Website: http://www.amigoslink.org/

Re: College freshman wants to volunteer in Latin America
Look in to Amigos de las Americas. They seem to have a really well organized program and they seem to prepare the teens very well for their summer away. The kids can choose from many Central and South American countries and the type of volunteer work they want to do. They spend the summer -- or at least 5 weeks-- with a family. The teen must have at least 2 years high school Spanish so your child would definitely be ready. I did the same kind of thing when I was a teenager and I came home speaking Spanish fluently. I was able to challenge 2 years of college Spanish and I ended up getting one degree in Spanish literature. We are planning on having our kids do this program. I think the volunteer work runs the gamut from working in classrooms to actually building housing. They have a very informative website. anon

Re: summer travel program
It is too late for your child to go this summer, but next fall you might want to think about sending your child to Amigos next summer, an international program for high school and college kids that sends them to Latin America to do community service. From Amigos: "Volunteer to spend your summer providing public health services to our neighbors in Latin America. Young people from the US develop leadership skills and an understanding of other cultures while participating in this unique program". My 17 year old daughter is going to Paraguay this summer. Amigos is very intensive and requires a lot of work throughout the year before your child goes away. You can get more information about Amigos at this web site: www.amigoslink.org