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ABOUT
The AMIGOS Seattle Chapter is part of a 9 Chapter Network that recruits, trains, and supports AMIGOS volunteers and families in their local community. Volunteers from the Puget Sound area 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 its incorporation in 1972, over 900 youth from the greater Seattle area have volunteered through the chapter path, fundraising and training locally before the summer.
CURRENT VOLUNTEERS
The Seattle Chapter welcomed 26 volunteers for this past Summer 2025 programming. These young leaders range from freshman to seniors, and attend Ballard High School, Bainbridge High School, Edmonds-Woodway High School, Garfield High School, Hazen High School, Lake Washington High School, Lincoln High School, Seattle Preparatory School, Shorecrest High School, Woodinville High School, and SAAS! This group traveled across Costa Rica, Paraguay, Panama and the Dominican Republic.
Chapter board
The Seattle Chapter Board of Directors has 11 active members who volunteer their time to make AMIGOS possible for more young people from the area. This vibrant group is comprised of alumni, parents of alumni, community members, professionals and all are passionate about achieving the AMIGOS mission.
making amigos accessable
The Seattle Chapter is committed to making AMIGOS accessible to families at all income levels. We typically cover 10-90% of the family fee, based on family need. We encourage families to communicate any special circumstances in their application. Each year’s fundraising dollars are “paid forward” to support the following year’s financial assistance. We believe that program cost should not be a barrier to participate and chapter financial assistance makes AMIGOS accessible. In 2025, roughly 30% of volunteers received financial assistance, making their summer participation possible.
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HOW TO JOIN
READY TO APPLY?
- Explore our website. Check out our programs and review our admissions requirements.
- Learn more about the Seattle Chapter activities by exploring the different tabs of this webpage.
- Attend an HQ-led online information session or schedule a counseling call.
- Submit your application (it should take around 30 minutes or less) and pay the $75 application fee to hold your spot. Questions or tech issues? Reach out to our Admissions team at [email protected].
Application Deadlines
January 25, 2026 is the Application Deadline to join the Seattle Chapter. Late applications may be considered on a case-by-case basis until training starts. Please contact [email protected] for more information.
Missed the local chapter deadline? You can still join us for summer 2026 through the National Chapter and complete training virtually!
Information sessions
The Seattle Chapter recorded an information session. This meeting reviews basic program information and chapter specifics such as financial assistance, funding, training, and service learning. We encourage interested students to watch with a parent or guardian prior to their family interview.
Interviews
The chapter will host an in-person interview day. The interview is for the applicant and family and at least one parent or guardian must attend. More information will be shared soon.
CONTACT
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Alex Johnson, Seattle Chapter Coordinator, via email at [email protected].
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
AMIGOS actively recruits and supports inclusion of volunteers from diverse backgrounds. Last year, 40% of volunteers received financial assistance! AMIGOS provides needs-based financial assistance with distribution determined by family income, number of dependents, and special financial circumstances. We provide financial assistance amounts of 10-90% of the program fee to qualified applicants. Program fees will range from $450-5275 based on family income. Financial assistance will cover a portion of program fee and may cover cost of flight as well depending on need.
On the application, students should select “Yes” that they intend to apply for financial assistance. Students must select “Yes” to this question in order for the Financial Assistance Application to appear on their dashboard. Then, at the end of the application, they should select, “I request a waiver”.
Applicants applying for financial assistance may request a temporary waiver of the $75 non-refundable application fee. The waiver is temporary while the chapter reviews the financial assistance application and determines an award offer (if any). If the volunteer and family accept the offer to join AMIGOS, they will then be required to pay the $75 non-refundable application fee.
Please contact the Chapter President at [email protected] for more information.
ADDITIONAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
All alumni interested in volunteering again with AMIGOS are encouraged to apply for the Alumni Award.
Alumni and parents of alumni can earn discounts or cash payments for referring the next cohort of AMIGOS volunteers! Learn more about our Alumni Referral Program and sign up to receive your unique referral code.
RESOURCES:
- All alumni interested in volunteering again with AMIGOS qualify to apply for the Alumni Award.
- To learn more about program fees, check out the Fees and Financial Assistance webpage.
CONTACT:
- Please reach out to the AMIGOS Seattle Treasurer with any questions regarding financial assistance via email at [email protected].
TRAINING
With over 60 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 Seattle Chapter training is youth-led, experiential learning that prepares volunteers for their experiences, builds a community of youth and families with shared values, and develops life-skills to help students succeed beyond AMIGOS.
TRAINING CALENDAR
SERVICE LEARNING
The Seattle Chapter incorporates service learning to add depth and first-hand experience to the curriculum. Service learning is a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility and strengthen communities.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE TRAINING PROGRAM INCLUDE:
- Unparalleled leadership development
- Cross-cultural awareness and understanding
- Health and safety training
- Opportunities to practice Spanish
- Creating a community of young people with shared values
FUNDRAISING
GROUP FUNDRAISING
AMIGOS Seattle provides chapter discounts and airline subsidies, offers financial assistance, and covers local program costs through fundraising activities. We chose these activities to maximize our ability to provide the AMIGOS experience to all volunteers without regard to family financial circumstances.
The Seattle Chapter’s operations and financial assistance pool are funded nearly entirely by its annual group fundraising effort involving a volunteer-driven letter-writing campaign. Fundraising skills are an important component of the AMIGOS training program and help raise awareness of AMIGOS programs in the community. Volunteers receive considerable help with regard to fundraising strategies, and the experience gained in this effort will build important life skills!
LETTER WRITING CAMPAIGN
Each volunteer is required to send out 100 letters to friends and family, to request tax-deductible donations. The Seattle Chapter provides fundraising tools and training for brainstorming contacts and personalizing letters, and each volunteer is paired with a fundraising mentor who offers individualized guidance (if needed) and helps ensure they are prepared for the chapter-wide “Letter Party.” At this in-person event, families, with hands-on support from board members and staff, sign letters and stuff, stamp, and address envelopes, before turning them in at the end of the event to be mailed.
While the group needs to raise an average of $3,000 per participant, what each volunteer will be measured by and held accountable to is 100% participation in planned activities and engaging with their mentor if assistance is needed. The success of this approach requires the good-faith effort and commitment of each volunteer and family.
You can see the Seattle Chapter’s group fundraising page here.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Debra Brandt
Co-President + Head of Fundraising
[email protected]
Joni Brand
Co-President
Bob Schutt
Treasurer
[email protected]
Lauren Wong
Secretary + Head of Alumni Relations
Alex Johnson
Chapter Coordinator, Outreach & Training Director
[email protected]
Tess Stroh
Assistant Seattle Chapter Coordinator
[email protected]
Zachary Binz
Youth Representative
Rani Jacobs
Youth Representative
Violet Cepress-Chung
Youth Representative
Edward La Cava
At-Large
Katy Art
At-Large
Lucy Severns
At-Large
Share Your Time and Talent!
The Seattle Chapter of AMIGOS is actively recruiting for board members and always welcomes volunteers! If you are interested in contributing to our chapter either as a board member or as an ad-hoc volunteer, please email [email protected].
