people speak another language at home, and Spanish is the second most spoken language after English. Usually students are hosted in medium or small centers, sometimes in rural areas: here daily life takes place mainly outside the home, thus making the weekend and evening important gathering moments, during which we take care of the home care together .
The school is the center of youth life: many institutes offer a wide range of extracurricular activities, from sports to clubs to afternoon theater, art and dance courses. In any case, any high school is equipped with facilities to practice one or more sports including American football, basketball, baseball, softball, athletics, swimming, football and tennis.
US law provides that the use of tobacco is prohibited to minors under the age of 18, that of alcohol to minors under the age of 21: an infringement by students implies immediate early return. Students will therefore have to refrain from smoking for the duration of the program, also because families are not willing to host smokers. In many houses there are pets and carpeting, so it is not possible to find suitable families to welcome children with allergies, diseases or particular medical conditions, or who are afraid of living with animals in the house.