Kansas City Chapter
Serving Kansas City families and volunteers since 1972.
About this Chapter
The AMIGOS Kansas City Chapter is part of a 9 Chapter Network that recruits, trains, and supports AMIGOS volunteers and families in their local community. Volunteers from the Greater Kansas City Metro area train together as a group before leaving for their summer experience in Latin America. Our board supports volunteers and families with group fundraising, service learning, community building, and overall preparation.
Since the Kansas City Chapter’s incorporation in 1972, over 500 youth from Kansas City and its suburbs have volunteered through the chapter path, fundraising and training locally before the summer.
Current Kansas City Chapter Volunteers Attend
Bishop Miege
Blue Valley
Blue Valley North
Colorado College
Cornell College
Lincoln College Prep
Pembroke
Rockhurst
Shawnee Mission East
Shawnee Mission North
Shawnee Mission South
St. Theresa’s Academy
The Barstow School
Support the Kansas City Chapter’s volunteers and families.
Donate NowChapter Contact Information
Charity EIN: 48-0792706
PO Box 6182
Leawood, KS 66206
PO Box 6182
Leawood, KS 66206
How to Join
AMIGOS gives you an exciting chance to have an adventure and explore the world outside of a classroom.
Get to Know the Kansas City Chapter
Check out our programs, review our admissions requirements, and learn more about the Kansas City Chapter activities by exploring this webpage.
Attend an Information Session
Learn more about participation in AMIGOS Summer Programs in Latin America through the Kansas City Chapter at one of our information sessions! After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Amigos KC Info Session
When: Jan 6, 2026 07:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/QqBCD3z7SFKAwZ6tB-nqHg
Apply Online
Submit your application (it should take around 30 minutes or less) and pay the deposit to hold your spot.
Questions or tech issues? Reach out to our Admissions team at admissions@amigosinternational.org.
Interviews
The Kansas City Chapter will reach out to schedule a family interview online via Zoom. At least one parent or guardian is required to attend, and the interview lasts approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Application Deadlines
January 20, 2027 is the Final Application Deadline to join the Kansas City Chapter.
Missed the local chapter deadline?
You can still join us for summer 2027 through the National Chapter! Learn more about how you can complete training virtually by contacting outreach@amigosinternational.org.
Local Chapter Requirements
The transformative AMIGOS experience starts before leaving home.
Pre-Departure Training
With over 60 years of experience preparing young people for travel and service abroad, AMIGOS training offers unparalleled global youth leadership development. Pre-departure training equips volunteers with the critical thinking, communication skills, and technical knowledge they need to make a meaningful impact across cultures while staying healthy and safe. The Kansas City Chapter AMIGOS training is youth-led, experiential learning that prepares volunteers for their AMIGOS experience, builds a community of youth and families with shared values, and develops life-skills to help students succeed beyond AMIGOS. Training sessions are facilitated by the Training Team and include guest speakers from the community and the Kansas City Chapter Board of Directors.
Highlights of the Training Program Include:
Unparalleled leadership development
Cross-cultural awareness and understanding
Health and safety training
Opportunities to practice Spanish
Creating a community of young people with shared values
Service Learning
The Kansas City Chapter incorporates service-learning into the AMIGOS training to add depth and first-hand experience to the curriculum. Service-learning is a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility and strengthen communities. Volunteers will self identify and propose a “community based initiative” or CBI to serve the local area. Projects have ranged from tutoring, establishing a dance camp, setting up a blood drive, clean-up events or a special event held for a children’s home. Volunteers are able to learn the challenges of setting up a CBI while giving back to the local community.
Training Calendar
The Kansas City Chapter is finalizing the 2025-2026 winter and spring training calendar. Training sessions will likely include four 2.5 hour sessions, each occurring on a weekend over the course of four months.
Group Fundraising
The Kansas City Chapter provides chapter discounts, offers financial assistance, and covers local program costs through fundraising activities. We chose these activities to maximize our ability to provide the AMIGOS experience to all volunteers without regard to family financial circumstances.
Fundraising skills are an important component of AMIGOS training program and raise awareness of AMIGOS programs in the community. Volunteers receive considerable help with regard to fundraising strategies, and the experience gained in this effort will build important skills!
Letter Writing/Donor Contacts
Each volunteer is required to send out a combination of letters and emails to friends and family, and contact a limited number of prior AMIGOS donors via telephone, to request individual tax-deductible donations (the revenue from this effort is pooled). Letters are written by the student with considerable help provided by the chapter during the process.
See Our Fundraising Efforts
To see some of our fundraising efforts from last year, check out our Summer 2025 CauseVox Campaign at https://kansascity.amigosfundraising.org/.
Need Assistance?
AMIGOS actively recruits and supports inclusion of volunteers from diverse backgrounds. AMIGOS Kansas City provides need-based financial assistance with distribution determined by family income, number of dependents, and special financial circumstances.
On the application, students should select “Yes” that they intend to apply for financial assistance. Students must select “Yes” to this question in order for the Financial Assistance Application to appear on their dashboard. Then, at the end of the application, they should select, “I request a waiver”.
Applicants applying for financial assistance may request a temporary waiver of the $75 non-refundable application fee. The waiver is temporary while the chapter reviews the financial assistance application and determines an award offer (if any). If the volunteer and family accept the offer to join AMIGOS, they will then be required to pay the $75 non-refundable application fee.
Additional Funding Opportunities
All alumni interested in volunteering again with AMIGOS qualify to apply for the Alumni Award. We highly encourage you to apply for financial assistance.
Alumni and parents of alumni can earn discounts or cash payments for referring the next cohort of AMIGOS volunteers! Learn more about our Alumni Referral Program and sign up to receive your unique referral code.
Contact
Please reach out to the AMIGOS Kansas City Treasurer with any questions regarding financial assistance via email at treasurer@amigos-kansascity.org.
Board of Directors
Jordan Holsinger
Vice President and Co-Training Director
Olivia Riscovallez
Parent Outreach
Mary Wilkinson
Fundraising Coordinator
Kim van Maren
Recruitment / Outreach Coordinator
Molly Manske
At-Large
Bret Kirkman
At-Large
Get Started with AMIGOS Kansas City
Explore new cultures, serve communities, and form lasting friendships along the way.
Start Your Application Today
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How To Join