Program Reviews

This experience has truly been something so incredible, I have learned so much about myself through the process, I have met so amazing people. I came out of this with so many amazing stories; I made homemade hot chocolate from cocoa trees, visited a waterfall, and even lived basically on top of a mountain. I lived with a host family for a month and they have become some of the most important people in my life, they truly are my second family. Even with all the challenges that I faced it was an experience that I have loved with my entire heart

If you told me that by the end of a single month spent in panama, I would have fully integrated myself into another language and culture, I would have never believed you. On this program I learned much more than just a language. I became part of a family, in a foreign country, all the while speaking a language that wasn't my mother tongue. The first week consisted of a breifing on all the details of the project: customs within the community, language classes, learning the rules of the volunteer handbook, how to run an "ECA", aswell as intermingling with the other volunteers. Our three days at briefing in Santa Clara ended with a Bonfire and the next day we boarded mini-buses along with our supervisor aswell as the other kids along our route. Each volunteer will be assigned a community along with one or two other volunteers. For 3 weeks, they will live alongside their host family and integrate themselves into the community. In doing so, they will form bonds that will last a lifetime. For example, I still talk to my host mother once or twice a week, and I'm able to visit my partner in community once a year even though we live on different coasts. This experience has completely changed the way that I see the world, learning to live in a completely different way, speak a new language, and just all in all, learning to slow down. Over the course of this program, my wellbeing aswell as self confidence improved substantially. Amigos trips are not a once in a lifetime opportunity. It is a summer program that is available to all no matter race, sex, spanish level, or financial status. It is a must for service leadership, and a builds worldly humans at such a young age.

This program is absolutely amazing. You get to work so closely with families in a small community to work toward a valuable, long-term goal. The experience of living in a small town where everyone knows everyone, and everybody is the nicest person you've ever met was completely unique to someone like me who comes from the suburbs. This program showed me what it was like to live in a community and gave me the opportunity to give back to that community. All of my fellow volunteers were incredible, and the project staff constantly worked to make sure we had the best experience possible.

Our fifteen year-old son participated in AMIGOS de las Americas Cartigo Y Caribe service program this summer and as my title states, it was a transformative experience. He was immersed in the culture, experienced multiple cities in Costa Rica and was able to provide service. AMIGOS did an amazing job of preparing him and us for his three week experience. He came home with such an appreciation for Costa Rica and learned invaluable skills. Safety is of the utmost importance in AMIGOS and we knew that we could trust the organization with him.

The Colorado Amigos experience exceeded all of our expectations for our 17 year old son.

My wife participated in an Amigos program in northern Mexico in the mid 1990's and, to this day, the experience, learnings and friends have truly been life changing for her. As we were evaluating programs for our son, Amigos was one of several that we researched.

Throughout that discovery process, from the Zoom information sessions to the 1:1 engagement with their leadership team and follow up touchpoints our son had with recent alums of the program, it was clear it was not only first class but also very well structured, organized and led.

The application process was straightforward and the pre-trip communication excellent. There are a number of things that you have to do that I wasn't expecting, such as physical and mental health clearances, travel power of attorney, etc., but they were administrative and not a hassle. The pre trip Covid protocols were a bit stressful as you had to have a negative test result from a certified lab (not a at home test), and if you tested positive you couldn't go, but we had our son hunker down and it all worked out.

The Colorado program has its own Instagram page, which was updated every 2-4 days, so we were able to follow along during the trip as well as with the student written blog posts.

But the best part of the experience, for us as parents, was greeting the young man stepping off the escalator at baggage claim on his return. In just three short weeks he not only had learned exponentially more than we thought he would about the land, resources, ecosystem challenges, sustainability, etc., but he also matured in powerful way that is almost hard to put a finger on. But we can see it in a revised worldview, much stronger focus on the areas of study he wants to pursue in college (spoiler alert: they are a blend of sustainability and business ethics), and an entirely new, first person learned, understanding of a far wider range of people, political views and personal identity issues than he had ever been exposed to in the safety bubble of his 'buddies', who all think, dress, talk, and act the same.

So from a parent's viewpoint, I couldn't recommend serious consideration of the Amigos Colorado program more enthusiastically nor genuinely.

Choosing to spend six weeks of my summer in Ecuador was one of the best decisions I have ever made! Over the six weeks I realized how much I love to speak Spanish and appreciate using my Spanish to listen and learn people's stories. I stayed with two different host families, giving me a chance to experience living in two very different communities. Amigos Immerse helped me to gain more independence and self confidence after two years of being constrained by COVID.

Living with another family for an extended amount of time allowed me to experience life with my host families, from celebrating family milestones, the small activities of watching telenovelas after dinner, to cooking dinner with the family. I spent a lot of my time sitting in the kitchen helping my host mom cook or just talking to my host siblings about their days. In the evening we would often play cards, something everyone in the family from the five year-old nephew to my host mom loved. It was a great time for me to share games I enjoyed playing and they taught me games they enjoyed, and of course, UNO was a big hit.

Another big part of what I did was running Talleres, camps for the kids in my community, five days per week. We taught the kids about ecology, recycling, creative expression, and leadership. While planning our lessons we tried to incorporate games to make it fun. It really taught me to think on my feet and be flexible to adjust the activity to support the kids energy on a specific day.

AMIGOS offered such an amazing opportunity to be able to have new in depth experiences, in Spanish to learn from others, while at the same time learning so much about yourself. AMIGOS cares so deeply about all of their volunteers and over the past 60 years has learned how to best support teens while at the same time letting them have their own experience that is unique and special to every person who participates.

If you are thinking about participating in an AMIGOS immerse program I would strongly encourage you to do it, you won’t regret your decision.

I had a great time on the Colorado trip connecting with different people and learning about creative solutions people are implementing across the US to combat climate change. The program prompted me to consider studying environmental science in the future! We also had fun exploring Colorado: hiking, going to farmer's markets, river rafting, and experiencing a college campus (Western Colorado University). The group got really close over the course of the 3 weeks and made being far from home much more bearable. I'd recommend this program to anyone who wants to learn more about how to help the environment and who likes trying new things!

My six weeks in Ecuador were unforgettable. From bonding with the group during briefing and debriefing to creating memories with my host family and community, I formed amazing connections that will last me a lifetime.

In the community I stayed in, my partner and I got to paint two murals alongside community members: one about reproductive and sexual rights and another about the importance of recycling. Throughout the process, I learned new skills, built my Spanish vocabulary, and became a much more confident leader. The best part is that the community members were the ones teaching and supporting me, not an Amigos staff member. This aspect makes Amigos programs so impactful: they provide the perfect amount of guided independence, which means they trust participants and host communities to learn the most from each other. My supervisor was there if I needed him, but he was in no way overbearing, which gave me the space to make the most of my experience in a safe way.

Aside from the murals, my partner and I also led workshops four days a week for the kids in the community. We focused on a handful of themes: Ecology and The Environment; Creative Expression; Leadership and Civic Participation; Nutrition and Food Safety; The Rights of Children and Adolescents; and Community and Personal Health. The kids brought the most amazing, fun energy to the workshops, which made each day a new adventure. This time was also perfect for practicing Spanish because I really had to think on the spot when leading the workshops. If you go, I recommend making a Wall of Work to display the activities the kids do during the workshop -- it's cool to look back on in the end.

When not leading workshops or painting murals, I would spend time playing cards with my host family, learning about their lives, learning to cook, and sometimes hiking. Participants can also get permission to go on excursions with their host families.

If you are thinking about doing Amigos, do it! You will leave the experience with a new appreciation for the world, a stronger grasp of the Spanish language, and long-lasting connections.

One of my favorite aspects of being an AMIGOS participant is the homestay experience. I got to spend 4 weeks with a host family in Ecuador, which was an amazing way to connect to the culture. A big part of why I enjoy speaking Spanish is the ability to talk to other people and learn from them. I had an incredible host family who was so open to sharing their life with me, and I had so much fun spending time with them and learning how to cook or play games that they enjoy. I also learned more about myself and how to form deep connections with people in a short amount of time. I love the opportunity to get to live in a place for a few weeks, rather than just visiting the touristy parts of a country. It means that I got to connect with my host family, but also with others in my host community who worked on the project with me or just saw me walking around and wanted to talk. The freedom that AMIGOS gives participants is a beautiful responsibility because it means that we can explore the community we're living in without our hands being held the whole time. The standards of conduct are easy to follow and don't prevent fun and exploration. AMIGOS can definitely be a challenging experience, but both times I have done it, the highlights have been more than worth the challenges.

The La Sierra Ecuador trip was truly amazing. It was 3 weeks full of farming and new experiences. I would recommend this trip to everyone because it was such an impactful trip full of learning and growth. I was able to connect with my Ecuadorian family at La Granja as well as all of the other volunteers. It was a great way to expand my Spanish and have an amazing summer! I met so many new people all across the United States who I still stay in contact with today! I hope everyone takes the opportunity to go on this awesome trip!