The New York City Chapter of AMIGOS covers program costs through a combination of family payments and fundraising activities. These include a letter-writing annual fund appeal to friends and family, and a spring fundraiser. We chose these activities to maximize our ability to provide the AMIGOS experience to all volunteers without regard to family financial circumstances. Buying out of fundraising is an option for all families prior to summer departure if the volunteer does not meet the fundraising minimum, however all families and volunteers are expected to participate in fundraising activities during the winter months. Fundraising activities and resources will be introduced to volunteers during training sessions. Volunteers will receive strategic guidance and support meeting their goals, however the chapter expects that they commit at least an hour to fundraising per week outside of training.

Our NYC chapter is particularly committed to making international youth development experiences accessible to everyone.  The NYC Chapter currently offers over 80% of its volunteers financial assistance, and fundraises exclusively for this purpose.  With help from donors, any volunteer — regardless of socio-economic status — can develop leadership, cross-cultural, and language skills abroad. Please consider making a $50.00 donation to help a highschooler develop their leadership skills and gain real-world experience realizing a community project abroad.

LETTER WRITING/DONOR CONTACTS

Each volunteer is required to send out a combination of 100 letters and 100 emails to friends and family, to request individual tax-deductible donations (the revenue from this effort is pooled). Letters are written by the volunteer with considerable help provided by the chapter during the process. The Chapter uses CauseVox as it’s fundraising platform, and the campaign can be found through this link.

Additional funding opportunities

All alumni interested in volunteering again with AMIGOS qualify to apply for the Alumni Award. More info here.

We offer financial assistance to qualified applicants on a rolling basis. The Financial Assistance Application deadline has passed.

Fees

If you were signed up for our 2020 Summer Immersion programs, all fees, fundraising, and financial assistance from 2020 will carry over this year, and your price from 2020 is locked in!

If you were not signed up for amigos in 2020, click here to see our 2021 programs!

FEES INCLUDE

• Round-trip international airfare
• Training materials and workshops
• Secondary short-term international medical insurance
• Program excursions
• Food, lodging, and transportation in Latin America
• Supplies for community project and extracurricular activities
• 24-hour On Call Emergency Management System
• Travel hotline and support

Click here for more information about our Fees & Funding.

DUE DATES AND PAYMENT OPTIONS

For any family reapplying from Summer 2020, Family Financial Agreements will need to be to be resigned.

Reach out to your Local Chapter for specifics about your financial agreement this year.

AMIGOS actively recruits and supports inclusion of volunteers from diverse backgrounds. AMIGOS provides needs-based financial assistance with distribution determined by family income, number of dependents and special financial circumstances. We provide amounts TBA to qualified applicants as deductions on the family fee. The Financial Assistance Application deadline has passed. Please contact info@amigosnyc.org for additional information.

The transformative AMIGOS experience starts before leaving home.

With over 55 years of experience preparing young people for travel and service abroad, AMIGOS training offers unparalleled global youth leadership development. Pre-departure training equips volunteers with the critical thinking, communication skills, and technical knowledge they need to make a meaningful impact across cultures while staying healthy and safe. The New York City Chapter AMIGOS training is youth-led, experiential learning that prepares volunteers for their AMIGOS experience, builds a community of youth and families with shared values, and develops life-skills to help students succeed beyond AMIGOS. Training sessions are facilitated the New York City Chapter Training Director.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE TRAINING PROGRAM INCLUDE:

• Unparalleled leadership development
• Cross-cultural awareness and understanding
• Hands-on training for technical aspects of the program
• Extensive health and safety training
• Opportunities to practice Spanish
• Creating a community of young people with shared values

TRAINING CALENDAR

Pre–departure training for 2021 programs will be done through a combination of mandatory online modules and optional webinars. Training will also take place in country upon arrival. Once you apply, we will reach out with more information on the pre-departure training timeline and expectations.

Your Local Chapter may offer additional local opportunities to connect virtually with AMIGOS in your area. If you have questions about this, please reach out to chapters@amigosinternational.org.