Montréal · Since 1949 in Canada

The world gets smaller when you live in it.

The AFS Interculture Canada Foundation opens doors to intercultural learning through student exchanges, welcoming host families and scholarships that make a year abroad possible for young Canadians.

Explore programs Become a host family

International exchange students laughing together on an autumn street in Montréal

Active in 60+ countries

One global network of volunteers

Who we are

Building a more just and peaceful world, one friendship at a time.

The AFS Interculture Canada Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing intercultural learning opportunities that help people develop the knowledge, skills and understanding needed to create a more just and peaceful world.

From our office in Montréal, we support Canadian students heading abroad, international students arriving in Canadian communities, and the host families, schools and volunteers who make every exchange meaningful. Our work continues the legacy of the American Field Service volunteer ambulance drivers whose experiences inspired a global movement for intercultural understanding.

Intercultural learning
We believe understanding grows through lived experience — sharing a home, a classroom and a daily routine with people from another culture.
Access for everyone
Scholarships and bursaries help students from every background take part, regardless of family income.
Volunteer powered
Local volunteers across Canada support students, families and schools before, during and after every exchange.

Programs

Study abroad, grow everywhere.

Programs for students aged 15 to 18, with 24/7 support from AFS staff and volunteers in Canada and in the host country.

Canadian exchange student talking with a local vendor in a market abroad

High school exchange

Year · Semester

Live with a host family, attend a local school and become fluent in a new language and way of life.

Summer & short programs

2–8 weeks

Language immersion, community service and cultural discovery programs during the summer break.

Scholarships & bursaries

Need & merit based

Financial support so that cost is never the reason a young Canadian misses the chance to go abroad.

Canadian host family sharing dinner with an international exchange student

Host a student

Bring the world to your dinner table.

Every year, students from around the globe arrive in Canada eager to discover our languages, seasons and communities. Opening your home to one of them is a gift that lasts a lifetime — for them and for you.

Families of every shape — couples, single parents, empty nesters, families with young kids
Provide a bed, meals and a welcoming home for a semester or school year
Students arrive with their own insurance and spending money
A local AFS volunteer supports you throughout the experience

Ask about hosting

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