earth hero worldschool

become an Earth hero!

The Earth Hero World School Program is Long Way Home’s unique 2-week intensive course designed to empower students to become Heroes - agents of change that take bold action to protect the environment and build democracy.

Over two weeks we will meet real-life Guatemalan Earth heroes; local people working in regenerative ways to protect and restore the ecosystem. From farmers to green builders, you will be inspired by their work. We will help you come up with ideas of your own to be an Earth hero in your community.

You will participate in green building projects at The Hero School to learn about sustainable building methods, how solar power works, how rainwater collection systems work, and you will build an all-natural water filter!

We will also work together and use creative thinking to turn trash into treasure! Our projects will aim to upcycle waste and give back to the local community. For example, by turning plastic bottles into planters and giving people a plant when locals come to volunteer.

Hablamos Español!

Escríbenos y con mucho gusto te proveeremos la información necesaria en Español.

cultural tours

In addition to our programs at the school, we have some fun cultural excursions to help you learn about the local history, geology, art, food, and culture. You will naturally begin to learn and work on your Spanish throughout the program. It is much more fun to practice your language skills when you are immersed in the culture.

There are two Kaqchiquel ruins an hour away in San Martin and Iximche. On clear days you can even see Volcan Fuego erupting from the school campus! In San Juan Comalapa and Antigua, we will visit the artists’ galleries, watch women weaving their beautiful fabrics, and you can even get lessons too.

Your Teachers

  • Germain Hot

    Germain is our full-time construction coordinator and the primary GBA Facilitator. He studied structural engineering in France and in the UK before working for various structural engineering and architectural firms in London.

    In his work and life, he advocates low-tech solutions and respect of local cultural heritage.

    His role at Long Way Home is to use his engineering experience to secure our constructions and refine green building practices.

  • Matt Paneitz

    Raised in Lufkin, TX, he first went to Guatemala as a Peace Corps volunteer in 2002. At the end of his service, his in-country counterpart, the director of a local NGO, requested help in transforming a five-acre piece of land into a community park. In 2004, Matt filed the non-profit application to start LWH and by February 2005, Parque Chimiyá was underway.

    Prior to starting LWH, he worked in construction and as a 911 Paramedic. In 2013, he earned a Bachelor’s in Sustainability and in 2015 a Masters in Education.

  • Adam Howland

    Adam first came to Guatemala in 2002 as an Appropriate Technology volunteer with the Peace Corps. He joined the LWH team for the development of Parque Chimiyá and has been a cornerstone of the organization ever since.

    He specializes in sustainable building techniques and is extremely resourceful with the local materials that are available to him. Using his expertise, he designs LWH’s campus and off-campus projects.

  • Roberto Perén

    Roberto was born and raised in San Juan Comalapa. He joined the LWH team in 2012 without any construction experience and dove right into learning about green building and its wide array of different resourceful building materials and techniques. Now, he has climbed the ranks to become Construction Team Leader.

    For the 2018 and 2019 Green Building Academies, the project focus was constructing a new home for Roberto and his family.

  • Romeo Apen

    Romeo came to us in February 2009 with years of corn farming experience, but no experience in construction. He is now one of our most experienced green-builders. Romeo sees the economic and environmental benefits of harvesting available materials for construction instead of investing in new materials. He is enthusiastic about teaching others what he has learned and likes working with diverse groups - he has had the opportunity to learn about different cultures through projects in Venezuela, South Africa, and rural Guatemala.

  • Pauline Harou

    Pauline is a former Mathematics and Physics teacher able to speak in 4 languages. Having recently completed a Master’s Degree at the Polytechnic School of Brussels in Architectural Engineering, in Belgium, Pauline came to LWH as an Architectural Design Intern.

    Since the internship, Pauline continues to learn and contribute to the field of green building by presenting at the upcoming Green Building Academy.

  • Edson Martinez

    Returning to Long Way Home for a second Green Building Academy is Edson. First here in July 2022, Edson came to learn more technical craft to apply to their own project located in Mexico.

    We are excited to have Edson assisting in the March 2023 GBA where he will teach some course work, participate in construction practicals, and support the participant experience at our campus house. His cheer and drive will certainly provide a positive contribution to our Academy!

Program details

The Earth Hero World School program takes place on May 5-18, 2024 at our site in San Juan Comalapa, a rural town in Guatemala’s Highlands. Participants and their families will live in a zero-waste home that uses solar power and has dry latrines. This will be a memorable experience that can create life-changing habits.

Experience living in an eco lodge!

What’s included apart from the World School Program?

  • Onsite orientation to the Long Way Home campus

  • Housing for two weeks at the Eco Lodge

  • Cultural tour in Kaqchikel town of Comalapa, Guatemala

  • Purified drinking water

  • Breakfast, lunch, and dinner on school days

  • Kitchen/house essentials (propane, matches, cooking oil, etc.)

  • Mayan Ruins Tour

  • Tour of the market, art galleries, and weaving studios

  • Artisan handicraft lesson

Experience living in an eco lodge!

What’s included apart from the World School Program?

  • Onsite orientation to the Long Way Home campus

  • Housing for two weeks at the Eco Lodge

  • Cultural tour in Kaqchikel town of Comalapa, Guatemala

  • Purified drinking water

  • Breakfast, lunch, and dinner on school days

  • Kitchen/house essentials (propane, matches, cooking oil, etc.)

  • Mayan Ruins Tour

  • Tour of the market, art galleries, and weaving studios

  • Artisan handicraft lesson

Program Expense:

Earth Hero Worldschool Package $1000 (2 weeks)

25% deposit is required to secure a reservation.

Citizens of Latin America receive price reductions, details below.

Your registration fee contributes to expenses like building materials and the salaries of the team you will learn from, and will help further LWH’s efforts to make resilient housing accessible to low-resourced and climate-stressed communities. Thank you.

Additional Discounts

We want to make the World School as inclusive as possible. We have personal discounts and group discounts available for our May 2024 Session.

We provide an automatic 50% discount for citizens of Latin America (=$500 for the program)

  • Group Discount

  • Groups of 3 or more receive $100 off per person!

    Groups of 5 or more receive $200 off per person!

    If you qualify or have any questions, please fill out the form below.

    For more information, you can contact our volunteer coordinator.