This one-week, homestay-based program will immerse students in Chicago’s neighborhoods, cultural centers, and food hot spots as the backdrop for experiences that celebrate food, culture, and shared history. Through culinary exploration, community engagement, and guided dialogue, students discover the cultural traditions that shape neighborhoods and experiences – recognizing how shared meals and stories can build understanding and common ground. These initiatives reflect the AFS approach and the impact of our programs: opportunities for meaningful dialogue and relationship-building that encourage constructive engagement, shared learning, and a deeper appreciation of our common humanity.

Participants will connect through AFS-USA themed workshops that will engage them in culinary and cultural excursions and activities. Reflections will examine how our stories around food impact how we learn and connect with each other as active global citizens.