Travel to Panama with a group of students to learn about environmental issues like conservation preserving endangered wildlife! From exploring beaches for turtle eggs to hiking through nature reserves, you'll earn 20 service hours. See how local youth are getting involved with issues they care about. Enjoy Panama's unspoiled Pacific beaches and immerse yourself in the tropical forests of the Azuero Peninsula.

The deadline to apply was May 17.
Length Training
Dates		 In-Country
Dates		 Ages Application
Deadline		 Price
Session A 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 9–23

 13–14 The deadline for Session A has passed. Please email our Admissions team with any questions at [email protected]

$3,975 – includes all in-country expenses
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 30–July 14

 13–14 The deadline for Session B has passed.

$3,975 – includes all in-country expenses
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 21–August 4

 13–14 The deadline for Session C has passed.

$3,975 – includes all in-country expenses
  • Session A
  • 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 9–23

  • Ages
    13–14
  • Application Deadline
    The deadline for Session A has passed. Please email our Admissions team with any questions at [email protected]
  • Price

    $3,975 – includes all in-country expenses

  • 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 30–July 14

  • Ages
    13–14
  • Application Deadline
    The deadline for Session B has passed.
  • Price

    $3,975 – includes all in-country expenses

  • 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 21–August 4

  • Ages
    13–14
  • Application Deadline
    The deadline for Session C has passed.
  • Price

    $3,975 – includes all in-country expenses

About the Project

Project Type

Group experience. Maximum enrollment is 20.

Slang

aguacero = rain shower
ofi = okay

Service Hours

Earn 20 service hours!

Food

Sancocho de gallina – chicken soup with vegetables and yucca
Hojaldres – fried dough
Tamales – spiced meat filling in corn dough, wrapped in banana leaves, and cooked

What makes this project unique?

You’ll get to practice your Spanish while making new friends and volunteering with two amazing community-based organizations! Help protect sea turtles and learn about marine conservation from experts at a local agency. Then, travel to the crater of an extinct volcano surrounded by mountains and cloud forests!

 

Azuero Peninsula, Panama
Find out more about our programs

Join an online info session!

RSVP HERE

What You'll Do

Climate Change & Conservation

Understand the importance of natural resource conservation to community well-being and native flora and fauna. Hear from local people about the challenges of climate change and its impacts on people’s lives.  

 

Partner Agencies

Volunteer with a sea turtle protection organization, a sustainable development organization, and Panama’s Ministry of the Environment. Earn 20 service hours while supporting local initiatives.

 

Example Activities

  • Nocturnal sea turtle monitoring on the beach
  • Hike Cerro Gaital and see both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans
  • Learn to process sugarcane through a trapiche field visit
  • Earn 20 service hours volunteering on environmental projects

A Day in the Life

Days 1–7*

  • Wake up and have breakfast in small groups
  • Morning: Rotating schedule of activities, including Spanish classes, orientation, explore topics like environmental conservation, natural resources, and sustainability in action, and volunteering activities.
  • Lunch outside
  • Afternoon: Rotating schedule of activities—Spanish classes, briefing, etc. in small groups
  • Free time to explore the grounds
  • Dinner in small groups
  • After Dinner: free time, fun group activities

*Approximate

Day 8 through End of Project

  • Wake up and eat breakfast as a group
  • Morning: volunteer on a community service project, take part in fun intercultural and leadership activities
  • Lunch outside
  • Afternoon: participate in leadership and cultural activities. Meet local community members and take part in fun activities led by the group!
  • Dinner
  • After Dinner: fun group bonding, free time to relax

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.

Apply Now

Click here

Why Choose AMIGOS?

Have an Adventure

Travel off the beaten path and to must-see spots in Panama! You’ll travel as a group to experience unique destinations like extinct volcanoes, cloud forests, and waterfalls. You’ll get to see these places from the distinct perspective of someone who has spent time in that country and learned about the culture firsthand. Plus, you’ll bond with their fellow volunteers and have fun!

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.

Training for AMIGOS and Beyond

Prepare for AMIGOS through guided training in topics like: cultural humility, health and safety, emotional intelligence, travel safety, Spanish, leadership, and team building.

Upon arrival in the field, you’ll start country-specific training with your group. During your time abroad, you’ll meet regularly with an AMIGOS staff member who serves as your mentor.

My time in Panama with Discover AMIGOS was one of the most incredible, life-changing experiences I have ever had. Immediately meeting the other AMIGOS I was on the trip with, I knew I had found my life-long friends.

—Eliza, Volunteer in Panama

Program Requirements
Resources
Apply Now

Field Notes

Last Week in Community

Archive


Read More
End of Summer in Barahona

Archive


Read More
Report from Parque Nacional Marino Ballena

Archive


Read More

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May 17

Open
📝TODAY is the day! AMIGOS summer applications close at midnight TONIGHT! Join generations of Amigos who have been spending their summers across the Americas since 1965.🌎✨ Submit your application at the link in our bio or stories! "If someone asked me what I did this summer, the closest thing I could say would be: 'I changed.'" — Kathy, AMIGOS alum

📝TODAY is the day! AMIGOS summer applications close at midnight TONIGHT!

Join generations of Amigos who have been spending their summers across the Americas since 1965.🌎✨ Submit your application at the link in our bio or stories!

"If someone asked me what I did this summer, the closest thing I could say would be: 'I changed.'" — Kathy, AMIGOS alum ...

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May 14

Open
✈️🌎 Just 3 days left for our applications to close for the summer! We will have our final round of info sessions this weekend — we'll help you with any last minute questions about our programs or your application! Join us this Sunday, May 15 @ 6PM or 7PM Central. RSVP at the link in our bio!

✈️🌎 Just 3 days left for our applications to close for the summer!

We will have our final round of info sessions this weekend — we'll help you with any last minute questions about our programs or your application! Join us this Sunday, May 15 @ 6PM or 7PM Central.

RSVP at the link in our bio! ...

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May 9

Open
🏆Did you know you could get a scholarship of up to $3,000 to go to Colorado with AMIGOS this summer? Apply today to our Centennial Award! Funds from the Centennial Award scholarship are given on a first come, first served basis, so the sooner you submit your application, the better! There are only 8 days left for applications to close for the summer. Start your application today at the link in our bio! . . . #environmentaljustice #environmentalscience #conservationeducation #colorado #communityservice #highschool

🏆Did you know you could get a scholarship of up to $3,000 to go to Colorado with AMIGOS this summer? Apply today to our Centennial Award!

Funds from the Centennial Award scholarship are given on a first come, first served basis, so the sooner you submit your application, the better! There are only 8 days left for applications to close for the summer. Start your application today at the link in our bio!
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#environmentaljustice #environmentalscience #conservationeducation #colorado #communityservice #highschool ...

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May 6

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⏱️11 days left for AMIGOS Summer 2022 applications to close! Have any questions about the programs or your application? ¡Te podemos ayudar! Join us this weekend for our live info sessions and come meet our friendly team. RSVP at the link in our bio or stories! . . . #volunteeringabroad #latinamerica #colorado #culturalexchange #environmentalscience #internationaleducation #servicelearning #volunteering #spanishimmersion

⏱️11 days left for AMIGOS Summer 2022 applications to close! Have any questions about the programs or your application?

¡Te podemos ayudar! Join us this weekend for our live info sessions and come meet our friendly team.

RSVP at the link in our bio or stories!
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#volunteeringabroad #latinamerica #colorado #culturalexchange #environmentalscience #internationaleducation #servicelearning #volunteering #spanishimmersion ...

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May 3

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Happy #NationalTeacherAppreciationDay from AMIGOS!📚🍎 Teachers, your remarkable work and dedication are forever changing the trajectory of students' lives. We honor and celebrate your work today and every day! "Every child deserves a champion—an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection and insists that they become the best that they can possibly be." – Rita Pierson . . . #TeacherAppreciationWeek #ThankATeacher #thankaneducator

Happy #NationalTeacherAppreciationDay from AMIGOS!📚🍎 Teachers, your remarkable work and dedication are forever changing the trajectory of students' lives. We honor and celebrate your work today and every day!

"Every child deserves a champion—an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection and insists that they become the best that they can possibly be." – Rita Pierson
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#TeacherAppreciationWeek #ThankATeacher #thankaneducator ...

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May 2

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Grow your career in fundraising by applying to be our @AmeriCorps VISTA Fund Development Associate! Help AMIGOS raise $1MM that will inspire young leaders to lifelong service and impact in their communities.🙌 Read the full job description and apply at the link in our bio! . . . . #hiring #americorps #americorpsvista #houstonjobs #nonprofitjobs #americorpshouston #funddevelopment #classof2022

Grow your career in fundraising by applying to be our @AmeriCorps VISTA Fund Development Associate! Help AMIGOS raise $1MM that will inspire young leaders to lifelong service and impact in their communities.🙌

Read the full job description and apply at the link in our bio!
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#hiring #americorps #americorpsvista #houstonjobs #nonprofitjobs #americorpshouston #funddevelopment #classof2022 ...

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Apr 29

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Earn college credit during your service trip with AMIGOS!📚 Have any questions on how to do so? Visit our website for a step-by-step guide on how to apply. We have multiple FAQs with answers to questions like: • Who is eligible to register for AMIGOS course credit? • Which AMIGOS programs are eligible to earn credits? • Is there any extra coursework for volunteers who sign up to earn the college credits? • How can I request a transcript for these credits? Visit amigosinternational.org/college-credit or the link in our bio to learn more! . . . . #collegecredit #volunteeringabroad #highschoolspanish #internationaleducation #summerprograms #studyabroad #gapyear

Earn college credit during your service trip with AMIGOS!📚 Have any questions on how to do so? Visit our website for a step-by-step guide on how to apply. We have multiple FAQs with answers to questions like:

• Who is eligible to register for AMIGOS course credit?
• Which AMIGOS programs are eligible to earn credits?
• Is there any extra coursework for volunteers who sign up to earn the college credits?
• How can I request a transcript for these credits?

Visit amigosinternational.org/college-credit or the link in our bio to learn more!
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#collegecredit #volunteeringabroad #highschoolspanish #internationaleducation #summerprograms #studyabroad #gapyear ...

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