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More than 20 Foreign Service groups and blogs are available to spouses and other family members.
Foreign Service Institute: The Transition Center – The Training Center offers wonderful seminars and classes; the Overseas Briefing Center has materials about every post in the world to help in your bidding research; and the Career Transition Center offers information related to family employment and retraining.
Overseas Briefing Center - You will find over 260 post-specific briefing boxes. These include medical information, security data, school information, and much more. The OBC has recently added 35 domestic briefing boxes to their collection, which may help families research field office bidding choices.
Family Liaison Office (FLO) – FLO provides a huge variety of services to family members, including assistance in the areas of employment, education, crisis management, unaccompanied tours, and much more. You might want to start with their publication It’s Your Move, but their web site is comprehensive and very helpful.
Community Liaison Office (CLO) – This is your FLO representative when you are overseas. Contact your CLO coordinator as soon as you are assigned to an overseas post.
Office of Overseas Schools (OOS) – Overseeing the schools where State Department children are in attendance, and providing direct and indirect assistance to 195 international schools overseas. Check their web site for school fact sheets and contact them for information on special needs education options as well.
Foreign Service Youth Foundation (FSYF) – Supports children, teens and families of foreign affairs agents. Great events for families and teens are offered in the DC area, and contests/scholarships are open to kids worldwide, including the popular KidVid contest.
Associates of the Foreign Service Worldwide (AAFSW) – Founders of the heavily used “Lifelines” online discussion group, this organization also offers youth scholarships, a wonderful newsletter, a playgroup for DC families, and much more. They also sell the book Realities of Foreign Service Life.
Trailing Houses — A Facebook group for household members of the world-wide mission-related American community and their FSO’s (single and tandem FSO’s also welcome). Trailing Houses is a private, moderated group with restricted membership.
AAFSW Housing Classifieds - List your property for rent or find a property to rent within the FS community.
Foreign Service Life Skills Training Courses
https://www.state.gov/m/fsi/tc/fslstraining/index.htm
Realities of Foreign Service Life Training (free online training)
The FAST TRAIN Elementary Education Program is designed for prospective and current teachers who want to work with PK-6 students in international schools around the world. Participants can earn a Virginia state teacher’s license in elementary education with the option of pursing a Master’s degree in Education: Curriculum and Instruction.
SOCIAL MEDIA GROUPS IN THE FOREIGN SERVICE
NeverCLOSed
https://www.facebook.com/groups/NeverCLOsed/
LinkedIn – PROPS (Professional Partners and Spouses)
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4413170/
LinkedIn – Trailing Spouse Network LinkedIn Group
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/104868/
LinkedIn – FLO Global Employment Initiative (GEI)
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7495185/
Psychotherapists in the US Foreign Service
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1398575040427391/
Outward Bound Nurse
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1591360927823040/
GENERAL FOREIGN SERVICE SOCIAL MEDIA GROUPS
List of Foreign Service Social Media Groups
Livelines Discussion Group – Yahoo group
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/livelines/info
AAFSW Global Connection – Facebook group
Facebook.com/groups/aafswglobalconnection/
Trailing Houses – Facebook group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/trailinghouses/
RESOURCES FOR DEVELOPING SOCIAL MEDIA
AAFSW Guide “Connect Your Overseas Post Community”
http://www.aafsw.org/publications/post-community-websites/
Directive on Social Media and Security Clearances
https://diplopundit.net/2016/06/17/new-directive-social-media-info-collection-for-security-clearance-background-investigations/
SOCIAL MEDIA FOR SPECIFIC GROUPS
Some groups are secret; please contact office@aafsw.org to inquire about groups serving specific needs or posts.
For spouses/partners
AAFSW Foreign-Born Spouses – Facebook group
Facebook.com/groups/AAFSWForeignBornSpouses
AAFSW DCM and PO Spouses – Facebook group
Facebook.com/groups/AAFSWPOSpouses
For FS employees
Foreign Service Officer Group – Facebook group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/496791093801914/
Diplomatic Security Group – Facebook group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/386479151487154/
Foreign Service Tandem Couples – Facebook group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/123938122148/
Balancing Act at State – Facebook group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/522519524458028/
The “New” FS EFM – Facebook group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/488498564685726/
Supports EFMs from diverse demographics.
Foreign Service Forum (Unofficial!)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/398623487280430/
Foreign Service Specialists
https://www.facebook.com/groups/19848618508/
GROUPS FOCUSED ON SPECIFIC EMPLOYMENT/PROFESSIONAL INTERESTS
LinkedIn – PROPS – Professional Partners/Spouses of FS
Contact office@aafsw.org for more information.
EFMs Helping Other EFMs Find Employment – Facebook group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/358778958203/
EFM Entrepreneurs – Facebook group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1613206695638210/
EFM Freelance Writers – Facebook group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1375353736121384/
Artist Abroad – Facebook group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/artistsabroadgroup/
Psychotherapists in the Foreign Service – Facebook group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1398575040427391/
FS Yoga Teachers – Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1397152317254056/
EFM DETOs https://www.facebook.com/groups/2299517443710713/
Trailing Teachers
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1774593646102629/
For Foreign Service Parents
AAFSW Parents – Facebook group
https://www.Facebook.com/groups/AAFSWParents/
FSParent – Yahoo group
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/FSparent/info
AAFSW Playgroup – Facebook group (Playgroup in DC area)
Facebook.com/groups/AAFSWPlaygroup
FSSpecialNeeds – Yahoo group
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/FSspecialneeds/info
AAFSW Special Needs Families – Facebook group
Facebook.com/groups/AAFSWSpecialNeedsFamilies
Mutual support group for special needs families
AAFSW Boarding School Parents – Facebook group
Facebook.com/groups/AAFSWBoardingSchoolParents/
Foreign Service College Bound – Facebook group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1577455095866805/
FSHomeSchool – Yahoo group
https://beta.groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/FShomeschool/info
FSHomeSchool – Facebook group
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/FShomeschool/info
French School Families – Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/680371732022220/
Families at Oakwood Falls Church
https://www.facebook.com/groups/oakwoodfamilies/
Multilingual FS kids
https://www.facebook.com/groups/MultilingualFSkids/
FS Gifted
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1632824040362523/
For Those with Pets
Fabulous Foreign Service Pets – Facebook group
https://www.facebook.com/FabulousForeignServicePets
FSPets
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/FSPets/info
Yahoo Group for FS community members with pets.
FOREIGN SERVICE LIFE – MISCELLANEOUS
Support group for those caring for an elderly relative or facing the loss or serious illness of a parent.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/682177141865596/
Foreign Service Bloggers – Facebook groups
https://www.facebook.com/groups/170973699616423/
FS Borrow Barter Sell – Facebook group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/601203813263199/
Drexel & Other FS Housing Hacks – Facebook group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1662166800691563/
Foreign Service Unaccompanied Tour Group – Facebook group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/261234237319458/
Toolbox for Americans Abroad
https://www.facebook.com/groups/ToolboxForAmericansAbroad
DiploChic
https://www.facebook.com/groups/876885622361135/
Single in the Service
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1401904330030725/
Suggest to add – FS Real Estate Investors
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1756228874680815/
TH Travel Tips
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1638362836278305/
FS House Hunters International
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1437101823030847/
FS – Retirement Planning
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1031539493644396/
FS Couchsurfing
https://www.facebook.com/groups/746089062194816/
FS Sell It or List It
https://www.facebook.com/groups/625111704502789/
Finance Club
https://www.facebook.com/groups/547899748726060/
DC Repatriates
https://www.facebook.com/groups/377766852619580/
POST-SPECIFIC SOCIAL MEDIA
NOTE: Many post-specific groups and blogs are secret for security reasons. To find out about groups for your post, contact your Community Liaison Office (CLO) or write to office@aafsw.org for help. AAFSW members can also access a list of groups in the members-only section of www.aafsw.org.
Belgrade (Serbia) community website
http://belgradeclo.wordpress.com
Berlin (Germany) community website
https://quadrigaouttakes.wordpress.com
Brasilia (Brazil) community website
https://papagaiobrasilia.wordpress.com
Dakar (Senegal) community website
https://clodakar.wordpress.com
Singapore “Chicken Rice and Apple Pie” – Closed group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/211813649226836/
Jakarta (Indonesia) community website
http://usembjkt.weebly.com
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia “Neighborly Nomads” (closed group)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1048307785193708/
FOREIGN SERVICE BLOG ROLL
On AAFSW.org
http://www.aafsw.org/foreign-service-blogs/
On AFSA.org
http://www.afsa.org/foreign-service-blogs
Diplopundit: An outspoken, anonymous blog on foreign policy and Foreign Service life
https://diplopundit.net/
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