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Program Overview

Program Overview Quote

An Approach to Volunteerism Based on Partnership

AMIGOS programs are founded on partnerships with local agencies that are carrying out ongoing work in communities in our host countries.

Our partner agencies have two things in common. First, they are carrying out ongoing work to improve lives of the most disadvantaged populations in their countries. Second, they support our efforts to foster youth leadership, engage youth in community service and promote cross-cultural exchange in the Americas.

Our partners include local and international non-profit agencies and government ministries. Click here for a full list of our partner agencies and their missions.

What AMIGOS Volunteers Do

Volunteers may collaborate with local youth, community members and partner agency representatives to carry out the following initiatives in host communities:

  1. Educational activities and youth fairs: These activities focus on a variety of cultural, environmental, and health issues. Specific topics are selected in conjunction with our partner agencies and community members. 
  2. Community-based Initiatives: Volunteers work with community members to implement a project that has been identified as a priority by local youth and members of the community. These projects have included reparation of a school classroom, community gardens, improvements to a school cafeteria, and the construction of a sports field. 
  3. Project specific activities: Volunteers also support ongoing projects that are being carried out by our partner agency. For example, Volunteers on the Community Health program in Oaxaca help build household stoves with Servicios de Salud de Oaxaca, while Volunteers on the Youth Media project with Plan International in Boaco learn to use technology to create videos and multimedia. 

The AMIGOS Volunteer Experience

Participants live with host families and work in groups of 2-3 AMIGOS Volunteers per community, providing a unique opportunity to experience Latin America in a very personal way. Click here to read more.

Additional Information

Current Projects List

Program Results

Program Evaluation Process
AMIGOS Voices

“Both our children left Houston as fun-loving, typical teenagers and returned from their AMIGOS experience with new-found confidence and maturity and a real sense of what life is like beyond our community.”

–Leslie Miller, Parent of two Volunteers