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On
this page, we will give you an idea of what a typical High
School-program exchange year to South Africa will look like.
Although some things may change from time to time, this
is pretty much what you can expect. Please note that this
schedule is based on the July arrivals. The January arrivals
follow the same pattern, but they may arrive at different
airports.
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Most
students will arrive at Johannesburg International Airport
around the first week of July. YFU volunteers
will pick students up from the airport and take them to the
orientation venue outside Pretoria. |
All
inbound students gather at the post-arrival orientation (PAO)
venue. The PAO takes place at a beautiful youth camp outside
Pretoria. YFU volunteers will be in charge of the PAO, and
we aim to also include a group of YFU junior volunteers ("teamers"),
who will help with the arrangements of the orientation. The
duration of the PAO will be 5 days, after which students leave
for their hostfamilies. Students placed in the Johannesburg-Pretoria
region, will be collected by their hostfamilies directly from
the camp, whereas students placed in Bloemfontein, Cape Town
and Port Elizabeth, will depart by bus or plane. A few weeks
later, once students have settled in, a follow-up PAO will
be held in the respective regions. |
We
usually schedule your arrival and the PAO in such a way, that
you will arrive at your hostfamilies during the last weekend
of the South African winter school holidays. This means that
your first school day will be just after this weekend, which
will give you a chance to meet your family and get used to
your new home and environment. Usually your hostparents will
bring you to school on your first day. |
At
the end of November / beginning December, students will gather
in their respective regions to attend the mid-year seminar
(MYS). The MYS is usually 1 or 2 days and gives students an
opportunity to reflect on the first few months of their exchange
year. |
Just
after the MYS, students will depart on one of the highlights
of their exchange year, the December Tour. This is an optional
activity, and students will be charged an extra fee. The
tour usually departs from Cape Town, and will last approximately
2 weeks. Students will rejoin their hostfamilies just in
time for Christmas. For more December Tour information and
photos of previous December Tours, click on the link below.
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During
the month of February, students may take part in a two-week
mini-exchange with a hostfamily from another culture in
another community - mostly, this activity takes places in
a rural community in the most northern South African province,
Limpopo. This program is regarded as an extra and optional
activity, and students will have to pay a fee to cover the
costs of organizing it. To see some pictures of a previous
Cultural Exchange Pogram, click on the link below.
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Approximately
4-6 weeks before their departure back home, students attend
the re-entry orientation (REO) in their regions. This orientation
gives the students an opportunity to reflect on their exchange
year, and gain skills on how to say good-bye and re-adjust
back home. |
| At
the end of June or beginning of July, the exchange students
will depart back home after living in South Africa for 1 year! |
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