The most populous nation in Central America, Guatemala is gifted with staggering natural beauty, a rich culture and turbulent history. With over half the population of Mayan descent, the ancient traditions are still very much alive in the highlands. Guatemala is considered the 5th biodiversity hotspot of the world, encompassing a large array of differing habitats, from mangroves and tropical rainforest to beaches and dry forests. The weather is dependent on where you are. The highlands, and almost two-thirds of the country is volcanic, can be hot during the day but, often get cold at night. Bordered on the north by the Caribbean Ocean and to the south the Pacific, it also shares borders with Mexico, Belize, Honduras and El Salvador. The wealth of traditions is what makes Guatemala special. The richness of colors and the friendliness of its people are what contribute to its unique brand of beauty.

Guatemala is one of the jewels of Central America, packed with ancient ruins, active volcanoes and intriguing Mayan culture. Team Members live in the beautiful old Spanish lakeside town of Panajachel, the gateway to Lake Atitlán. It is a charming, bustling indigenous town, famous for local artifacts and weavings. Project work is carried out in communities all within a one hour minivan journey from the town. Team Members typically live with local families in comfortable but basic accommodation allowing for an enriching cultural experience and the valuable opportunity to practice Spanish!

All accommodation provided is private and includes three meals a day Monday to Saturday; lunch is eaten in the communities during the week. Every effort will be made to match Team Members with their wishes regarding smoking / non smoking, pets etc, although there are no guarantees. Homestays are with local families and you must respect the cultural differences. On Sundays, Team Members cater for themselves as they are normally off exploring and the homestay families also enjoy a day off! The food is very typical of the area and is varied including meats, vegetables and fruits. Vegetarians are also well catered for.

No formal teacher-training or a construction background is required as each Team Member is supported by GVI staff and local teachers. Full training through presentations and handouts includes in-country information, health and safety, first aid certification, lesson planning and classroom management, 20 hours of one-on-one Spanish Language lessons, project sustainability and micro-financing. We have a large library of teaching manuals and resource books. The Guatemalan curriculum and many other teacher resource books are available. Regular meetings are held to discuss structure, swap ideas and to work on the following week’s classes.

Team Members need to be enthusiastic, presentable, happy to work hard, long hours in hot conditions and to live and work in basic conditions. NO uncovered tattoos or unremoved facial piercings are permitted in the communities and hair must be presentable, as Team Members are taking the position of teachers within the community. The needs of the project, the area of the work, weather conditions and the logistics behind the work mean changes to the plan usually occur at some point and Team Members must be aware of this and willing to be flexible.

Twenty hours of one-on-one Spanish classes (based on skill level) are usually taken over the course of the first week. Further classes can be arranged, either group or one-on-one, in the evenings, for a minimal additional cost. Fluent knowledge of Spanish is not a pre-requisite for this program as sufficient Spanish should be obtained through the Spanish classes provided and by learning the vocabulary sheets sent out in the information packs before arrival. Implemented into the course structure are useful phrases and words that you should encounter and require on your volunteering experience. Team Members time and interaction in country is greatly enhanced by the level of Spanish they can attain. Pre-departure study is highly recommended. A five page vocabulary list is also provided beforehand. GVI staff speak Spanish and can help with translation if necessary.

Team Members typically team-teach in the schools from 8am in the morning until early afternoon, helping children who need more attention with literacy, mathematics and also giving some English lessons. GVI staff are always on hand to help out, give direction, support and ideas. Each class size can range from 15-30 children, depending on the collective ability or the attention needed by the children. Other teaching activities usually include sports, geography and arts. Due to large class sizes, many children fall behind in their learning, so the program is designed to teach those children who need more intensive help. It is believed that over half the children are in need of such help.

Classes resume after lunch at 1:30pm and continue until 3pm. During this time, lessons are given to the children who need further reinforcement or cannot go to school due to financial or other constraints. This will be basic literacy and numeracy.

Team Members typically have three trips included, which are a visit to a Grameen loan site to see first-hand the families who receive loans; a visit to a supplier site across the lake to see see where Allegro coffee is sourced, and a cultural tour of Lake Atitlan, visiting towns around the lake and becoming immersed in the culture of the area.

A substantial part of the fee goes towards the day-to-day running costs of the programs themselves throughout the year, including professional long term staff, daily transportation to and from the community, food and accommodation, equipment, a group donation of USD$150 towards the Whole Planet Foundation site to support sustainable development and the sustainability of the project, further donations towards the teaching project to be spent on equipment or infrastructure, pens, pencils, notebooks, and educational materials for classes, a full fruit and food program for the children, monthly birthday and other celebrations. All agreed costs incurred for class-related materials by the Team Members are reimbursed. In addition, there is a donation per person towards the stove construction project, which includes the building of two energy efficient stoves per month in the community. Each Volunteer also receives a USD$10 credit for internet and / or international phone calls.

10 -15 plus GVI Project Staff