Amigos de las Americas

I had an amazing time on my trip. The other volunteers and my host family were so awesome and I really enjoyed getting to know them. It wasn’t as much Spanish as I expected, which I was disappointed about, but I was glad to have the opportunity to use my knowledge with my host family. The staff was great when I had any sort of minor medical trouble. They were at times uptight and not trusting of us. Whenever we went walking we would have to be single file or in a pair as though we were little children unable to walk in the road. That felt diminutive but otherwise the trip was great!

My daughter participated in both the Chimborazo, Ecuador program and the Costa Rica program with AMIGOS International. She helped with a Sea Turtle program, built a trail, harvested potatoes, helped build a greenhouse, learned about the local ecosystem and indigenous cultures, helped cook local recipes with her host family, milked a cow, practiced her Spanish, and made many new friends. For parents who want their child to gain cultural awareness, practice a second language, improve their self confidence, and participate in community service, AMIGOS makes sure youth can do this safely, with appropriate supervision, and at a reasonable cost. AMIGOS provides pre-trip training for youth, has staff available for any questions or concerns, and helps students with fundraising for their trip.
AMIGOS has been sending students overseas for many decades so they know how to run a great program.

The Amigos program gave me a social and cultural experience I couldn’t find anywhere else and I am still infinitely grateful I had the opportunity to go. On this trip I got to meet a bunch of new and amazing people, from other volunteers and supervisors to host families and locals. I am still in contact with the other volunteers and my host family and message them daily! Every day on our trip was an amazing time getting to participate in volunteering and exploration activities and creating a tightly knit group of volunteers. The experience was also a great chance to actively speak Spanish in a real life situation and be able to communicate with people in my second language. I am so glad I chose to go on this trip and I would recommend it to every young student looking to broaden their world view and have an experience like no other!

I had an amazing experience with Amigos this summer. I took part in a 3 week program called Olas y Cerros, which was focused on environmental sustainability, conservation work, and youth leadership. We traveled to 3 main locations and stayed in a homestay with local "parents" for a large portion of the project, and my homestay experience was great. My "parents" were very understanding of anything I needed and our conversations every meal definitely helped my Spanish. I loved the projects we participated in with partner agencies, especially our work with ASTOP in Parismina, where we helped clean up beaches and watched turtle eggs hatch. I had very few, if any, negative experiences on my program and I came out of it with a better grasp of Spanish language, knowledge of Costa Rican culture, and self-awareness.

It's an authentic and completely immersive experience. Everyone will get a completely different experience depending on country/cohort. The program is great at mental/physical safety throughout, and ensures everyone has a great time, the staff are very supportive. It also prepares you well for going to your community. It can be difficult at times and requires independence and resilience, but is completely worth it in the end. You won't have your phone on the program which allows you to connect with people and make lifelong friends, and truly immerse yourself in the experience.