AFS-USA is a nonprofit organization that specializes in intercultural education. They provide many activities and resources that can be used in the classroom. What’s nice about AFS-USA is that the lesson plans cover many topics like the environment, diversity, poverty, stereotypes, religions, cultures, and so much more. This allows the students to be able to learn and be open-minded to all sorts of topics and comfortable researching topics that may be unfamiliar to them. The website not only opens up the student’s minds but the teacher’s as well. There are many different handouts provided that allow the teacher to understand why a student may act a certain way and the culture behind it.

AFA-USA would be very beneficial in the classroom. In my own classroom, I would use different lesson plans so students can learn about the information that may be new to them to raise a future generation that is understanding and open-minded to others’ differences. Those lesson plans that I find specifically important are “Chain of Diversity”, “Education for All #BringBackOurGirls”, “Examining Current Social Movements”, and “Critical Listening through Debate.” The “chain of diversity”Chain of Diversity” lesson opens up the discussion of similarities to those with different backgrounds and shows the students that all people can be alike despite many differences. “Education for All #BringBackOurGirls” educates the students on gender inequality and inequality in the education department. “Examining Current Social Movements” provides the students with insight into the past and how people came together to solve a problem, which can inspire the students to try to spark their own movement an make a difference. “Critical Listening Through Debate” allows the students to be open-minded to others’ opinions and open-minded to changing their own.

Students should not just be taught specific subjects but real-world understanding. These are the children of the future so it is important that we teach them other skills like understanding, compassion, problem-solving, and much more. With AFS-USA teaching methods and lesson plans, they allow teachers and instructors to prepare students and set them up to create an amazing future.