Under supervision from LWH staff and local community leaders, our interns help design, construct, and implement projects to improve educational and socio-economic conditions for the people of San Juan Comalapa, Guatemala. LWH interns have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience with development projects and even lead their own projects depending on the skill of the individual intern. For a list of specific internship openings, click here.

Long Way Home has an established international volunteer program that hosted over 400 volunteers from 13 countries between January 2005 and January 2009. An internship with LWH will provide the necessary experience to enter the world of community development and provide a cultural immersion experience of the Mayan lifestyle. Each LWH intern will:

• Join an energetic team of interns, long- and short-term volunteers and an experienced, committed staff of full-time development professionals.
• Witness the warmth of the close-knit and mutually dependent indigenous population that lives within a multi-generational family unit.
• Do "real work" which might include research, grantwriting, curriculum development, teaching, working with community groups, or doing earthship-style construction.
• Observe the day-to-day administration of a successful non-profit organization.
• Gain an understanding of the challenges of development work, particularly resource expansion within a developing country that has limited government supports.

With its Spanish speaking staff, LWH is an on-the-ground project which is fully integrated into the Comalapan community. It has remained committed to the principle of slow, intentional growth. In this way, LWH has earned the trust of community leaders and gained a foothold of influence attracting other agencies to its portals. We now support a variety of endeavors aimed at improving the communities' standard of living. These projects include:

• Building a vocational school using recycled materials
• Demonstrating green building techniques within the community
• Developing non-profit organizations within local villages
• Teaching environmental stewardship and recycling at elementary schools
• Collaborating on running water projects with Engineers Without Borders
• Constructing appropriate technologies (wood burning stoves, latrines, water tanks, etc) that focus on family health
• Running a reforestation project

Flexibility is a necessary quality in an intern. All interns are expected to perform a variety of tasks that may not solely fall within the category of their internship. An attitude of co-operation and willingness to be part of an energetic team are necessary for success at Long Way Home.

Projects are often long-term, and you cannot always expect to see the results of your work during the course of a semester. Whether building water cisterns, perfecting the art of flipping a tortilla or researching grants, LWH interns can expect to have a good time. Click here for a list of current internships, each offering a vital insight into an indigenous community and the life of a grassroots nonprofit organization.

If you are interested in becoming a LWH intern, click here to apply or contact us and we can walk you through all the steps. Long Way Home has created a Volunteer Manual that provides in-depth information about the volunteer program including accommodations, travel, food, and costs.

Download the Volunteer Manual

List of Internships

Apply Online (Individuals)

Apply Online (Groups)

Volunteer / Intern Packet (.pdf)

• Manual
• Application
• Release Form
• Volunteer Group Form (Group Coordinators)

Volunteer Program Costs