During this internship you will make a real difference to the lives of underprivileged children and local community leaders, and gain invaluable hands on practical experience in a variety of fields including project management and team leadership. You will be typically working with children aged between 5 and 12 on basic education and literacy projects and will work alongside a dedicated staff supervisor to ensure you maximize your placement, cultural and learning activities. Education is not free in Guatemala and much of the population lives below the poverty line, so GVI, along with leaders of the indigenous communities, has built schools that are free to attend.

How this program makes a difference:

A substantial part of the fee goes towards the day-to-day running costs of the projects themselves throughout the year, which includes rent, electricity, local salaries, fruit and other food for the children, educational materials for classes, monthly birthday and other celebrations, painting and maintenance. We currently pay for over 400 children to attend National School, as well as our own schools. Of these, almost 50 children entered Secondary School and 8 entered College. Included in your fee is one scholarship per child, per year.

Highlights:

• Living with a host family in Antigua
• Teaching literacy and numeracy to indigenous children in remote communities in GVI schools
• Learning Spanish (optional)
• Going on an adventure weekend at Lake Atitlan (optional) to enjoy activities including hiking, biking and kayaking, opportunities for Salsa Classes and further travel

Qualifications:

No special training or qualifications are required as you will receive training in the field.

The volunteer contribution includes all food and accommodation, airport pick up and drop off, one-on-one Spanish lessons (if paying Spanish price); Criminal Records Bureau check for UK participants, 50 trees to plant; one scholarship for a child to attend school for one year; pre-departure support and discounted services, 24 hour emergency phone, 24 hour in country support. Also included in the internship is internationally recognized qualification in Team Leading; final evaluation; certification and summary of training and experience received; confidential professional reference.

For more information on this program, please see our website:

www.gviusa.com/internships/central-america/guatemala/community-internship-guatemala/home