The On Arrival Training

As soon as you arrive in Italy, you will be taken with the other volunteers to the place designated for your Introduction Camp, which will last around two/three weeks. The purpose of this Camp is manifold, but mostly it aims at making you aware of the experience you will live and at giving you the tools to make it successful.

The Introduction Camp may vary from year to year, but certain traits remain the same. The most important one is give you a first approach to the Italian language. Classes will be given to you everyday (four hours in the morning) by Professional teachers of the Language school that will host the event. It is essential that when you reach your placement, you know some basic Italian. Many former volunteers have openly admitted that their adjustment depended greatly on how well they could communicate with their new environment. We will try to give you information on the opportunity to follow Italian language courses in the area where you will live. All the related expenses will be up to you.

The Introduction Camp apart from the language training is above all:

- an introduction to the Italian way of life.

Nobody wants to steal away from you the pleasure of discovering things by yourself, but there are facts that it is important to know when you enter this country, to avoid useless embarrassment and bad feelings;

- an introduction to the Italian affairs and culture.

Again, we don't want to brain-wash you, but you will find out that there are some people and events that no one will ever explain to you in Italy, because they are so well known by all Italians, that people just take it for granted that everyone else knows about them too. So it is better to have some notions about them;

- a group experience.

Your stay abroad will be enriched by your getting to know other people from different part of the world, who are in your same learning situation. This will be perhaps the first time that you are confronted with so many nationalities and you should try to take advantage of this opportunity;

- a chance to meet with AFSAI volunteers who will help and follow you during your stay in Italy.

Usually the Orientation and Language Camp is held in small villages and the accommodation is mostly provided in the local school or kindergarten, where the AFSAI group can also eat and take Italian classes. As the municipality host us for the whole time, the AFSAI group usually provide some little help to repaint the school walls, to clean the town gardens, to remake the road signals or to give language lessons to the children or young people living in the village.

Mid Stay Conference

The Mid Stay Conference lasts one week between February and March and this will be the first meeting where you can evaluate the first six months of your stay in Italy together with other volunteers and AFSAI volunteers.

It is important that you participate to this meeting because during it you can share experiences, impressions with the other volunteers and speak with them about the difficulties you have had and how you overcame them. Through this exchange of impressions you will get more input and strength to use during the second part of your year in Italy.

Beside the evaluation of the first part of the voluntary period abroad, you will have a cultural program dealing with a theme of common interest related to the Italian political, social or cultural life.

The mid-stay conference is an intercultural exchange time both for all volunteers and for the Italian youngsters living in the area.

End of Stay Conference