Health and Safety

AMIGOS is the industry leader in health and safety management. Our staff is prepared to help you with any situation that may arise. All volunteers receive 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. We coordinate with organizations like the Peace Corps, the CDC, and U.S. Embassies to constantly monitor any risks in the areas where we have projects. AMIGOS also has an established network of vetted medical clinics and hospitals throughout the region.

TRUSTED

AMIGOS has run international youth volunteer programs since 1965. Our health and safety systems and safeguards are based on knowledge and expertise built over five decades. Our longstanding relationships with local organizations in host countries are built on a foundation of mutual respect and enable us to work with trusted local partners. The trust we have built in the region means that each volunteer’s experience is safer, more meaningful, and more powerful.

AUTHENTIC

AMIGOS volunteers get to experience daily life in a community they would likely not see as a tourist. The result is a truly immersive cross-cultural experience. AMIGOS gives young people unparalled responsibility and independence, giving them ownership over their community service project and ensuring that every AMIGOS experience is one-of-a-kind. Volunteers do something new and different, getting out of their comfort zone and challenging themselves in a way that develops strength, builds resilience, and allows them to grow.

TRANSFORMATIVE

Volunteers gain a global perspective by opening themselves to a broader world. Exposure to this new and different landscape at a young age shapes volunteers’ values and impacts the person they will become. They work side by side with people in their community on a service project, gaining leadership skills that will help them in college and their career. They see that the world can be welcoming and exciting — and that they have a place in it. AMIGOS volunteers return home more mature, confident, and motivated. The AMIGOS experience stays with them, its impact still surfacing decades later.

SEE WHAT AMIGOS PARENTS HAVE TO SAY:

Dave on Safety with AMIGOS

Dan reflects on his decision

Dr Putterman's Reflections

TRAVEL SUPPORT

All AMIGOS volunteers are supported in their journey to their project area by our travel team. On their travel day, Amigos have access to our travel hotline with staff members on call 24/7. When volunteers arrive in-country, they are greeted at the airport by their project staff, and, from there, the experience truly begins. Learn more about flights and travel here.

PROGRAM EXPECTATIONS

As a youth leadership organization, we expect students to maintain a high standard of personal conduct and bring a positive and open-minded approach to everything they encounter on an AMIGOS experience. This is what being a leader is all about: taking initiative, being responsible, and working to accomplish great things.

As an AMIGOS volunteer, you are the representative of AMIGOS in the communities where we work. We take great pride in our approach to community development, as we are in direct collaboration with established partner organizations that work locally. We expect all our participants to be respectful, thoughtful, and collaborative.

All volunteers are required to adhere to our AMIGOS Standards of Conduct. These standards are a core component of the AMIGOS philosophy and approach.

"I was deeply impressed with the AMIGOS health and safety system. Staff always took my daughter's well-being seriously and I could rest easy knowing they were prepared to handle any situation."
– Ann, Alumni Parent

RESOURCES

IMMUNIZATIONS

Required immunizations and medications vary depending on the country in which you’ll be working. Additional immunizations may be recommended but not required. Please see this list for the most up-to-date requirements.

IMMUNIZATIONS

HEALTH CRITERIA

In order to keep volunteers safe and healthy while abroad, they must be able to physically and mentally carry out any duties associated with their role. Please read this document to ensure you meet the general health criteria for participation.

HEALTH CRITERIA

STANDARDS OF CONDUCT

AMIGOS Standards of Conduct are an integral part of building and growing leadership skills. You may review our Summer Program Standards of Conduct here. The Standards of Conduct for the Gap Program are adjusted for an older age group and a different type of program. Gap Program Standards of Conduct may be found here.

STANDARDS OF CONDUCT

FLIGHTS AND TRAVEL

We manage travel so you don’t have to! Learn more about the support AMIGOS provides, what to expect, and how the process works.

FLIGHTS AND TRAVEL

TECHNOLOGY POLICY

We know that volunteers who complete the AMIGOS experience without using digital devices report higher satisfaction rates and deeper connections with their communities and peers. Additionally, volunteers who disconnected reported fewer instances of homesickness and mental health challenges. For this reason, Summer Program volunteers are not permitted to use Wi-Fi enabled devices during the program.

TECHNOLOGY POLICY