years-experience access-alumni-network airfare airport-pick-up assistance-with-application-process community-service-placement continuous-support cultural-trips domestic-transport emergency-support field-trips global-competence-certificate grade-transcripts host-family-placement housing individual-contact-person internship-placement language-instruction meals medical-insurance orientations-during-your-time-abroad other pre-departure-orientation product-materials re-entry-orientation school-dipolma school-materials school-placement school-transport school-uniform stipend teaching-materials vaccinations visa-and-passport-fees visa-application-assistance world-wide-presence

AFS aims to provide 30% of our students with scholarships or grants

Find out about our range of scholarships, grants and fundraising

Eligibility Requirements

  • You must be between 15 years and 6 months to 18 years
  • Enrolled in an NZ school or graduated

Visa is classified as a D Visa

Notes

What's included in your experience

  • Airfare
  • Airport Pick-up
  • Host Family Placement
  • Housing
  • Meals
  • School Placement
  • Individual Contact Person
  • Medical Insurance
  • School Transport
  • Assistance with Application Process
  • Visa Application Assistance
  • Pre-Departure Orientation
  • Orientations during your time abroad
  • Re-entry Orientation
  • Continuous Support
  • Worldwide Presence
  • 70 Years Experience

What you are responsible for

  • Vaccinations
  • Cultural Tours
  • Visa and Passport Fees
  • Stipend
  • School Uniform

Host Family & Community

You could be hosted anywhere around the country, with either a Latvian-speaking family or a Russian-speaking family. Either way you’ll have plenty of opportunities to learn both languages. Latvian families enjoy visiting their country cottages on the weekends and during holidays. Different generations often live together in the same household.

Language

A market in Latvia

Latvian is the language of Latvia, which belongs to a Baltic branch of the Indo-European language family. There is a big Russian community in Latvia, which is why Russian is widely spoken. Latvian teenagers enjoy learning and speaking English and will help you learn Latvian. Having a basic knowledge of English will be helpful. AFS will also support you by providing language learning lessons and materials.

School

High school in Latvia runs from September through May, (Monday through Friday, 8 am to 3 pm). Public schools are either Russian-speaking or Latvian-speaking and you could be placed in either one depending on your host family. Some of the core classes include Latvian language and literature, history of Latvia and math. You will also choose from a variety of elective courses.

Food

Mealtime is family time so make sure you’re home for dinner. Latvian food varies depending on the region. Holidays and seasons and often symbolizes traditions or beliefs. Meat and potatoes are a major part of the diet, together with pastries, smoked fish, dairy products, eggs and grains. Soups and sausages are also popular. In summer and autumn, fresh berry pies and tarts are abundant.

Peace Camp Info

The PEACE Programme or PEACE through Exchange and Active Citizenship Education is a secondary school trimester programme which aims at empowering and enabling young people to become active citizens. The participants stay with host-families and go to high school in a European country. At the end of the programme, all participants of the PEACE programme come to Belgium for a five day long camp with a focus on Active Global Citizenship in Europe.

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