Overarching Goal and Objectives:

Goal:

to build leadership and life skills of youth in the Americas through exchange, civic engagement, and collaborative community development

Objectives:

1. increase active youth involvement in communities
2. increase knowledge and awareness of cultural, environmental, and health issues
3. collaborate with community members on Community-Based Initiative (CBI) process
   

Project Specific Activities

Upon arrival in community, Volunteers will collaborate with community leaders to complete a pre-identified community improvement project.  Many of these projects will involve improvements to schools or community centers. 

AMIGOS Volunteers will also co-facilitate campamentos (camps) for children ranging in age from 5 to 12 focusing on health and the environment but also incorporating group leadership and creative expression into activities.  These camps will take place during the day during the 2 week school vacation period at the beginning of the summer and will continue after school during the rest of the summer.  Sample topics from 2007 classes are:  physical education, nutrition, conservation, trash collection, and deforestation.

Additionally, Volunteers will have the opportunity to work with Casa de la Juventud promotores (youth counterparts) in each community to co-facilitate all projects, including a smaller Community-Based Initiative (CBI).  Example CBIs from 2007 include: making trash and recycle bins, building bus stops, repairing playgrounds, and forming sports teams.  Another exciting component of this project is that AMIGOS Volunteers from the United States may be partnered with Latin American volunteers who will be identified, selected, and trained by our partner agencies in Costa Rica and Panama and AMIGOS staff prior to the start of the project.

Project Area:

AMIGOS will be working this summer in the Brunca region of Costa Rica, in the district of Perez Zeledon, located in the southern part of the country. This area used to be dominated by coffee, pineapple, and banana plantations, but now has a somewhat more diversified agriculture. Climate in this region ranges from cool in mountainous areas to hot, humid sections near the Pacific coast. The AMIGOS headquarters will be in the city of San Isidro de El General Perez Zeledón, located at the base of Mt. Chirripó, Costa Rica’s highest mountain.

There is a large number of Costa Ricans living in the United States, particularly from the Pérez Zeledón area, so there is a significant flow of outside money coming into the region where Volunteers will be working. Despite the monetary influx, there is still a wide variety of host communities. Many of the communities will be quite rural, while others may be located on the outskirts of San Isidro or other larger and more urban towns.

Project History:

AMIGOS has been working continuously in Costa Rica since 1981. Over this time period, our primary projects have changed dramatically in response to Costa Rica’s relative successes in its economic, political, environmental, and health conditions. Although economic inequality exists, Costa Ricans enjoy the highest per capita standard of living in Central America.

In 2004 AMIGOS began an outstanding partnership with Casa de la Juventud, a non-profit organization that develops and implements youth leadership and community development programs throughout Costa Rica.

Partner Agencies:

Casa de la Juventud

Further Actions:

• Apply to Volunteer
• Apply to Serve on Project Staff
• View a Map of the Costa Rican Communities Served in 2007
• View Photos from the 2007 Projects