República Dominicana: Barahona
A 4-Week Build Leadership Skills Through Sports
Proyecto Resumen
Dive into Dominican culture while building leadership and teamwork skills. Join or start volleyball teams with local youth and train together for a project‑wide tournament. Connect deeply with your host family, and lead fun, engaging activities with kids in the community.
Capacitación y preparación
Start Strong, stay confident! Immerse projects offer the highest level of independence, so training builds the skills you’ll need to thrive in community.
Voluntarios Nacionales:
3–5 hour self‑paced online course (one month before departure)
3 interactive Immerse Training Webinars
Seminario web sobre información del proyecto (PIP)
Familiar asiste a seminario web sobre salud y seguridad
Voluntarios del capítulo local:
Capacitación presencial del capítulo (feb-may)
Breve cuestionario de conceptos en línea (mediados de mayo)
3 Immerse Training Webinars
Seminario web sobre información del proyecto (PIP)
Familiar asiste a seminario web sobre salud y seguridad
Ready to lead, ready to immerse! Once you land, you’ll spend 4-5 days getting grounded. Orientation introduces you to local culture, daily life, and your community assignment. Project staff lead sessions on health, safety, and project activities and expectations so you feel confident and prepared before diving into the loca; community.
Closing strong, Carrying forward! In your final two nights, you’ll come together with fellow volunteers to reflect, celebrate, and prepare for the journey home. Debriefing helps you process your experience, navigate reverse culture shock, and wrap up travel logistics. It’s a supportive space to share growth and learn how to tell your story to family and friends.
Qué hacer Esperar
Vive más, descúbrete a ti mismo.
AMIGOS projects are designed to challenge and inspire. You’ll dive into hands‑on activities, connect with local communities, live with a host family, and experience life tech‑free. Every moment builds connection, leadership, and friendships that last far beyond the program.
A look at what volunteers do in the Barahona project.
- SERVICIO
- Develop and implement a service project in your community with the Local Youth Leaders (LYLs) and community members.
- Facilitate fun and educational activities for kids 5 days a week with the LYLs.
- CONEXIÓN E INMERSIÓN
- Participate in cultural workshops featuring traditional cooking, dances, and local history.
- Explore the region through visits to local sites and historical locations, environmental talks, and hiking.
- Enjoy a beach day with your peers and community members.
- Visita el Canal de Panamá y el Casco Viejo (el distrito histórico colonial de la Ciudad de Panamá).
Los voluntarios desarrollan conexiones con las personas que hacen posible cada proyecto: familias anfitrionas, jóvenes locales, miembros de la comunidad, organizaciones socias, el personal de AMIGOS y otros voluntarios. Estas relaciones son fundamentales para la experiencia de AMIGOS, ya que crean un espacio para el intercambio cultural, el aprendizaje compartido y el servicio colaborativo.
Vivir con una familia anfitriona lleva a los voluntarios más allá de la experiencia turística, ofreciendo un genuino sentido de pertenencia en la comunidad. Es la manera definitiva de mejorar rápidamente las habilidades en español y construir relaciones interculturales que a menudo duran toda la vida. Con 60 años de experiencia, AMIGOS evalúa rigurosamente a cada hogar mediante visitas domiciliarias en persona, entrevistas y capacitación obligatoria sobre salud y seguridad. Los supervisores del personal realizan visitas de seguimiento periódicas y brindan apoyo de emergencia las 24 horas, los 7 días de la semana.
“One of my favorite moments was learning how to make tostones with my doña. She taught me how to make them while we talked, laughed, and bonded over making food together.”
A lo largo de los años, hemos observado que los voluntarios que optan por una desconexión digital total informan una mayor satisfacción, vínculos comunitarios más fuertes y menos casos de nostalgia o angustia emocional. Nuestra experiencia, respaldada por investigaciones emergentes sobre el uso de la tecnología y la salud mental, demuestra que desconectarse de los dispositivos permite a los voluntarios conectarse más profundamente consigo mismos, con sus compañeros y con sus comunidades de acogida.
Política Integral de Tecnología¿Tienes curiosidad sobre la experiencia diaria? Explora un itinerario de ejemplo para este viaje.
Seguridad y Soporte
AMIGOS prepara a los voluntarios con capacitación en salud y seguridad antes de la salida y orientación específica sobre el proyecto durante la sesión informativa en el país. Los voluntarios aprenden qué esperar, cómo tomar decisiones responsables y a dónde acudir en busca de apoyo si es necesario.
A lo largo del proyecto, el personal elabora planes de emergencia para cada voluntario y ubicación, realiza evaluaciones de riesgo periódicas y está disponible las 24 horas del día, los 7 días de la semana a través del Sistema Interno de Llamadas de Salud y Seguridad de AMIGOS, respaldado por un equipo de profesionales de la salud médica y mental.
Costo y Ayuda Financiera
Las tarifas del programa cubren todos los costos esenciales, incluidos el alojamiento con familias anfitrionas, las comidas locales, el transporte dentro del país, las excursiones grupales y una red de apoyo de emergencia 24/7. Qué está incluido:
- 4 weeks of immersive programming and activities
- Todas las comidas y el alojamiento
- Transporte dentro del país
- sistema de seguridad y soporte 24/7
- Antes de la salida y capacitación, en línea o en persona
Lo que no está incluido: vuelos, protección de viaje, equipo.
Más sobre aranceles y financiamientoNuestros precios transparentes y con todo incluido y nuestra ayuda financiera flexible opciones de recaudación de fondos maximice el valor para su familia.
Voces de los participantes
Preguntado frecuentemente Preguntas
This project is good for youth looking for a deep community immersion experience. Volunteers will practice Spanish every day as they interact with their host family, peers, and other community members. This project is great for active youth who enjoy sports and the connection that sports can build with their peers.
This project is the only AMIGOS experience built around sports as a driver of connection and leadership. Volunteers join local volleyball teams, train regularly, and compete in a project‑wide tournament that unites youth from across communities. Alongside the games, you’ll live with a Dominican host family and collaborate with Local Youth Leaders on meaningful service projects — blending teamwork on the court with impact in the community.
AMIGOS first launched programs in the Dominican Republic in 1977, partnering with the Ministry of Health on immunization campaigns in Santo Domingo. In the 2000s, we expanded south, collaborating with organizations like World Vision and Plan International to bring programs to San Juan, Azua, Neiba, and Barahona.
After pausing during the pandemic, 2025 marked a new chapter as AMIGOS relaunched in Azua and Barahona. In 2026, we built on this legacy with two successful projects — continuing our long‑standing partnership with Plan International in Barahona and expanding into new communities in Pedernales. Together, we’re celebrating decades of youth leadership, cultural exchange, and community impact.
Yes! Receive college credit for joining this project! Learn more Aquí.
You can earn 100 service hours on this program.
You’ll experience both group and family living. At the start and end of the project, volunteers stay together with staff in dorm‑style lodging. For most of the program, you’ll live with a Dominican host family — usually with one partner or independently — in groups of 2–3 per community. All host communities are within about four hours by public transport from the staff hub in Barahona, ensuring support is always close by. AMIGOS staff provide support through weekly visits and check-ins.
You will eat like a local! Enjoy authentic Dominican cuisine with staples like plantains, yucca, rice, beans, chicken, eggs, fresh vegetables, and sancocho — a traditional stew. Vegetarian options are available.
Barahona and Pedernales offer a hot, humid tropical climate with daytime highs often in the mid‑90s°F and cooler nights in the mid‑70s°F. The terrain is diverse — from coastal beaches and fertile valleys to rugged mountains in the Sierra de Bahoruco — creating both lush, humid zones and drier subtropical areas.
¿Qué lo qué? — What’s up? / How are you? A very common informal Dominican greeting.
Vaina — Thing / stuff / situation. A very versatile word that can refer to almost anything. Context is important!
Un chin — A little bit. For example, “Espera un chin” means “Wait a little bit.”
Pila — A lot / plenty. “Hay pila de gente” means “There are lots of people.”
Coro — Hangout / social gathering. “Vamos a hacer coro” means “Let’s hang out.”
Guagua — Bus. In the Dominican Republic, “guagua” is commonly used for a bus or public transportation vehicle.
Concho — Shared taxi. A common form of public transportation that follows a specific route.
Zafacón — Trash can / garbage bin. You’ll hear this word frequently when talking about keeping places clean.
Colmado — Small neighborhood grocery store / convenience store
AMIGOS uses an Asset‑Based Community Development (ABCD) approach, which means projects are shaped by the priorities of each community. Volunteers work alongside local youth and leaders to design and carry out initiatives that matter most to them.
Past projects have included:
Community beautification (painting, tree planting, clean‑ups)
Building shaded bus stops with seating
Creating welcome signage for communities
Developing playgrounds for children
Because projects are community‑driven, the process can take time. Volunteers are involved in every stage. This hands‑on model offers a real look at how international development works, while giving you the chance to make a lasting impact.
Ideal for active volunteers who enjoy sports and community immersion, the Dominican Republic: Barahona project uses volleyball as a way to build connection, teamwork, and leadership. Volunteers live with host families, collaborate with Local Youth Leaders on service projects, lead activities with kids, and experience Dominican culture in the Barahona region.
- Meet the health criteria for AMIGOS participation
- Receive required immunizations
- Be age 15–19 on the project start date
- Passport valid 6 months after project start date
