AMIGOS DE LAS AMERICAS

AMIGOS de las Américas (AMIGOS) is a Houston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs immersive volunteer, gap-year, and bridge-year programs for middle school, high school, and recent-high-school participants across multiple countries in Latin America. Participants live with host families, work alongside local organizations on community-defined projects, and receive in-country staff support and robust health and safety systems. Founded in 1965, AMIGOS emphasizes cultural humility, ethical service, and youth leadership development; the organization operates signature short- and long-term programs (2 weeks to 6 weeks, plus bridge/gap-year offerings) and maintains longstanding partnerships with local NGOs, governments, and educational institutions. Recent years have seen AMIGOS expand program types (including a Social Impact Accelerator and university bridge-year partnerships) while returning to and growing in-person programming across its host countries.