What is it that an AFS Volunteer can do? In celebration of the International Year of Volunteers, we asked two of our amazing volunteers to reflect on their recent experience at the AFS Youth Assembly. Volunteers are at the heart of everything our organization does, which is why it’s our distinct pleasure to share their unique perspectives. In this two-part series, you will hear directly from Marianna Baraldi and Carina Boerries.
What does it really mean to be a volunteer at the AFS Youth Assembly? At first, it might seem like a question with a simple answer: helping an event run smoothly. But after spending three days volunteering at the AFS Youth Assembly in Geneva, hosted at the World Health Organization headquarters and organised by AFS Intercultural Programs in partnership with UNITAR, it became clear that volunteering is about much more than simply supporting an event. It is about learning how to work with people, adapt to unexpected situations and contribute to something bigger than yourself.
One of the first things volunteers experience is the responsibility of welcoming people. At registration, Caleb described volunteers as “the front door” of the event: the first people participants meet and the ones who help create the atmosphere from the very beginning. For Samir, being there was also a way of giving back to AFS by sharing the knowledge and skills he had gained through the organisation. Hanna put it even more simply: people are what matters most. These perspectives capture an important lesson of volunteering: the practical task is rarely the whole point. Whether you are checking someone in, answering a question or helping a participant find their way, you are ultimately working with people.
This was particularly evident in the Communications and Social Media team, where I volunteered. Working in an international team meant constantly connecting with people from different backgrounds while trying to tell the story of the AFS Youth Assembly through photos, videos, interviews, reels and articles. The challenge was not simply creating content, but capturing the atmosphere of an event that was constantly moving. From panels and workshops to informal conversations, every moment had a different energy. Learning to identify what was worth capturing, communicate it creatively and keep several projects moving at the same time required organisation, teamwork and flexibility.
These skills became even more visible when looking at the work of other volunteer teams. Carlton, a logistics volunteer from Ghana, explained that one of the biggest challenges was guiding an international audience where everyone had different reasons for being at the AFS Youth Assembly. Some participants wanted to network, others wanted to attend specific sessions, while others simply wanted to listen and learn. Supporting all these needs required patience, clear communication and, above all, the ability to understand different perspectives. It also meant being prepared to adapt: sometimes the situation demanded a new solution or even a new role that had not been planned beforehand.
The same idea emerged from the conference and programming teams. Mariam described the experience as busy, international and revealing of everything that happens behind the scenes, while Erick identified humanity and connection as the most important part of his work. Allegra’s biggest surprise was simply how busy volunteering could be. Yet perhaps that is precisely where the learning happens. When plans change and several things need attention at once, volunteers learn to stay calm, communicate and find solutions rather than waiting for someone else to provide them.
Ultimately, the Youth Assembly showed me that volunteering develops skills that go far beyond the tasks assigned to you. It teaches you to communicate across cultures, take initiative, work under pressure and remain flexible when things do not go according to plan. Most importantly, it reminds you that international events are not only built through programmes and schedules, but through the people who make others feel welcomed, supported and connected.
Marianna Baraldi
2026 AFS Youth Assembly Communications and Social Media Volunteer