Here are some of the benefits you will gain through your experience:
Increase Spanish Fluency
By living with a host family and immersing yourself in a community, you will dramatically enhance your language abilities. 77 percent of AMIGOS Volunteers in 2007 reported a significant or very significant increase in their ability to converse in Spanish.
Earn College Credit
Through your service with AMIGOS, you may be able to earn college credit at your university in areas of study such as Spanish, Latin American Studies, Political Science, Anthropology, Public Health, Education and others. Please contact your school advisor and the AMIGOS International Office if you are interested in pursuing academic credit as an independent study, internship or in research.
Get Solid International Field Experience
AMIGOS provides great field experience for individuals considering a career in International Development, Public Health, Non-Profit Management, Medicine, Journalism, Foreign Service, or Spanish Education and Translation.
Equip Yourself to Succeed
You will gain first-hand knowledge and skills in leadership, social integration, community development, public speaking, facilitation and teamwork. No other organization gives you the opportunity to truly plan, organize, and implement international development projects in collaboration with community members.
Create Personalized Secondary Projects
In collaboration with community members, you will have the freedom to select and implement projects that build on your collective skills, talents, and knowledge. Instead of just following pre-determined programming, AMIGOS gives Volunteers the opportunity to select secondary projects with the community.
Recognition for Community Service
As an organization that highly values service learning and youth leadership development, AMIGOS is pleased to acknowledge 40 hours of community service hours for each week a Volunteer is in Latin America. University and graduate school admissions officers look favorably upon students who are highly invested in community service, and this experience may be of special consideration in scholarship and job applications. Those interested in obtaining written acknowledgment for their service work may contact Director of Volunteer Administration, Glenn Bayron, at gbayron@amigoslink.org or (800) 231-7796.
