COVID-19 Information

For over 55 years, AMIGOS has been the industry leader in cross-cultural exchange, leadership development, and community service. We believe in a world where all people are lifelong leaders sharing responsibility for our global community.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we have spoken with families, young people, and AMIGOS constituents. And we have consulted medical experts and sources, including our Medical Director and contacts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Our first priority remains the health and safety of our volunteers, host families and communities, staff, and chapter network. While we will greatly miss our many host families and communities this year, AMIGOS has found a creative way to return to Latin America that protects everyone’s health and safety.

This summer, volunteers will be given much needed time to explore their passions, learn and practice Spanish, and unplug from technology, all while they live, work, and learn together in a pod (a group of volunteers and staff who live together in one location). They will learn invaluable life skills as they are assigned rotating roles and responsibilities where they will learn how to cook, co-facilitate activities, lead daily guided reflections, and much more!

This model is an opportunity for students to experience the importance of interdependence and human connection and the value of ethical service.

As a group, AMIGOS volunteers will tackle global problems such as environmental sustainability, diversity, inclusion, conservation efforts, and more while partnering with local organizations and grassroots efforts.

AMIGOS is here for you and your family, so please feel free to reach out at any time with any questions or concerns.

Have questions? Click below!

COVID-19 Protocols for Summer 2021

The COVID-19 recommendations and policies for AMIGOS are developed by our Medical Director in consultation with the CDC, WHO, and various health departments. The Health and Safety team at AMIGOS continues to diligently monitor the global situation while adapting programs and policies as necessary.

A key change to our traditional AMIGOS programs was the decision to not stay with host families this year. For 55 years, AMIGOS has worked and served in over one thousand communities throughout Latin America. Our communities and host families hold a close place in our hearts. While efforts are currently underway in many countries to provide vaccinations for COVID-19, AMIGOS has a responsibility to keep our host families and communities safe. For this reason, AMIGOS has pivoted to a new and exciting pod model that will continue to uphold our values and mission.

Frequently Asked Questions

The health and safety of each volunteer, family, staff member, and host community remain our top priority. As the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent vaccination programs have evolved, so too have AMIGOS policies and procedures designed to mitigate risk related to COVID-19. We are best equipped to provide a safe and healthy environment when we adapt to the most current medical and epidemiological advice.

Given the recent expansion of COVID-19 vaccination eligibility to ages 12 and up well as the FDA’s Emergency Use Authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for adolescents age 12 and older, AMIGOS has updated our COVID-19 Vaccination Policy as described below.

All volunteers are required to receive a vaccination for COVID-19 in advance of participating in an in-person AMIGOS program, unless they are unable to be vaccinated for one of the following reasons:

1. Lack of availability*
2. Medical reason
3. Religious belief

*An acceptable exception due to lack of availability may include local eligibility restrictions, scheduling delays, or inability to complete series 72 hours prior to travel.

All volunteers are required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or communicate via email the reason for not receiving it. Please send a copy of your COVID-19 vaccination card or reason for your exemption to [email protected] within two weeks of travel. 

If you have any questions about this policy, please contact [email protected]

The U.S. Department of State recently updated each of the countries where AMIGOS operates to a  Level 4: Do Not Travel advisory. This advisory update from the U.S. Department of State  “reflects an adjustment in the State Department’s Travel Advisory system to rely more on (the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s) existing epidemiological assessments” (source: Reuters). These new advisories do not impact our program model and/or guidance to families. AMIGOS took into consideration these warnings when designing programs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

We understand the challenges of travel programs during the global pandemic, and as such made key adaptions to our program design. We continue to adapt and strengthen our COVID-19 mitigation strategies based on the latest recommendations from the CDC and program experience.

In addition to our immunization schedule, AMIGOS is requiring that all volunteers have the flu vaccination for the 2020–2021 influenza season. Many symptoms of the flu mimic COVID-19 and given the pod-like structure we want to be diligent to avoid any contagious illnesses. Volunteers will receive a list of required immunizations included in their welcome packet. 

Yes. If we cancel a program, you may transfer your enrollment to another AMIGOS program or receive a refund of your deposit and your program fee. Your refund will include everything minus the $50 application fee and fixed costs associated with the canceled program.

We understand that many factors are considered when you choose AMIGOS, and that circumstances may require you to cancel your participation in AMIGOS. Our $425 program deposit is fully refundable if requested within 30 days of payment. Additionally, partial refunds are available for payments made towards the program fee. The amount of the refund is calculated based on administrative and fixed costs incurred through the date of cancellation. If you are unable to join AMIGOS due to a documented health concern, you can also choose to hold over funds for use in the next program year. The complete finance policy can be found in the Welcome Packet which was sent via email upon acceptance. Local chapter volunteers should reach out to their chapter for the specifics of their financial agreement.

Before the program begins, volunteers must follow strict social distancing guidelines for 14 days prior to the program start date.

Seventy-two hours before the program starts, volunteers will be required to take a COVID-19 PCR nasal test and show a negative result. All volunteers will also need to follow current entry requirements of their destination when traveling.

The program will operate in a pod or camp-like structure where all volunteers and program staff will live together in the same facility.

Pre-planned excursions and events are in more remote areas away from large cities and crowds. Private transportation will be hired for the duration of the program and volunteers and program staff will be required to wear face masks and maintain proper social distance anytime they are outside of the pod or when interacting with others who are not part of the pod.

Volunteers and program staff will be monitored daily for signs and symptoms of COVID-19 by an onsite health and safety coordinator.

While these measures will reduce the overall risk of exposure, AMIGOS cannot guarantee that there will not be COVID-19 exposure. AMIGOS has developed a thorough response plan in the event of a positive case and will work tirelessly to minimize the spread and ensure access to health care, if needed.

If the volunteer has received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and more than 28 days have passed since completing the series, they do not need to undergo the 14-day pre-departure self-quarantine. This will be verified with the Health and Safety Manager prior to departure, and individual families will be notified of the clearance to forgo the pre-departure quarantine. All volunteers regardless of vaccination will still be tested between days 5–7 in-country.

AMIGOS believes that education is core component of prevention. All volunteers and staff will be required to undergo a COVID-19 predeparture training and pass a test with at least 85%. In addition, we will follow all CDC guidelines which include social distancing, regular and frequent handwashing, face coverings when outside of the pod and isolation anytime someone is showing symptoms. We will disinfect surfaces multiple times a day and volunteers will be required to monitor and report their signs and symptoms daily.

Anytime that someone comes into contact with the pod, they will be screened for symptoms and their temperature will be taken. Social distancing and face masks will be mandated when interacting with those outside the immediate pod.

AMIGOS will contract with a vetted, private bus for our transportation needs and public transportation will be prohibited. Volunteers will be instructed to maintain social distancing and will wear masks on the bus and all windows will remain open to allow for ventilation.

Students should self-isolate for two weeks before departure and must show a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of departure. Upon arrival, the pod will isolate together and receive another COVID-19 test within the first few days. A Health and Safety Coordinator is on staff and onsite. Students will have minimal contact with anyone outside the pod.

AMIGOS reserves the right to suspend or relocate a running project for any reason. In the event that a project must be suspended, we will make every effort to relocate the volunteers to a comparable project. If relocation is not possible, volunteers will return home early. In this case, refunds will be available less any costs incurred up to that point in the program and less any costs required in order for the volunteer to return safely home.

If any volunteer produces a positive COVID-19 test, whether or not they are exhibiting symptoms, we will activate our monitoring and quarantine response protocol. Any volunteer with a positive test will be immediately isolated, a detailed record of their symptoms will begin to be recorded, and the AMIGOS Medical Director will be notified. The student will be given their own room at the program site and a staff member will bring them all meals and attend to any need they may have. They will also be offered the opportunity to get outside and spend time in nature recovering away from other volunteers. At this time, all other volunteers and staff members will also receive a COVID-19 test if they have not already. We will be in close communication with the AMIGOS Medical Director to determine the best course of treatment and clinical environment for each volunteer.

COVID-19-positive volunteers will be required to complete an individual isolation according to best practices from health officials and the AMIGOS Medical Director at the time of the program.

In the case of known exposure, families will be notified immediately and be kept up to date with any developments or changes.

In the event the symptoms become severe or require medical treatment, the volunteer will be taken to a private hospital and/or clinic for treatment.

All students on our in-person programs must send AMIGOS a negative COVID-19 test 72 hours prior to departure. If a student tests positive for COVID-19 within 72 hours of departure, they cannot participate in the program. Instead, they can elect to transfer their participation to an AMIGOS program with a later start date. The student will need to produce a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of any AMIGOS program start date. If they are still unable to produce a negative test or prefer not to attend another AMIGOS program, they can receive a partial refund. No late starts on programs are permitted.

While we have a history of involvement in vaccination campaigns, the focus of our programs has changed over the last few decades. We design our programs using the approach of asset-based community development: leveraging a community’s strengths and building on existing assets rather than a model that relies entirely on outside support. While we hope to support ongoing efforts to ensure that people throughout the Americas will have access to the vaccine, we believe it is most appropriate for health care workers and/or trained local community members—not AMIGOS volunteers—to administer COVID-19 vaccinations in their own communities.

Our current programs are based on collaborating with local organizations addressing critical global issues that are affecting their own communities, like conservation, climate change, and sustainable agriculture. Local communities are addressing these topics in innovative ways that we can support and learn from.

You can learn more here.

Donors who contributed to your fundraising effort may be given the option to convert their donation to be used for the AMIGOS Annual Fund or to have their donation refunded. Additionally, if you opt to defer, you can hold over your donations for your program fee.

Please contact our Health and Safety Manager, Elizabeth Martinez, at [email protected] or at 713-782-5290 x115.

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