Experience the incredible biodiversity that Costa Rica has to offer on the Pezeta Project! Spend your time abroad getting to know your host family in a community surrounded by lush green plants and the chatter of tropical birds. You’ll volunteer at an environmental conservation reserve and visit community entrepreneurship initiatives to learn how they approach conservation efforts.
Length Training
Dates
In-Country
Dates
Ages Application
Deadline
Price
Session A - Closed 2 weeks

Online training on COVID-19, health and safety, mental health, travel, and AMIGOS history before departure. Leadership and orientation training take place in-country.

June 7–20, 2023

15–19 The deadline for Session A has passed.

$3,975 (National Chapter)

For local chapter students, contact us at [email protected] for more details.

Fees include all in-country expenses. Flight costs are not included.

Session B 2 Weeks

Online training on COVID-19, health and safety, mental health, travel, and AMIGOS history before departure. Leadership and orientation training take place in-country.

June 28–July 11, 2023

15–19 The deadline for Session B has passed.

$3,975 (National Chapter)

For local chapter students, contact us at [email protected] for more details.

Fees include all in-country expenses. Flight costs are not included.

Session C 2 Weeks

Online training on COVID-19, health and safety, mental health, travel, and AMIGOS history before departure. Leadership and orientation training take place in-country.

July 19–August 1, 2023

15–19 Deadline extended! Contact us at [email protected] for more details.

$3,975 (National Chapter)

For local chapter students, contact us at [email protected] for more details.

Fees include all in-country expenses. Flight costs are not included.

  • Session A - Closed
  • Length
    2 weeks
  • Training Dates

    Online training on COVID-19, health and safety, mental health, travel, and AMIGOS history before departure. Leadership and orientation training take place in-country.

  • In-Country Dates

    June 7–20, 2023

  • Ages
    15–19
  • Application Deadline
    The deadline for Session A has passed.
  • Price

    $3,975 (National Chapter)

    For local chapter students, contact us at [email protected] for more details.

    Fees include all in-country expenses. Flight costs are not included.

  • Session B
  • Length
    2 Weeks
  • Training Dates

    Online training on COVID-19, health and safety, mental health, travel, and AMIGOS history before departure. Leadership and orientation training take place in-country.

  • In-Country Dates

    June 28–July 11, 2023

  • Ages
    15–19
  • Application Deadline
    The deadline for Session B has passed.
  • Price

    $3,975 (National Chapter)

    For local chapter students, contact us at [email protected] for more details.

    Fees include all in-country expenses. Flight costs are not included.

  • Session C
  • Length
    2 Weeks
  • Training Dates

    Online training on COVID-19, health and safety, mental health, travel, and AMIGOS history before departure. Leadership and orientation training take place in-country.

  • In-Country Dates

    July 19–August 1, 2023

  • Ages
    15–19
  • Application Deadline
    Deadline extended! Contact us at [email protected] for more details.
  • Price

    $3,975 (National Chapter)

    For local chapter students, contact us at [email protected] for more details.

    Fees include all in-country expenses. Flight costs are not included.

About the Project

Lodging

Homestay – Spend part of your project living with a host family in a local community in the community of Quebradas!

Group housing – At the beginning and end of your project, you’ll stay with other volunteers at a nature reserve and a biological research center.

Slang

pura vida = life is good, cool
tuanis = cool

Food

Pinto (rice and black beans), plantains, tortillas
Great for vegetarians!

Service Hours

Earn 24 service hours while supporting local community-led environmental organizations.

AMIGOS History in the Region

AMIGOS has worked in Costa Rica for more than 35 years.

What makes this project unique?
  • Explore entrepreneurship: learn how local families and community groups combine conservation with rural tourism to create alternative income opportunities in their community.Ā 
  • Conservation: Visit a private conservation reserve and income-generating initiatives in the buffer zones of national parks.Ā Ā  Ā 
  • Local culture: Spend time with your host family learning about the community customs, local economy, and culture.Ā 
Las Quebradas Biological Center, San José Province, Pérez Zeledón, Costa Rica

Linking Entrepreneurship and Conservation

PURA VIDA

Spend part of your time living with a host family! Practice your Spanish with your host family and even learn some local slang. Relax in the region’s tropical cloud forest and learn the true meaning of pura vida.

 

PARTNER AGENCIES

Earn 24 service hours while volunteering with a women’s association and nature reserve. Both of these organizations collaborate with the shared goals of protecting local biodiversity and generating income through conservation.

 

Example Activities

  • Live with a host family in a local community
  • Explore the cloud forest in a wildlife refuge near a national park
  • Play a pick-up game of soccer (mejenga in Costa Rica) with kids in your community
  • Plant trees and maintain trails at a nature reserve
Join an online info session!

RSVP Here
four people outside, three holding small saplings

A Day in the Life

In Your Host Community

  • Wake up to freshly-brewed coffee and breakfast with your host family
  • Take part in service work alongside community members or at the nature reserve
  • Have lunch with your host family
  • Meet up with other AMIGOS volunteers to lead activities for local kids from the elementary school
  • Explore your host community
  • Have dinner with your host family
  • Play games with your host siblings before heading to bed

 

WITH YOUR AMIGOS GROUP

  • Wake up and eat breakfast as a group
  • Morning: volunteer on a service project in the park, like making informational signs about plants and animals, building trails, or making fences
  • Take a lunch break with your volunteer group, enjoying typical food like gallo pinto (rice and beans)
  • Afternoon: take part in fun intercultural and leadership activities, play games, and get to know volunteers from Costa Rica and around the U.S.
  • Dinner with the group
  • After Dinner: fun group bonding, free time to relax, listen to music, and get ready for another day!

Program Pillars

Ethical Service

Learn how to create ethical service initiatives by working with–not for–a community, engaging local organizations and partners, and evaluating the impact of your work. AMIGOS works with trusted local partners that are passionate and committed to working with our volunteers on community service projects.

Cultural Humility

Cultural humility is a process of both self-reflection about your own culture as well as learning about other cultures. You will examine your own beliefs and cultural identity and gain an understanding of how structural racism has impacted societies and the roles that communities can take to lead systemic change.

Leadership

Learn, grow, and discover your leadership potential! Explore your sense of purpose and start to establish your personal goals and values through introspection and inquiry.

Want to learn more?

Join an info session!

RSVP Here

Why Choose AMIGOS?

Practice Spanish

AMIGOS programs provide a unique opportunity to live with a host family and experience a new culture. Volunteers report increased fluency in Spanish after completing our program. Activities go far beyond the classroom — you’ll lead activities in Spanish, get to know your host family, learn local slang, and increase your confidence with real-world practice. You will not believe how fast your Spanish improves when you use it in conversation every day!

Have an Adventure

Get to know Costa Rica from a local perspective! Explore an area few tourists get to see. Do hands-on volunteering in a national park and experience the pristine nature around you. Make friends from Costa Rica, learn about their culture, and share experiences together.

Travel with Trust

AMIGOS is the industry leader in health and safety management. Our staff is prepared to help you with any situation that may arise. Each volunteer receives a personalized emergency plan, as well as support from local staff teams and a professional 24-hour On-Call Safety Team of travel specialists, doctors, and mental health specialists. A Health and Wellness Coordinator is on staff with the group throughout the duration of their stay. AMIGOS also has an established network of vetted medical clinics and hospitals throughout the region.

Find out more about our programs

Join an online info session!

RSVP HERE
a student and his host dad smiling

I’ve learned so many skills that I know I’ll use for the rest of my life. The rich experiences I’ve had and shared in a whole different country have been like no other.

–Flynn, Costa Rica Volunteer, 2022

Program Requirements
Apply Now

Field Notes

Sunday in Calabacito

Featured


Read More
Welcome to Field Notes!

Featured


Read More
Survey in the Andes

Featured


Adam visits Chimborazo to prepare for summer

Read More

Llamado a todas las personas exparticipantes recientes de AMIGOS a aplicar al Acelerador de Impacto Social.

Es un programa virtual bilingüe. Las aplicaciones cierran el 30 de septiembre. šŸ¤—
...

This error message is only visible to WordPress admins
Error: Access Token is not valid or has expired. Feed will not update.

Still deciding?

See more projects like this one!