Program Reviews

This program changed my life. Spending a month in Colorado was exactly what I needed in this time of stress and uncertainty. It allowed me to disconnect from school and my life at home and bond with some incredible people in beautiful places. We learned so much in a short period of time, and we were given such an extraordinary opportunity to connect to and learn from nature. I believe my bonds with my peers and leaders will last a lifetime and I will carry my newfound knowledge with my in order to impact any community I am a part of in a positive way. I grew so much during my program in Colorado and am forever grateful for my experience.

I was in the Discover AMIGOS Costa Rica project for two weeks in 2019 when I was 14. It was really fun and Costa Rica has so much wildlife and bio diversity. We spent one week at the beach at a sea turtle sanctuary working at the nesting sites and another week in a host family and volunteering at a local school. The thing that was the most special for me was all the animals that I saw and how the people in Costa Rica really cared about the environment and protecting it. It also made me confident and curious about traveling to other countries. I recommend this program - it is a great way to meet new people and go to a different country without being a tourist. You feel like you really get to know a place even if it is just two weeks.

I really love Amigos de las Americas… I was on the trial Gap semester trip and we experienced some kinks but I’m sure that the program will be improved! The people are wonderful and I went to Costa Rica, which is a beautiful place to forget about life in the States for a little bit. I learned a lot about the CR government and quality of life, and I made memories that I will never forget! The pod (covid safe - VERY safe!) system is hard at first but it’s easy to get used to :) I highly recommend!

Spending a month living in Costa Rica through Amigos was the greatest experience of my life thus far. In 2017, I volunteered through Amigos and spent a month living in rural Costa Rica with a host family. The memories I created, conversations I shared, and connections I formed will forever impact my global perspective. No other abroad program is as immersive or powerful as Amigos. At 15, I was able to live in a foreign country, and work with community members on a community based project. I recommend Amigos to anyone that is interested in gaining a broader global perspective and challenging their outlook on life. Although at times it was difficult to be away from home and live in a new place without hot water, wifi, and other luxuries, my experience with Amigos is something that I will forever cherish and be grateful for.

I LOVED this program. The amount I learned and the relationships I made with other volunteers in unexplainable and absolutely amazing. I loved every moment that I got to spend with my new friends. I hope that you will join this program and have just an amazing time as I did.
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I went in the summer of 2019; I loved meeting new people from around the US and the world. It was hands down, one of the best experiences I've had in my life. Not only were we surrounded by amazing participants, but the staff was so supportive and encouraged us to get out of our comfort zones. My host family welcomed my Amigos partners and me with open arms and took us in as apart of their community. I loved learning more about Latinx culture, and I hope to participate in another Amigos program in the future.

I went on this trip summer 2019 and it was the best experience of my life. I meet so many cool people from a range of states and countries and I had the opportunity to live with a loving and welcoming host family. The amigos staff was very supportive in our growth and learning and anything else we needed. By living with a host family we were able to fully amerce ourselves in the culture which was one of my favorite parts. I couldn’t have had a better experience and I hope to do another Amigos program in the future.

Our daughter did the CIP in the summer of 2020. The program was excellent - a great balance of skill development, connection with peers and mentors, and practical work connecting with local people in our community.
The work was challenging but well supported, and she developed great connections despite the current physical distancing requirements. She got Spanish language development, design thinking and project planning instruction and mentoring, and support for practicing new experiences like calling up business and community leaders and getting them interested and committed to supporting her project.
At the end of the program she was proud of all the work she had done. She is still excited to talk about how her new confidence and skills open up all kinds of opportunities for her in the future.

We were very lucky to come across this program with almost all other activities being cancelled this summer. This online program taught my teen the skills to become a social activist and how to prepare her own program. Although she has completed the 6 weeks training program, she continues to work on getting her program started with local kids in need. She received excellent feedback from the program managers and her peers. I highly recommend Amigos for your teen that aspires to change the world!

My Amigos experience was one that I will never forget. I like to describe this program as an immersion program because the focus is on creating lasting connections and friendships with people in a different country and immersing yourself into a new culture. I remember stepping off the bus into the community of Juancho, my home for the month, and wondering what I had gotten myself into. However, a few second later, my host mom came and gave me a big hug and told me how excited she was for the summer. This small gesture made such an impact on me and from then on I jumped head-first into one of the best experiences of my life. I spent my month running camps for little kids, playing volleyball with the local teenagers, working on the community project, and bonding with my host family. I grew to be a stronger leader and found myself becoming much more confident in myself. Through this program, I met some of the most creative, innovative, and hard-working people, both in the communities and in the Amigos program. Amigos is completely unique to anything I had every done before and I am so glad I did it!