Help CenterAll AMIGOS programs and project areas are different! They are uniquely designed to fit the needs of our volunteers, partner agencies, host communities and the regions we work in. However, all programs are designed to meet the same goals, pillars, and components in order to achieve organizational goals.
PROGRAM GOALS
- Develop young people’s personal leadership capacities.
- Strengthen young people’s commitment to community engagement and service.
- Increase young people’s cross-cultural capacity and competence.
PROGRAM PILLARS
Ethical Service – Volunteers will gain the ability to support ethical service initiatives by working with and not for a community. They will engage local organizations and partners and evaluate the impact of their work. Volunteers will learn to recognize and identify critical issues within their communities, establish support networks to participate in community life, and take action to affect positive social change. They will identify ways to engage in social impact initiatives locally, nationally, and globally.
Leadership – The ability to guide or direct others on a course of action, influence the opinion and behavior of other people, and show the way by going in advance. Volunteers will explore their sense of purpose and start to establish their personal goals and values through introspection and inquiry and have the self-esteem to carry them out.
Cultural Humility – The ability to understand, communicate with, and effectively interact with people across cultures. Cultural humility encompasses being aware of one’s own world view, developing positive attitudes towards cultural differences, and gaining knowledge of different cultural practices and world views.
PROGRAM COMPONENTS
TRAINING AND CURRICULUM: Volunteers build their leadership and community development skills through hands-on training. All programs include leadership, community service, and cross-cultural humility training. Volunteers have a hands-on training throughout the experience.
LANGUAGE AND CULTURAL IMMERSION: Volunteers are immersed in the culture and language of their host country by interacting with locals, possibly living with a host family, collaborating with partner agency members, and participating in cultural activities and excursions.
COMMUNITY SERVICE: Volunteers learn about community service by implementing a service project or by participating in service activities of a project. All activities are planned in collaboration with our local partners and local communities before volunteer arrival.
MENTORSHIP: Every volunteer is mentored by a staff team member and receives personalized feedback on their development as a leader throughout their experience.
REFLECTION AND CONTINUED ENGAGEMENT: Volunteers are guided through various reflection activities during their experience. Upon successful completion of a program, all alumni are encouraged to climb our leadership ladder to continue building their leadership skills as members of our project staff teams, our training teams or through other opportunities.