My service trip to Guatemala: What I loved and learned

Since high school I’ve always wanted to study abroad, and the opportunity to do so 这是我选大学过程中的主要部分吗. 但当我决定转学时， 我必须把其他重要的事情放在第一位. Primarily, I needed to focus on finding happiness 在我的新学校，火博体育学院. 我愿意放弃我的国际梦想 … but then I learned about Skidmore’s alternative spring break.

另类春假

另类春假 is an exciting opportunity for students interested in dedicating their spring break to something productive and energizing instead of sitting at home 或者在海滩上(这也是不错的选择)!). 你可以申请参加这个项目 end of the fall semester, and if admitted, you are required to register for a 1-credit 课程.

I chose Skidmore’s trip to Guatemala to participate in service work and a cross-cultural exchange, and I enrolled in the required Latin American and Latinx studies class to 让我为旅行做好准备. Little did I know that it would end up being one of my favorite 体验的各个方面.

为旅程做准备

The 课程, “Colloquium in Latin American and Latinx Studies,” prepared us for some of the phenomena that we would 经验 在危地马拉. 我们了解了危地马拉的情况 tumultuous and at times violent history and how it has had a lasting impact on the 今天的人们.

We also learned about Rigoberta Menchú, a revolutionary indigenous leader who gave the underrepresented indigenous people a voice 在危地马拉n history. 我们了解到 “voluntourism” and neoliberal professionalism, and had important conversations about how to be effective volunteers and leaders 在危地马拉.

While I felt prepared heading into this journey, I never could have expected the 生活-changing 对我的影响.

在危地马拉“播种”

Upon arriving 在危地马拉, we were welcomed by our partners from Planting Seeds, a nonprofit organization doing radical, revolutionary work for people of all ages 在危地马拉.

Planting Seeds has started preschool programs in San Lucas and is partnering with people living in Zone 3 (an underserved area of Guatemala City) to develop community leadership programs and provide afterschool programming to children and teenagers.

During the week, we saw the ins and outs of the service work that Planting Seeds does on a daily basis as they invited us to work side-by-side with them volunteering at the San Lucas preschool, teaching 英语 classes in Zone 3 and attending one of their 领导车间.

Children listen to a lesson in the San Lucas preschool we volunteered in

连接ing people to people to learn from each other

While in Zone 3, we also participated in a “cross-cultural exchange”—intimate, one-on-one conversations between Skidmore students and community leaders. 目标是获得 a better understanding of their challenges and successes. 

For example, one man graciously hosted us in his home and shared a bit of his story. He said, “I don’t feel angry about being born in Zone 3, because I know I was born 成为这里的社区领袖.” The grace and humility with which he spoke and the responsibility he felt for his community absolutely stunned me.

In America a great deal of emphasis is placed on improving social class and climbing 经济阶梯. But those living 在危地马拉 City’s Zone 3 were more concerned with bettering their own community than they were with trying to escape it. 他们看到 group progress instead of individual successes and believe that individual improvement 还有社区改善. 他们通过改进认识到了这一点 and dissemination of community resources and services, all individuals could be lifted.

The leadership, social justice–oriented methodological frameworks and compassion that I saw at Planting Seeds and the communities that they serve were astounding. It was an eye-opening, 生活-changing 经验 that shed light on the potential for social justice and leadership in underserved communities.

危地马拉阿蒂特兰湖全景图

对家的不同看法

During our week, we also traveled throughout Guatemala. 我们在安提瓜旅游 daily to places like San Lucas, Guatemala City and Lake Atitlan. 一路走来 与住在那里的人亲密交谈.

This pairing of travel, volunteering and thoughtful conversations made it a more holistic 经验. 家对我们每个人来说都有不同的意义. 听到这个消息很特别 their voices while exploring the beautiful country they call home.

My week 在危地马拉 was a fantastic way to spend my spring break. 我学到的教训 learned—of compassion and community empowerment—will be with me for the rest of my 生活.

照片由作者马利·阿米科，19岁提供