<p>Has anyone had any experience with the "Amigos" program? This is a summer program where students are placed in 4-8 week assignments in Latin America, live with local families, and provide support in areas such as health, education, etc. My D had a presentation on this at her school and is very interested. Just curious as to whether anyone here is familiar with it.</p>
<p>I have a friend whose ds did this last summer. He LOVED it. Sounds scary as hell to me as a parent. PM me and I’ll give you details.</p>
<p>My daughter did this last summer–6 weeks in a remote village in an impoverished and somewhat unstable country in central america. She’s a pretty independent/intrepid kid but this was certainly the most adventurous trip she’s ever taken. No health care to speak of, no english-speaking adults in the community (she had 2 other volunteer partners in the village), rice and beans (or rice WITH beans, apparently there’s a difference) for every meal, toilet was a latrine crawling with insects in the back, shower was a pipe sticking out of the wall in the kitchen. All the volunteers got violent GI illness at least once, and my daughter returned with a parasite we’re still treating. My daughter LOVED it. (the experience, not the parasite!) For sheltered suburban kids it is so amazing to see the world with all the comforts of home stripped away. This year she is helping to organize the program and train the next crop of volunteers. Truly a life-changing experience. In terms of the program itself, it seems to be very well managed-intensive and realistic training for the kids before they go, good (and long-standing) in-country support while they’re there, careful and thorough centralized back up for transportation, emergency medical support, etc. They do a pretty good job of parental hand-holding but they really do see the student volunteers as the drivers–parents are encouraged to take a back seat. Feel free to pm me if you want more info.</p>
<p>As a Spanish teacher, I have had many students go, and one even became a supervisor and has been back a few times. The overall experience was positive.
There were hardships, and illnesses, of course, but these kids all got into some fabulous colleges - Princeton, Amherst, etc. The leadership you have to show and the committment with language learning, etc., before you even go is incredible, and looks terrific on any R</p>
<p>Is there a website for this program? I’d love to find out more.
Thank you!</p>
<p>Thank you for your detailed responses. I am thrilled that my D wants to do this, and a little apprehensive about her being away and (relatively) out of touch for so long in a very remote/primitive location. I’m also a little uncomfortable with the required fundraising; students are strongly encouraged to write letters soliciting financial support,and with college looming, I really can’t afford to foot the whole cost myself. I just hate hitting people up for $$ and putting them on the spot - albeit for a good cause. </p>
<p>The link for the program is <a href=“http://www.amigoslink.org%5B/url%5D”>http://www.amigoslink.org</a>.</p>
<p>thank you!</p>
<p>I was one of the original volunteers in the early 70’s. I traveled to Guatemala 2 summers and Honduras 1 summer. I was awarded the Guatemalan National Order of Merit. I will NEVER forget that experience. My parents said if I wanted to go, I had to pay all of it-not easy-but as they say…the rest is history!</p>