ATHENS – AFS Intercultural Programs’ Global Citizen Scholarship Program will give 50 high school students from Greece the opportunity to spend a semester on an international exchange, developing cross-cultural literacy and fluency.

The program, designed with students who would not otherwise have experiences abroad in mind, is now seeking applicants.

The opportunity for Greek high school students to participate in AFS Intercultural Programs’ Global Citizen Scholarship Program is part of a three-year pilot program supported by a grant from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) announced in June 2019.

Education is one of the four primary pillars of SNF’s grant-making activity, of which a particular focus is promoting international collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and exchange of ideas.

“Education is not only about what goes on in the classroom, but also about the personal growth that occurs when young people encounter unfamiliar people and experiences, and the new ideas these carry with them,” said Taylor Glazebrook, SNF Communications Officer. “Early international exchange experiences often have profound effects on participants that prove transformative throughout their lives. SNF is proud to support AFS in making this possible for Greek students who wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity.”

“We are excited to re-launch AFS programs in Greece for the first time since 1992 by offering these essential programs to Greek youth. The world needs young people who are willing and able to actively engage with people from different cultures and are comfortable with diverse perspectives and ideas,” says Vali Papadimitriou, who is both an AFS alum as well as the Global Citizen Scholarship Program manager in Greece. AFS is a global not-for-profit network with operations in 60 countries and exchange programs in 99 countries with more than 500,000 program alumni in the past 75 years. Each year, 12,000 young people from around the world participate in AFS programs. AFS exchange programs lead to measurable and significant improvements in intercultural competence and influence outlooks on social issues.

The online pre-application is open until January 31, 2020 for programs that start in the fall of 2020.

To apply, learn more, or sign up to receive updates, please visit afs.org.gr.