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!



Volunteering Moves the World

La Carta


This blog post was written by Jonathan Zúñiga Granados, the president of Casa de la Juventud, one of our partner organizations in Costa Rica. He…

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Getting out of a Bubble in Ecuador

La Carta


We caught up with Max, a student at Tufts University who joined our Gap Program in Cuenca, Ecuador for the 2017-18 school year. Here, he…

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Just Audrey

La Carta


Like an idiot, I came to Ecuador carrying expectations. Last August I looked ahead and saw “cool traveler adventurer Audrey,” the girl that could solve…

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Grand Dream of Adventure

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I have had more adventures in the last few weeks in Ecuador than in the last few years of my life. I have been to…

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AMIGOS Training: Step 1

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AMIGOS training takes place at the beginning of all our programs and is a crucial component of every project. Throughout the year, we develop and…

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Learning the Subjunctive in Ecuador

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In Pilapuchín, a community of 400 tucked high in the Ecuadorian Andes, the local equivalent of the PTA does not get a summer break. As…

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A Service Journey

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Melanie went to Nicaragua in the summer of 2011. She joined AMIGOS through our partner Rice University as a Loewenstern Fellow. We caught up with…

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54 Years, 28,000 Alumni, and Counting 

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May 18, 2018   Today, AMIGOS operates in 9 countries throughout the Americas. More than 650 teens and young adults will participate in our programs…

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The Wrong Reasons

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Maren is a two-time AMIGOS alum and will serve as a Project Supervisor this summer in the Dominican Republic. Here, she reflects on how she…

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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...
Colombia: Barranquilla
Costa Rica: Palmares
Costa Rica: Pérez Zeledón
Dominican Republic: San Juan
Ecuador: Chimborazo
Ecuador: Cuenca (Gap Program)
Mexico: Yucatán
Nicaragua: León (Gap Program)
Panama: Azuero
Panama: Coclé
Panama: Discover AMIGOS
Youth Ambassadors



It Was the Best of Times

Field Notes


Can you believe it? Participants are beginning week 3 of living and serving in the beautiful indigenous communities of Guamote and Guaranda, respectively. Week 2…

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Midterm: Coclé 2018

Field Notes


This past weekend, all our participants returned to Penonomé for a few hours to call their friends and family, catch-up with other participants, make some purchases,…

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Session B Participants Have Arrived!

Field Notes


Welcome to Panama! We’re excited to have an amazing two weeks learning, traveling, volunteering, practicing Spanish, trying new foods, and making great friends!

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Yucatan: First Week in Community

Field Notes


What a first week! Participants are now in community, conducting the community-based initiative process and carrying out extracurricular activities alongside local students and their AMIGOS…

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In the Middle of a Memory

Field Notes


24 communities. 63 participants. Multiple stories of friendships and cultural exchanges blossoming among true amigos all over the Azuero Peninsula. Northeast of the peninsula, 30…

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Report on Beginning of Project in Azuero

Field Notes


The Azuero Project 2018 participants arrived to Panama City on June 19th. Tired and jag lagged, little did they know that their project leadership team…

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Discover A Flying Home

Field Notes


The past two weeks have been a whirlwind, but Discover A has finally come to an end, and as the final day wore on and…

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First Week in Community

Field Notes


We couldn’t be prouder of our participants after experiencing an exhilarating first week in community! From building relationships with their host families to meeting local…

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There Are No Strangers Here

Field Notes


“There are no strangers here; Only friends you haven’t yet met.” William Butler Yeats   Here at AMIGOS, we ask a lot of our staff,…

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AMIGOS in the news!



St. John’s senior learned to use talents to join community in helping others

News


Maya Lewis is a high school senior who is heading to Brown University in the fall. She participated with AMIGOS in Panama before her junior…

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Senior embarks on immersion trip

News


We’re excited to welcome Matt Marschall on our Gap Program in Ecuador this fall! He was featured in his school newspaper. Read the article, in…

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AMIGOS in the News – Costa Rica Adventure

News


By Rachel Amran, Memorial High School Featured in The Buzz Magazines Michaela Urban and her host family in the center of…

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Runner Dorn Wenninger takes on challenge of 7 marathons on 7 continents in 7 days

News


Dorn Wenninger became a member of the Intercontinental Marathon Club in February when he finished his seventh marathon on 7 continents in 7 days. When…

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Students Travel for Spanish Immersion

News


Students from Central Kitsap High School travel to another country to further their Spanish skills and immerse their self in another culture. By Collin Smith…

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A Parent’s Perspective

News


How the Tufts 1 + 4 Bridge Year Changed My Child By Margaret Moore Margaret provides a parent’s perspective on her daughter’s experience in Nicaragua…

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The AMIGOS Experience

News


By Kendall Roberts Students from Miramonte High School spent their summers with AMIGOS in Latin America. Even a teacher at the school went to Michoacan,…

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Amigos de las Americas celebrates 50th

News


Since 1965, AMIGOS has run safe, immersive volunteer programs in Latin America. On our 50th anniversary, we reflect on our history and our evolution as…

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Tufts 1+4 Bridge-Year Service Learning Program Selects AMIGOS

News


By Kalimah Redd Knight Students accepted into Tufts University’s 1+4 Bridge-Year Program may now choose to do a gap year in Latin America with AMIGOS.…

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