HOW TO APPLY
AMIGOS gives you an exciting chance to have an adventure and explore the world outside of a classroom. You will live in a new country with a host family and work on sustainable community service projects. These experiences prepare you for your future, improve your Spanish, and build your confidence. You develop leadership skills that will set you apart in college and throughout your career. With AMIGOS, you will learn about the world by living in it. Click here to explore our Summer Programs.
READY TO APPLY?
The deadline to apply to the local East Bay Chapter of AMIGOS has passed. We are still accepting applications through our National Chapter! You can learn more about the National Chapter here.
CONTACT
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Krista Boscoe, Senior Director of Enrollment and Community, via email at [email protected].
ABOUT
The AMIGOS East Bay Chapter is part of a 13 Chapter Network that recruits, trains, and supports AMIGOS volunteers and families in their local community. Volunteers from the East Bay train together as a group before leaving for their summer experience in Latin America. Our board supports volunteers and families with group fundraising, service learning, community building, and overall preparation. Learn more about our Summer Programs here!
HISTORY
Since the East Bay Chapter’s incorporation in 1968, over 1,000 youth from the East Bay have volunteered through the chapter path, fundraising and training locally before the summer.
CURRENT VOLUNTEERS
East Bay Chapter volunteers attend Acalanes High School, Berkeley High School, Campolindo High School, Carlmont High School, El Cerrito High School, Las Lomas High School, Miramonte High School, and many more!
FEES & FUNDING
The family fee to participate in an AMIGOS Summer Program in the East Bay Chapter varies by project.* Please see the Fees section to the right to review pricing.
The East Bay Chapter covers AMIGOS program costs through a combination of fundraising and the family fee contribution. All chapter volunteers fundraise to maximize our ability to provide the AMIGOS experience to all interested students, without regard to family financial circumstances. Fundraising activities develop skills that are an important component of the AMIGOS training program and raise awareness of AMIGOS programs in the community.
Product Sales
East Bay Chapter volunteers raise funds through the sale of products. This effort primarily takes place in November, December and January. Volunteers receive considerable help with regard to sales strategies. Our volunteers will learn how to summarize the AMIGOS story and their passion for their projects – the famous “elevator pitch”. Through product sales training, they will present their story to others eloquently and persuasively to support the efforts of all volunteers. They will use these skills in country as they work together with local leaders and their host community members. The experience gained in this effort build important skills beyond their summer!
Letter Writing
The ability to compose a persuasive fundraising letter allows our volunteers to raise support to accomplish their projects, not only in their host community, but also in their own communities upon their return home to the U.S. Each volunteer is required to send letters to friends and family to request tax-deductible donations that support AMIGOS projects. The revenue from this effort is pooled. The chapter provides this training for all East Bay Chapter volunteers.
FEES
Non-Refundable Application Fee: $50
Summer program family fees vary by project length:
- 2-week projects: $3,175
- 3-week projects: $4,375
- 4-week projects: $4,675
- 6-week projects: $4,875
*Flight costs are not included. Learn more about airfare and travel support here.
FEES INCLUDE:
- 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 Fees & Funding.
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
AMIGOS actively recruits and supports inclusion of volunteers from diverse backgrounds. AMIGOS provides need-based financial assistance with distribution determined by family income, number of dependents, and special financial circumstances. We provide amounts of $500–$3,000 to qualified applicants as deductions on the family fee.
TRAINING
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 East Bay 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 volunteers succeed beyond AMIGOS. Training sessions are facilitated by the Training Team and include guest speakers from the community and the East Bay Chapter Board of Directors.
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
Meeting 1 – Welcome/Intro to AMIGOS
February 11, 11AM-4PM
LDS Moraga 3776 Vía Granada, Moraga, CA 94556
Meeting 2 – Cultural Humility, Leadership, Packing
March 11, 10AM-4PM
LDS Moraga
Meeting 3 – Health and Safety
April 15, 11AM-4PM
LDS Moraga
Meeting 4 – Final Training
May 13, 11AM-4PM
LDS Moraga
Graduation
May 20, Time TBD
Newt Hollow Picnic Area – Briones Regional Park
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
We are volunteers who support all efforts to prepare AMIGOS volunteers and their families for their in-country projects. Board members are either AMIGOS veterans themselves or parents of former volunteers who feel strongly about the program, and can answer your questions! Just click on the email address to send a message.
President ([email protected])
Ray Chavez – Parent
Treasurers ([email protected])
Bob Schutt – Parent
Jacqui Richter, MD – Parent (also Health and Safety)
Training Director ([email protected])
Karsen Paul – Alumna
Assistant Training Director ([email protected])
Charlotte McClelland – Alumna
Facilities & Events (Facilities)
Andy Sorensen, MD – Alumnus and parent (also Health and Safety)
Product Sales Director ([email protected])
Thomas Spirgi – Parent
Letter Writing Director ([email protected])
Stephanie Lipow – Parent
Letter Writing Coordinator (Letter Coordinator)
Rebecca Kallgren – Parent
Travel Coordinator & Online Product Sales (Travel)
Mary De Luna – Parent
Health and Safety
Kate Kasberger, MD – Parent (Health & Safety)
Jacqui Richter, MD – Parent
Andy Sorensen, MD – Alumnus and Parent
Donor Outreach (Donors)
Chuck Kallgren – Parent
TESTIMONIALS
“I wouldn’t trade the experience and leadership skills I gained for anything, nor would I ever disregard the huge benefits to local and international youth of collaborating on these projects and in children’s programs within our communities…Along with spending time with participants from all across the US and the Dominican Republic, I went with a partner into a rural community to live, to assist in a community service project, and to run summer camps for children. I found a life there, with a family and a community where I felt at home. Two months later I came back to the U.S., deeply changed but feeling more like myself than I ever had…”
– Karsen P. – Oakland Technical High School
“I’ve realized there are more ways to learn than just in a classroom. My AMIGOS experience has been a crucial opportunity to enrich my worldview. I am confident that future participants will learn to embrace change rather than hide from it. The best advice I have for them is to not have expectations regarding their summer and keep an open mind when encountering challenges and triumphs. Their newfound independence will mark the beginning of their leadership to perform meaningful acts of service not only locally, but also around the world…”
– Angelina Z. – Aspire Richmond College Preparatory Academy