- A group opportunity. Invite your friends.
-
10 people are interested
Green Building Volunteer
ORGANIZATION: Long Way Home
Please visit the new page to apply.
- A group opportunity. Invite your friends.
-
10 people are interested
Looking to participate in a radically green develoment project? Long Way Home is constructing a self-sustainable 18-building green campus in the western Highlands of Guatemala. Using alternative methods and materials, we are empowering the youth of this community, the majority of whom are Kaqchikel Maya, to be the architects of their own futures.
We practice several methods of alternative construction including earth rammed tires, earthbags, trash bottles, and aluminum! We also boast a rainwater catchment system with the capacity to store 45,000 gallons of water. As a volunteer, you will join our local construction crew and other volunteers that participate in the construction of the school. Most of the campus is finished and operating a school of grades K-11 with 150 students and 35 local staff, while we continue construction. In Guatemala, there is a dry season (Nov-April) and a rainy season (May-Oct), and we work throughout the whole year. We accept volunteers of all skills and experience levels! It is important to have a good attitude, team player, motivation to help out, and be flexible. Must be able to walk up and down hills at high elevation (7,000 ft). On-site we have a communal kitchen. All the water we collect from rainwater, some of which is filtered for drinking water on-site and at the volunteer house.
Long Way Home's mission is to use sustainable design to construct self-sufficient buildings that promote education, employment, and environmental stewardship. We've used more than 400 tons of trash and over 15500 tires in our construction so far. We aim to end the cycle of poverty through innovation that is relevant to the context.
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Opportunities
About Long Way Home
Location:
227 W Hershey St, Ashland, OR 97520, US
Mission Statement
Long Way Home's mission is to use sustainable design and materials to construct self-sufficient schools that promote education, employment and environmental stewardship. Our vision is to empower communities to break the cycle of poverty through innovative solutions to local challenges.
Description
Long Way Home (LWH) began operations in San Juan Comalapa, in the indigenous highlands of west-central Guatemala, in 2004, with a grassroots, community development strategy to bring local residents together to learn about eco-friendly living, sustainable technologies, and improved waste management solutions. Together with a local NGO and our neighbors, we transformed five acres of rural land into a community park. In lieu of the .25 admission, we charged a plastic bottle stuffed with trash, called "eco-bricks." This created a stream of building materials for our current construction project: building a school.
In December of 2008, LWH purchased land one mile from Comalapa's city center. We began construction of the 18-building green academy, Tecnico Chixot, using re-purposed trash and alternative methods. The structures are robust in their structural integrity, offer additional resistance to seismic activity, and incorporate natural indoor climate controlling properties. At the completion of construction, the school will have the capacity for over 300 students from K-12. The curriculum will be focused on environmental education and alternative solutions, educating the next generation of uniquely skilled entrepreneurs in this community.
Currently we have 130 students K-9, and employ over 40 local residents between the school and construction staff, impacting not just local educational options, but the economy as well! We have already turned over *400 tons of trash* into 14 buildings and, with your help, we can continue our impact locally and globally.
CAUSE AREAS
WHEN
WHERE
PaxanComalapa, Chimaltenango 97520Guatemala
DATE POSTED
April 17, 2024
SKILLS
- Administrative Support
- Construction
- Environmental Education
- System Engineering
- Civil Engineering
- Gardening
GOOD FOR
- Teens
- People 55+
- Group
REQUIREMENTS
- Must be at least 18
- Minimum Time: 1 week Maximum Time: 3 months
- Just fill out our application from our website here http://www.lwhome.org/volunteerapp/