Who We Are ?

One story

It all began with a mother’s determination. In 1998, Elisabeth, not just any Parisian mother but one with a vision for her daughter Vinciane, decided to reshape the concept of cultural exchange. Discontent with the existing impersonal options, she envisioned a program that was as much about forging lasting bonds as it was about mastering a language.

One vision

Elizabeth’s vision led her to collaborate with Ben Dinning, a Melbourne-based Francophile and our family friend, who was deeply influenced by his time in France during his school days at Melbourne Grammar. Together, they pioneered a reciprocal exchange program uniquely tailored to the personalities and preferences of each participant and their families.The heart of this new venture began to beat when Vinciane spent a transformative couple of months at St. Catherine’s School in Toorak.

A Bilingual Team

“It takes a village…” and in our case, it’s a team effort spanning dozens of dedicated members across France and Australia. However, allow us to introduce you to the first team members you’ll encounter as you embark on this journey.

Born in France, Vinciane Is the first participant of afx in 1998. She lived in Australia for 18 years before becoming Director in 2006. Married to an Australian and mother of binational children, she embodies a strong Franco-Australian identity. She believes this dual perspective is best placed to guide families through the richness and complexity of cultural exchanges

Vinciane Thomas

Director

Passionate about languages and travel, Laura participated in exchange programs in the US and Canada before moving to Australia in 2017. Now based in Perth with her Franco-Australian family, she brings her intercultural experience to AFX. As Program Manager, she coordinates teams in Australia and France, ensuring smooth exchanges and meaningful experiences for students.

Laura Bret

Manager

Camille participated in several exchanges as a high school student and knows how empowering and fulfilling it is to discover a new culture. Before moving to Australia with her family, she was a primary school teacher in France. Now based in Melbourne, she brings both her teaching background and her personal experience of exchange programs to her role as School Coordinator at AFX.

Camille Tomasini

Australian School Liaison Officer

Based in Melbourne, Séverine is a French expatriate with a strong interest in cultural exchange and human connection. With over ten years of experience in communication, marketing, and project coordination, she brings a people-focused and adaptable approach to the AFX team, supporting meaningful and enriching international experiences.

Séverine Colin

Australian Program Coordinator

Based in Mauritius, Mélissa brings valuable experience in journalism and teaching to the AFX team. Having spent several years supporting students with educational challenges, she developed a deep passion for education. At AFX, Mélissa guides candidates from the moment they apply until all documents are submitted, ensuring a personalized and efficient support throughout the process.

Mélissa Bac

Enrolment Coordinator

After living in Australia for ten years, Anaïs recently returned to France with intimate knowledge of the Australian lifestyle. She shares her on-the-ground experience to help students approach their exchange with confidence.

Anaïs Girard

French Program Coordinator

Daphné completed an internship in Dublin at a language school and now uses this experience to support students and their families with their international mobility projects. She guides them through every stage of their stay and helps them make the most of a rewarding experience, both personally and linguistically.

Daphné Blancher

French Program Assistant

With early exchange experiences in Germany and the US, Lisa joined AFX in 2025. Fresh from a year living in the States, she is dedicated to promoting the value of international experiences through our marketing and communications.

Lisa Ornetti

French School Liaison Officer

Acknowledgement of Traditional Owners

AFX Student Exchange acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the lands on which our students live, learn and connect during their exchange programs. We pay our respects to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Peoples of Australia and honour their enduring connection to Country, community, culture and language.

We acknowledge Elders past and present, and extend that respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, young people and families who participate in AFX programs. We recognise that cultural identity, belonging and connection to Country are central to wellbeing and safety.

AFX is committed to fostering culturally safe, inclusive and respectful environments for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, host families, schools and communities.

Our Commitment to Child Safety

AFX Student Exchange is committed to the safety, wellbeing and empowerment of all children and young people in our care. We have zero tolerance for child abuse. We listen to children, respect their rights, and act on any concern for their safety. Our staff, volunteers and host families are screened and trained, and we report any child safety concern to the appropriate authorities. If you have a concern about the safety of a child in an AFX program, please contact our Child Safety Officer at australia@afxstudentexchange.com or +61 (0)3 6144 7049, or contact the VRQA at vrqa.schools@education.vic.gov.au

Emma Fisher

4 months ago

I had an absolutely wonderful experience on the One Way French exchange program. I stayed with a beautiful, welcoming family in Nantes that made me feel comfortable and included from the beginning. I loved experiencing French culture, improving my language skills and becoming a part of my host family’s daily life. AFX was extremely helpful and supportive throughout the entire process. They communicated clearly, regularly checked that I felt safe and comfortable and were always available to answer questions or provide assistance. Their care and attention gave my family and I great peace of mind. I am very grateful for the experience and would highly recommend this program to other students and families.

CHRISTIE-ANN WILLIAMS

8 months ago

This was such an amazing program for my son. Highly recommend AFX. They were always so professional to deal with and I felt very assured my son was in great hands. They matched him up to a wonderful family who suited me son to a tea. We can’t wait to reciprocate when we get our French exchange staying with us.

Brezun Jullien

"We were fortunate enough to host Australian students twice with AFX. It was a fantastic experience that we highly recommend. The AFX association was perfect in supporting us throughout the entire process! It was perfect and we highly recommend them as well!"

Stirling Hookway

9 months ago

Our son had a fantastic 6week stay with a perfectly matched family and has returned almost fluent.

Lilian Zhang

My daughter spent six weeks in France as part of an exchange program via AFX. She was very lucky to have a kind and welcoming host family and a supportive exchange class. During her time there, she made many friends at school and experienced two different cultures, especially from a teenager’s perspective. The French school system is quite different from Australia’s. Students study several foreign languages, and science classes can last up to three hours, with each hour carefully planned. However, she felt that the mathematics level was generally lower than in Australia. Most French students travel to and from school by tram, and she enjoyed walking to the tram stops and chatting with friends along the way. During the Christmas holidays, her host family took her to large extended-family gatherings with grandparents and relatives. This was very different from family gatherings in Australia. Even at home, men—including children—often wore suits and bow ties. She also noticed that French people eat dinner quite late. Because of this, families usually gather around 7 pm to have drinks and snacks together, followed by dinner, and then dessert—often chocolate. She shared how much French people love chocolate. Overall, this was a wonderful experience. It not only improved her French, but also allowed her to live independently in another country and experience daily life in a different family and culture.

jenifer nguy

My daughter did the exchange program in France with the Berque family. We feel so grateful for how well they supported and cared for our daughter. She enjoyed her experience thoroughly and could not recommend them highly enough. Thanks again so much for everything. She will never forget her 6 weeks with your beautiful family.

Sally Brown

Our 17 year old daughter has just returned from her 6 week exchange in France and I can honestly say from start to finish AFX have been brilliant. Such a well run, well rehearsed operation. Our daughter was well matched with a lovely warm French family and we felt very comfortable throughout the entire journey, from the first application to her safe return home. AFX definitely exceeded our expectations and the end result is an incredible experience and lifelong memory. Probably for both families.

Nazanin Amini

I am extremely grateful to AFX for organising my son Archia’s four-week exchange to France. As a parent, I was naturally nervous at first, but AFX made the entire process smooth and reassuring from the beginning. Once we were introduced to the host family, I felt completely at ease. Throughout the exchange, Archia was well cared for, safe, and supported, and he returned with wonderful memories and new experiences. AFX was professional, attentive, and genuinely caring. I highly recommend AFX to any family considering a student exchange program.