Earn course credits by interning in Comalapa, Guatemala with Long Way Home. You can help satisfy college degree requirements while having the learning experience of a lifetime with us!

Please review the potential internships below. Note that there are new opportunities to apply your skills and education becoming available on a regular basis. If you are interested in pursuing an internship, please visit the Volunteer  page where you will find various forms and information in the right hand column. Also, please Contact us with additional questions.

Appropriate Technology Internship

Long Way Home is currently involved in the planning and building phases for the expansion of the K-12 Técnico Maya school, a new school built with low-impact, alternative building methods including but not limited to earth-bags, rammed-earth tires and recycled trash-filled-bottle construction. The school will teach a combination of traditional, Mayan and vocational courses. At the high school level students will have the opportunity to become entrepreneurial environmentalists through developing biodiesel projects.

This internship will involve a combination of sweat, head-scratching and hard labor followed by a feeling of accomplishment while still managing to have fun in the process. During these initial phases our organization is looking for someone who has experience in one or more of the following fields:

•Green Building, Alternative Construction or "Earthship" Construction
•Civil and/or Structural Engineering
•Mechanical Engineering
•Chemical Engineering (pertaining to bio-diesel project)
•Electrical Engineering
•Welding
•Masonry
•Carpentry

Responsibilities

•Assisting with construction.
•Planning on the spot.
•Contributing new ideas to current and future projects.
•Learning & implementing appropriate technologies in the community (ex: efficient wood stoves, rain catchment, etc.).

Qualifications

•Experience in 'pounding nails'
•1 year university-level Spanish or equivalent preferred.
•General understanding of construction and safe use of hand and power tools.
•Physically able to lift up to 100 lbs. and put in 8+ hour days.

NGO Management Internship

This internship is a great opportunity for anyone pursuing a career in social work, community organizing, political science or non-profit management. Managing a grassroots nonprofit requires wearing many hats: fundraising, marketing, bookkeeping, reporting and managing resources. Your internship with Long Way Home can be tailored to your specific area of interest, but will also give you the opportunity to experience the full gamut of nonprofit administrative tasks.

Participants involved may expect to assist the community in every way possible. This is an excellent opportunity to learn about grant writing for a nonprofit organization. Interns will research, prioritize, and apply for grants from a variety of foundations and institutions. Our vision includes investing in future projects with the aim of continually improving the Comalapan standard of living. Our ability to undertake these ventures depends on the success of future grants. We invite interns from a variety of academic and experiential backgrounds to lend their hands and ideas to better the community.

Responsibilities

•Research sources of funding for projects that LWH is planning or implementing.
•Write proposals and grants that have a good chance of being funded.
•Develop a long-term program to help establish stability/sustainability for the community.
•Make a minimum three month commitment.
•Initiate other fund-raising ideas.
•Create marketing plans for the volunteer, voluntourism and internship programs.
•Create documents to supplement the continuous updating of LWH's website.
•Generate public relations materials to spread awareness about LWH's mission and accomplishments, both in Guatemala and abroad.

Requirements

•Experience and/or education in communications, writing, journalism and/or research.
•Interest in collaborating with a nonprofit organization.
•First year college level Spanish or equivalent.
•Some experience in writing grants preferred.

Qualifications

•Interest and enthusiasm about community works and projects.
•Flexibility, patience, and willingness to be proactive.
•Coursework or experience in community development, environmental studies, social work or equivalent preferred.
•Some experience with NGOs preferred.
•Ability to read and write Spanish a plus.

Environmental Education Internship

Part of Long Way Home's mission is to educate the Comalapan youth about the local environment and environmental sustainability. In 2007 a classroom was built on our site in order to conduct classes on topics including recycling, reforestation, preservation of natural habitats and composting. We are interested in an intern with the leadership skills to organize and implement an educational outreach program through networking with local elementary and middle schools. Although an on-site location exists for environmental education, an intern should extend their educational program into sensitive community sites and local schools.

Responsibilities

•Develop an environmental studies curriculum for K-6 emphasizing natural history, conservation of resources, organic farming techniques, proper waste disposal and recycling.
•Teach the curriculum to LWH volunteers for use in the field.
•Develop an appropriate curriculum for the nature trail at Parque Chimiyá .
•Design and supervise the construction of learning stations with interpretive signs to be erected in the 2-hectare forested area at Parque Chimiyá.
•Label plants in the forested area at the park and create an environmental map of it.
•Create an environmental map of the forested area at Parque Chimyá.
•Create an environmental education curriculum for use at local schools.

Qualifications

•Environmental studies, environmental science and/or conservation biology background at undergraduate or graduate level.
•3rd year college level Spanish or equivalent.
•Ability to work independently and to manage a team.
•Knowledge of Central American botany and plant identification skills.
•Experience in curriculum development.

English Teacher Internship (February to September)

There are dozens of primary schools located within and around Comalapa that are in need of an English teacher. Along with Spanish and the Kaq'chiquel Mayan dialect, English is now being introduced into the developing Comalapan community and is in high demand. Long Way Home can present the necessary contacts to start teaching relations with the local schools while offering the chance to manage all respective connections. This internship does not have students October through January when school is not in session.

Responsibilities

•Setting up an appropriate curriculum with teaching staff using interactive teaching methods (art, music, games, etc.).
•Training local teachers when requested.
•Developing new and maintaining old relationships with schools in Comalapa.
•Involving students in relevant Long Way Home projects.

Qualifications

•4 years university-level Spanish or equivalent.
•Experience or interest working with children from the ages 7-15.
•Creativity in a fast-paced work environment.
•Excellent leadership skills.
•Willingness to work independently.
•Previous experience teaching ESL preferred.