Camp Facilitator Training

Hello Guys!

Gosh it is already September! How time flies, and guess what? We have new events coming up so it's going to be a real exciting and buzzing end of the year.

For now, We are looking for individuals who are passionate about orientation camps and are available to participate in them. Here is a question.

Are you keen on being camp facilitator with AFS?

Have you received formal training with us yet?

If not, then apply today for the next Camp Facilitator's Training!

It's at Quality Hotel, Shah Alam from the 23rd - 25th September, 2011.

What you can do is write to us at afs.returnees@volunteer.afs.org.my with a short motivation letter as to why you are interested to join. Hurry! We only have some 4 seats for the Alumni, so serious takers only!

Any questions please comment here or email it to us and we'll reply to you ASAP! :)


Good day all you lovelies.

YP & SP Volunteers Needed

Hello all,

It is time for the much anticipated annual Year Program Pre-departure Orientation Camp! So busy busy busy with preparations and organizations! We need help! Hence we are looking for willing, fun-minded, hotel food loving, great with crazy kids returnee-volunteers to join our camp facilitator bandwagon :)

We are in need for *facilitators that can stay for the whole duration as well as returnee with fresh experience to pass on to the next generation in the country orientation (2nd day of camp).

Send us an email at suyin.chia@volunteer.afs.org.my / chengyee.chong@volunteer.afs.org.my if you are able to join us with the following details:

Who:
All YEAR PROGRAM & SEMESTER PROGRAM returnees only

Camp Date:
14th - 16th January, 2011

Location:
Quality Hotel, Shah Alam

Stay required:
YES for main facilitators / NO only for country briefing volunteers

We will answer any inquiries ASAP! Your favorite student exchange organization thanks you :)



If you don't qualify this time around, don't feel bummed out! There's more events and activities happening REAL soon! Have you checked out our ADAPT page yet? :D


*New returnees / first time volunteers are highly encouraged to apply. Relive the memories. Pass on the experience!

JENESYS Selection Camp

On 31st July, AFS Antarabudaya Malaysia held its first ever JENESYS Selection Camp in Hotel Maluri, Kuala Lumpur. The overnight camp, consisting of some 100 nervously excited student candidates was run by a dedicated team of 8 alumni members.

The alumni members did the camp module with the participants with activities such as Talent Time and Malaysia Through My Eyes presentations, fun energizer games like Untangle Me, My Bonnie, Big Fat Pony and Daruma-san ga Koronda. The campers also enjoyed the Commercial performances put up by the very creative bunch of students who displayed a multitude of talents and laughter inducing abilities. Everyone present had laughed so hard so much in this camp we had to wipe away tears.


However throughout the entire sessions on the other side of the fun door, was the solemn interviewers' room. One by one the candidates were pulled out of the fun door and waited patiently for their turn to enter the interviewer's room to be interrogated of their abilities, confidence, personality and credibility. Many of the student candidates displayed admirable graciousness as they wished each other good luck for the interview through hugs and handshakes.

This selection camp was also geared to be an avenue for the AFS Malaysia Alumni to help train up the younger volunteers in the ins and outs of running AFS camps. Young volunteers Marina Abdullah, Nina, Amanda and Haiqal were given responsibilities and full guidance under the watchful eyes of the older ones Suraya Zainuddin, Chia Suyin, Khoo Hsien Yew, Syant Alias and Eric Yoh. They proved to be able to stand their own ground (much to our joy!) and the Alumni would be looking forward to putting them to work more often! :D


At the end of the two days, camp commandant Suraya could not help but laud heaps of praises for the student candidates, saying, "Considering this is the first ever JENESYS Selection Camp, things counldn't have run more smoothly. The Form 3 and Form 4 kids were generally well-behaved and polite, and their excitement is obvious, its infections to all of us old timers. I was most surprised by the puntuality of it all. Despite the early hours, the hotel's infamous hard to find location, the number of students AND parents, no one was late for registration and sessions! It must be a first!"

Well done everybody! To the JENESYS Selection camp kids, we give you the best of lucks and are looking forward to seeing you at the pre-departure orientation in December. Till then, study hard and stop Facebooking so much =)

p/s. pictures will be up on the blog shortly. Keep tuning in!

JENESYS VSscNH09 Post Return Orientation

On the 10th of January 2010, students from the JENESYS 09' programme were reunited once again after their two weeks stint to Japan in December in their Post Return Orientation Camp in Singgahsana Hotel, Petaling Jaya.

They spent the two days sharing about their experiences and feedback during the trip, about the places they visited and the sights they saw. Games were also played in between important sessions about understanding the cultural divide of Japan and Malaysia. The chaperons that led the students too gave their two cents about what was good, can be further improved and general opinions about the entire trip. Overall, everyone had very good reports about the trip and were excited to share how the experience had changed their lives and personal outlook on the world.

Lastly, a certificate awarding ceremony took place to acknowledge the success of each participating student for completing the two weeks JENESYS programme to Japan.

Boys bonding

Chaperon Alan Ch'ung giving out the awards to the participants

Once an AFSer, always an AFSer

Group photo
*All photos are credited to Marina Abdullah

Participants who would like to share their experience with us here in AFS Mas Alumni, do feel free to drop us an email at: suyin.chia@volunteer.afs.org.my (temporary account) with your essay/story/article/photo memories. Looking forward to hearing from you soon!

Toodles~ :D

Pre-Departure Orientation 09

On the 19th till 21st December 2009 the Pre-Departure Orientation was once again organized in the effort to help orientate, educate and facilitate overseas bound participants of the AFS Year Program to get better prepared for their journey. Held in Singgahsana Hotel, Petaling Jaya, this time around we saw 47 hyperactive participants from all across the nation gathered together for 3 days and 2 nights, while the poor volunteers had only 7 people between them to handle the bunch of over-excited 17 year olds.

The volunteer facilitators were: Chong Cheng Yee, Chia Suyin, Suraya Zainudin, Edmund Chua, Dexter Yin and Chia Sze Jian.

The day officially began with an ice-breaking session, a time where everyone got to know everyone. As volunteers, it was also our job to try and force them to memorize each other's names. *laughs*

Going round the room with self introduction

We held various discussions on many important topics such as how to blend into a new community with minimal culture shock, the importance of being open minded and such. There was room for us volunteers to share our past experiences, as well as room for the participants to express their hopes, dreams and even concerns of what the journey overseas would bring to them and their family. Ultimately, it was important to instill the sense of responsibility as a young Malaysian ambassador into them, and that they understood this was not just a travel program, but a cultural one that will change their lives.

Much knowledge to impart

Being serious whilst in discussion...or maybe not so?

Edmund sharing his experience in Argentina

The country orientation took the bulk of the 2nd day. Technically, it was an extended sessions where each volunteer, who was a AFS returnee from a specific country, would speak to the participants who are on their way to the same said coutry. Here volunteers can share specific cultural information and experiences, do's and don't and certain how to's that applies to the country. The participants, eager to know more, would suck the volunteers dry of information with never ending questions!

But of course, it wasn't just all talk and no play. We at AFS knew how to have fun too! We played games and energizers in between sessions, had one too many photo taking moments and even had our traditional lets-cram-into-the-volunteer's-room-and-tell-ghost-stories time. :D

Everyone doing the "Funky Chicken"

Nothing beats a back massage from a friend

Each participant was also given an AFS bag, the iconic yellow AFS luggage tags and a free "Just Different-lah" t-shirt. Look how happy the girls are with theirs.


All in all, it was a good orientation camp where strong bonds of friendship were fostered, not just within the participating group but also between them and the volunteers. We hope that this camp had served its purpose in better equipping the participants and extinguish most of the myths, uneasiness and unpreparedness that they may have had previously.

Have a safe trip guys!

Oh, and here are more pictures to satisfy your need to see more pictures.

These are the volunteers, who enjoyed the entire camp way too
much as compared to the students

They may look all good and innocent, but we knew better!

Group picture with the volunteers