Amigos de las Américas (AMIGOS) announced the coming departure of six teenagers from the West Seattle area with the Seattle AMIGOS Chapter for service projects in Latin America.

For six to eight weeks this summer, these West Seattle youths will join more than 700 other teenagers and young adults from throughout the United States and other countries to volunteer on public health, education and environment projects in the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama and Paraguay.

Volunteers include Kata Martin, Rachel Cermak, Lukas Shadair, Kyeti Morgan, Andrea Adachi, and Johanna Garcia of West Seattle, Washington. They comprise part of the Seattle AMIGOS Chapter, which will send a total of 30 teenagers from the Puget Sound area to Latin America this summer.

“AMIGOS Volunteers return from their Latin American assignments with a greater understanding of global issues, their personal capabilities and the values of volunteerism,” said Breen Lorenz, Seattle AMIGOS chapter president.

Kata Martin, an AMIGOS volunteer from West Seattle, will leave soon for her summer in Lempira, Honduras, where she will organize workshops for local youth on cultural expression, nutrition, and the environment.

“I decided to do AMIGOS to deepen my understanding of worlds outside my own,” she said.

Volunteers will live with host families and work in small teams on community development projects such as facilitating health and environmental education for children, constructing latrines and fuel-efficient stoves and providing technology training. Volunteers will also lead youth education projects to promote healthy social development, improve leadership skills and foster creative expression of young people in their host communities.

The Puget Sound area youth have been training and fundraising for months to prepare for their community service assignments in Latin America. AMIGOS training programs equip youth with the critical skills needed to conduct community service programs with confidence and cultural sensitivity, both in their home communities and in Latin America.

Founded in 1965, AMIGOS is a non-profit organization that provides opportunities for young people to simultaneously develop leadership and decision-making skills while making a positive difference in the health and well-being of communities in Latin America. The Seattle Chapter is affiliated with the AMIGOS International Office in Houston, Texas. For more information, visit www.amigoslink.org and www.seattleamigos.org.