Voices of Amigos


La Carta features stories from AMIGOS alumni and updates from our organization. Browse through the posts to see what we're up to and to learn more about AMIGOS!



Meet Angely, the 2021 Bill Arnold Fellow

La Carta


The Bill Arnold Leadership Award was created to remember a cherished member of our AMIGOS community. Bill Arnold passed away on August 5, 2020 after a…

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Día de los Muertos

La Carta


You’ve probably seen the colorful skulls and flowers that surface around Halloween every year, but did you know there’s much more to them than candy?…

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AMIGOS Programming and the Global COVID-19 Vaccination Effort 

La Carta


AMIGOS has been involved in vaccination campaigns and public health initiatives in Latin America since our founding in 1965, a time when the world was…

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Update on AMIGOS’ Organizational Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

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Update on AMIGOS’ Organizational Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion   Last year, we deepened our organization’s commitment to creating a more diverse, equitable, and…

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Reasons We Love the Ecuadorian Coast

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When people think of Ecuador, most people probably conjure images of the magnificent Andes mountains, fluffy alpacas grazing on green slopes, the equator, and maybe…

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Experiencing Colorful Colorado

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When you step out into a Colorado summer day in the mountains, there are a few things you will notice. You will look up and…

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Mateo’s Statement of Purpose

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Mateo (Peru ’14, Costa Rica ’19) was kind enough to share his statement of purpose for graduate school with AMIGOS. He cites his experiences with…

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Gap Year Lessons Learned

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February is Gap Year Exploration Month and AMIGOS is proud to support the movement to popularize gap years and share our gap year lessons learned.…

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Returning to In-Person Programs in 2021

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After extensive consideration and months of planning, we have decided to offer in-person programs in Latin America and the U.S. for summer 2021. We made…

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Field Notes are updates from our programs across the Americas. Explore by project to get a taste of what AMIGOS is like and to see updates from current participants.

Jump straight to...
Costa Rica: Palmares
Costa Rica: Pérez Zeledón
Dominican Republic: San Juan
Ecuador: Chimborazo
Ecuador: Cuenca
Ecuador: Cuenca (Gap Program)
Ecuador: Santa Elena
Panama: Azuero
Panama: Coclé
Costa Rica: Discover AMIGOS
Panama: Discover AMIGOS
Uruguay: Montevideo (Gap Program)
Youth Ambassadors
Archive of Inactive Projects



Western Colorado: Meet Your Staff Team!

Field Notes


ELLIE SCHWARTZ – PROJECT DIRECTOR Hello from beautiful Colorado! I’m Ellie, your Project Director for the Western Colorado summer program. We’re hard at work preparing…

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A Day In The Life: City Tour of Leon

Field Notes


We had a very exciting day. For breakfast we had eggs, ham, and bread. After, we started our tour of Leon with our tour guides…

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Preparing For Volunteer Arrival In La Sierra

Field Notes


Hi everyone! We’re getting everything ready for your arrival to Ecuador, and we can’t get enough of the amazing views of the mountains. Our project…

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Mountains and Beach: About the Montañas y Mar Project Areas

Field Notes


The different locations we will visit on Montañas y Mar are each unique in their natural beauty. Located just two and a half hours from…

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La Sierra: Meet Your Project Staff

Field Notes


Hi, I’m Hector! I am so excited to come back to Ecuador, and especially to The Sierra. I am native to Nicaragua and grew up…

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Nicaragua: Project Areas

Field Notes


¡Hola, chicos! ¡Se acerca el tiempo de iniciar su viaje! Espero que estén listos y con toda la actitud para iniciar esta aventura porque nosotros…

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Reporting from Monteverde

Field Notes


Hi there! This is your Project Director, Zyro, writing from the road. I’m coming back to San Jose after a week visiting all the sites…

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Monteverde & Costa Atlantica: Meet Your Project Staff

Field Notes


Zyro Honty, Project Director Zyro Hola! I’m Zyro and I’m going to be your Project Director this summer! I was born…

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Montañas y Mar: Meet Your Project Staff

Field Notes


Hi everyone! My name is Mateo Rojas and I will be your Project Director for the Montañas y Mar Project. I couldn’t be more excited…

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AMIGOS in the news!



Houston Independent School District and Amigos de las Americas Launch Classroom Community Impact Project

News


HOUSTON, TX, May 24, 2021 – With a combined 154 years of experience serving the Houston community, Amigos de las Americas (AMIGOS) and the Houston…

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Wall Street Journal: “For Teens, a Wild Homeschooling Alternative: A Trip to Costa Rica”

News


AMIGOS was featured in the Wall Street Journal on January 30, 2021. The article focuses on opportunities for teens to study, live, and volunteer in…

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Female Disruptors: Sara Nathan of Amigos de las Américas On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry (Authority Magazine)

News


By Jason Hartman   In this article for Authority Magazine, writer Jason Hartman interviews AMIGOS President & CEO Sara Nathan. She discusses a turning point…

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Social Impact Heroes: Why & How Sara Nathan of Amigos de las Américas Is Helping To Change Our World (Authority Magazine)

News


“Each of us is raised in our social bubble and with varying degrees of exposure to societal challenges — issues related to social justice, inequality,…

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Sara Nathan: “Day In and Day Out” (Thrive Global)

News


By Ben Ari   AMIGOS President & CEO Sara Nathan was featured in Thrive Global’s piece about her own career path and building tomorrow’s leaders.…

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Should You Consider A Virtual Gap Year? (Forbes)

News


The COVID-19 pandemic has upended the lives of many high school seniors, who graduated into a summer of uncertainty. Gap years are garnering interest in…

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AMIGOS and Tufts University Launch Virtual Gap Semester

News


  HOUSTON, TX., July 2, 2020 — Amigos de las Américas (AMIGOS) and Tufts University’s Tisch College of Civic Life are proud to announce a…

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Why Climate Change Caused Me To Rethink My Career Plans: Huffington Post

News


Ashley Thorshov was planning to head to Perez Zeledon, Costa Rica with AMIGOS this summer to explore her interest in environmental sustainability and conservation. While…

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AMIGOS Alumna is 2020 PA of the Year

News


Nicole Dettman (’90, ’91, ’93) is the American Academy of PAs Physician Assistant of the Year! Nicole credits her interest in health to her summers…

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