At the heart of the AFS experience is a distinctive vision of learning and our potential as human beings. We develop strong, capable young people equipped to succeed in the contemporary world and to enjoy lives of meaning and purpose. We believe in a full definition of what it means for children to develop into who they are and who they can be, valuing both their essential health and goodness and their ability to take leadership, initiative and effective action in a complex, diverse, dynamic new world.

A traditional goal of education is to prepare children for the next step in their lives. At AFS we believe it must do more than that. We prepare our students not only for outstanding college careers, but also for lives fully lived. We develop every student’s capacity to follow passions, reach for new experiences, nurture inner spirit and live with meaning and purpose. We develop young people with a strong sense of expectation. Our students learn not from received wisdom but from actively engaging in making sense and meaning in close partnership with their teachers and fellow students. Through rigorous analysis, discourse and refinement, they tackle complexity and ambiguity and find creative solutions.

AFS students expect that their work will be meaningful and that they will play an active role in that work. They expect to be enriched by the valuable contributions of those around them. They have hope and expect that change in the world is possible.