2015 Tucson Amigos information night-presentation

Mission  Statement  

Amigos  de  las  Américas  inspires  and  builds  young  leaders  through  collabora8ve  community  development  and  cross  cultural  experiences.  

AMIGOS History • Founded in 1965 • 50 years of

experience in Latin America

Tucson Chapter •  Founded in 1968 •  One of 28 chapters across the US •  Successfully trained more than 600 participants to date •  Consistently a top tier chapter for participant performance and

satisfaction

Project Structure

•  Experienced Project Leadership Team •  Partnerships of 2-3 participants •  Small to medium sized communities •  Participants collaborate with community members and local partner

organizations •  Project theme

What do participants do? • Live with host family • Collaborate on 1 (or

more) community led projects

• Facilitate educational workshops

Participant Safety

Chapter training Standards of Conduct

Partner system and in country staff

Living areas Communties and host families are screened

in advance

CALM Plan Flexibility in program if

necessary

Volunteer Safety is

#1

What are the living conditions? • Host family • Small to medium sized communities • Range of rural to urban

Project Themes • Environmental

sustainability • Youth Entrepreneurship • Public Health/Nutrition • Sports and Fitness • Civic Participation and

Youth Leadership

Can I pick my project? •  Select top 3-5 projects

•  12 projects in 8 countries •  4-9 weeks

•  National Office assigns final projects • Costa Rica • Ecuador • Mexico • Dominican

Republic • Nicaragua • Panama • Paraguay • Colombia

AMIGOS participants gain... •  Leadership and public

speaking skills •  Confidence •  Community development

experience •  Spanish languages abilities •  Cultural awareness and

sensitivity •  Opportunities to continue the

AMIGOS experience

What is training like? •  January through May

•  Every Monday Night, 6:45 to 9:00 p.m.

•  3 Weekend Retreats (Jan/Feb/Apr)

•  Parent meetings once per month

Who can be an AMIGO?

•  16 years old by December 2016 •  Completed sophomore year of high school •  Two years of high school Spanish or equivalent •  Passion and Commitment

How much does it cost? •  $2,550 Family Fee*

•  Broken into monthly payments

•  $4,100 Fundraising •  Includes chapter

training, travel, food, lodging, and insurance for the duration of the project, project supplies

*Limited amount of financial aid available. Deadline to apply for financial aid is October 11

How does fundraising work? •  Letter writing campaign •  Fundraising events •  Part of training program

Stories from past participants

I’m interested, what do I do now?

Application process

Apply

•  Complete Application •  2 personal references (Spanish Teacher) •  DUE DATE- October 11th, 2015 *

Interview

•  Interviews for applicant and parents •  October 19, 20, 21 (in evening) •  Applicant Spanish interview

Accept •  Notification of acceptance October 31st •  Sign and return Chapter Agreement by Nov. 14th •  Volunteer and Parent Orientation Nov. 22nd

*including any/all financial aid paperwork

Contact Us Erik Yoder, Chapter President [email protected]

Lauren Simonis, Training Director [email protected]

Rebecca O’Brien, Paperwork Coordinator [email protected]

Websites:

tucson.amigosinternational.org

amigosinternational.org

Questions?